Flames and Family II: Road of Ruin
by madashes2ashes
Summary: Sequel to Flames and Family. Tsuna goes to Italy to train under the 9th boss. Tsuna-centric Rated M for Blood, Violence, and other Adult themes.
1. Chapter 1 Goodbyes

_Disclaimer: I do not own K. Hitman Reborn. All rights to the characters and world goes to the author Amano Akira. _

_This is just a simple fanfic I've been writing for fun. This is work is complete! Feel free to give feedback anyway, though!_

_Author's Notes:_

_This story picks up one year after the events in the Fanfic "Flames and Family"._ _Unlike that story, however, this one will not have an underlying major plotline. Instead, it merely follows along as Tsuna has to overcome challenges and become the next boss of Vongola._

_Will be rated M for Mature Features such as Violence, Blood, Gore, Language, Alchohol, Tobacco, Drugs and Sexual Encounters._ _Do NOT read this if you can't understand the word MATURE. Mature means adult frame of mind, people. I.E. Don't read this if you're not allowed to, or don't prefer to, watch R rated movies! You have been warned!_

_The story WILL start out pretty innocently, but expect it to change. We're going to the dark side of the mafia, baby!_

* * *

Tsuna leaned against the school roof's protective railing, a letter from Vongola the 9th dangling from his hands. Almost a full year had passed since the nightmare known among the mafia as the "Horsemen Incursion". He was graduating his 3rd year at Nami-chuu in a mere month and he was still trying to decide what he wanted to do next.

Then the letter from the 9th had come, opening a path that he'd not thought of. It was a polite invitation, instead of an order. An invitation to attend the private mafia-based high school in Italy, Don Girarde High, while training under the 9th. It was a high school not far from the Vongola Headquarters known for housing many up-and-coming mafioso. Or their children, at least.

Tsuna had almost thrown the letter away immediately, but part of him didn't want to dismiss the offer. His bond had gotten tighter with his Family since the incident the previous year, but he knew that he was still a long way from being a capable boss. He didn't want to admit it, but in his current state, there was no way he'd be able to take over for the 9th without making a mess of things.

So he held on to the letter, wondering if he should take the invitation.

He was caught, unable to make a decision. There was the part of him that wanted to become a worthy leader and protect his Family, but there was also the part of him that didn't want to leave Japan and his friends here. And something told him that if he went, he'd have to go alone. If only for a little while.

"What should I do, Reborn?" He asked quietly, knowing that his tutor was somewhere nearby. He was always nearby.

"Who knows?" The little hitman replied, jumping up onto the railing next to him. "It's true that there are things the 9th can teach you that you wouldn't be able to learn here. It would be a big step forward in your training, but it's not something anyone can force you to do. You have to decide this one on your own, Baka-Tsuna."

Tsuna nodded. It was almost word-for-word what he'd expected his tutor to say. Yet hearing it instead of thinking it helped him come to a decision. "Tell the 9th I'll come. There's a few provisions I'd like to make, but we can discuss that later." Reborn nodded and made the call.

It was something he felt he had to do and Tsuna had never backed down when he resolved to do something.

* * *

"Where's the 10th?" Gokudera asked, trying to straighten his tie for the graduation ceremony. "He should have been here hours ago."

"Who knows," Yamamoto replied, going over to help Gokudera. "He'll be here, though."

"No, he won't," Reborn said, popping up from nowhere. Yamamoto and Gokudera both stopped in their tracks.

"What do you mean, little guy?" Yamamoto asked, his serious swordsman side coming out.

"He's accepted an invitation to train under the 9th. His plane left a few hours ago."

"What...?" Gokudera looked like he wanted to faint. "He left without me, his Right-Hand Man? The 10th left...?"

"You'll only be temporarily separated. The initial invitation was only for him, but I'm sure he'll send for you eventually." Reborn reached into his suit and pulled out some letters as Kyoko and Hana walked up. He handed one to Gokudera and the other to Yamamoto.

"Tsuna's gone?" She asked in shock. Other than the one kiss the previous year, Tsuna had never made another advance toward her. Over the past year, their friendship had deepened, but it was almost as if fear kept him from letting himself allow more. It had been no different in his interactions with Haru, never again stepping over the bounds of friendship.

"Yup," Reborn replied, handing her a letter as well. Quietly, everyone opened their letters and read.

_Dear Gokudera,  
I know you're probably shocked and upset that I left without telling you. Please forgive me. I'll try to send for you as soon as I possibly can, assuming you want to join me in Italy. For now, I'm leaving the rest of the Family in your care. Please keep them safe and happy while I begin training. I'm going to do my best to become a boss worthy of you.  
Signed,  
Sawada Tsunayoshi, Vongola the 10th_

Tears began forming in Gokudera's eyes as his devotion to his boss rose another notch. He hadn't thought it was possible, but it was. Not only because of the bosses' written words of caring toward his loyal subordinate, but with the amount of trust he'd given. It was up to Gokudera to keep the Family happy. Definitely work fit for a right-hand man. With a sniff he said to Reborn, "Tell the 10th, I'll do it! Until he sends for me, I'll do it!"

_Dear Yamamoto,  
Please, don't be angry. I'm not trying to do this alone because it's going to hurt me, but because it's going to make me stronger. I have to get stronger if I'm going to take on the responsibility of not only protecting you and the Family, but leading the whole of Vongola. I know how important baseball is to you and I want to be strong enough that you don't have to spend so much time worrying about me instead of playing. The path you choose is up to you, but this is the path I feel I have to follow.  
Your brother,  
Tsuna_

Yamamoto gave a little half smile, moved by how much Tsuna cared about him. "Tell Tsuna," he said, trying to think of the best way to say it. "Tell him he's not allowed to go have fun without his big brother. I'll be joining him as soon as he'll let me."

Both the boys turned to Kyoko, wondering what her letter had said. They were a bit shocked when they saw her hand over her mouth in shock and tears falling from her eyes. Curious, the boys looked over her shoulder to see what it said. There were only two little words written.

_I'm sorry._

Looking down, they saw the little victory charm she'd given him during the ring battles attached to the paper. "He's really gone, isn't he?" She said. Both the boys looked at each other, understanding how hard it had been for Tsuna to give this back to Kyoko and to leave without saying goodbye. They also understood all the unwritten words that accompanied his message. It was his way of saying that she shouldn't wait on him. He, more than anyone, wanted her to be able to live a normal, happy life untarnished by the mafia.

"I'll pass your messages along," Reborn said, leaving the two boys to deal with Kyoko. He had a plane to catch.

* * *

Haru looked down at the letter Fuuta had given her, her face showing her shock.

"Ha-hi? Tsuna left without Haru? But he didn't say goodbye!" Fuuta pointed down to the letter she was holding. She opened it and read.

_Dear Haru,  
I'm sorry I can't say goodbye. Please take care of Kyoko. I'm not sure how she's going to take me leaving. Honestly, I didn't know how to say goodbye to either of you. I want you to be happy, just like I want Kyoko to be happy. I'm sorry I can't be what you want, but I am going to try and be a worthy successor to the 9th. If I come back, I don't know if I'll be the same so, don't wait for me. And don't loose your spirit.  
Tsuna_

"That idiot," she cried. "I'm going to be a mafia bosses' wife!" Fuuta could barely understand her through her tears, but he had a feeling she'd be okay eventually. Even as he tried to comfort her, she was already stomping her feet and looking for someone she could take her frustration out on. Fuuta decided it was probably better to go home, before she thought of using him.

* * *

Ryohei looked down at the letter Bianchi had just delivered to him. He was at the newly repaired Black Glove Mountain in the third floor gym. The gym floor had finally been opened to the public soon after the repairs were finished from the damage the acid-maniac had caused. Ryohei had been extremely grateful when Tsuna had given him full lifetime access to the Dojo and all the facilities of the Mountain. He'd been even happier when Tsuna had put him in charge of a new boxing division of the facility.

_Big Brother,  
I'm going to be gone for a while, doing some training. I'll send word when others can join me and you'll be able to come if you want, too. Until then, keep an eye out for your sister and Haru. You know how girls are.  
Tsuna_

Ryohei turned to Bianchi and said, "Tell him not to be too extreme." He smiled, knowing that Tsuna would get a good laugh out of him saying something like that. Both he and Tsuna knew that everything in life had to be lived to the extreme, but that was their little secret.

* * *

Hibari was sitting in his Reception Room. He was trying to decide if he should be pleased or angry over the letter that the little Chinese girl had brought him. He'd had fun this past year playing with Sawada, both of them eventually coming to a point where they were near equals in power. Near being the operative word.

They had grown together, coming to a point in their spars where neither could hit the other, but the close calls brought excitement and thirst. Toward the end of this year, the power they both unleashed in their fights would have sent either of them into the critical care ward if they'd landed. The thought had drove them both to increase their speed. Faster for Hibari, who's thirst for blood ran deepest among the Guardians. Faster for Tsuna, who knew his life was forfeit if he was too slow.

It had been a good year, Hibari grinned.

But the damn shorty had skipped town, he thought. Hibari scowled as he looked over the letter again.

_Hibari,  
I'm getting out of the well. If you're interested, I'll let you come play eventually, too.  
Sawada Tsuna_

Hibari remembered the taunt that Dino had used several years before, calling him a 'frog in the well'. So, the brat was planning on seeing what he could find out in the world, Hibari thought as he polished his tonfas. He couldn't keep the smile from playing on the edges of his lips. Taunting aside, Hibari was quite interested to see how much stronger his prey could get. If it took leaving beloved Namimori, so be it.

"If you're going to get stronger, I might be willing to come play," he said to the paper as he decided to be pleased.

* * *

"Kufufufu," Mukuro's laugh came from Chrome as they read their letter. Ken and Chikusa were watching quietly from the side. "So, our little ugly duckling has went to get new feathers. I can't wait to see if they'll be white or stained red. Either way, it's going to be interesting." 


	2. Chapter 2 Settling In

Tsuna couldn't help but feel relief as his plane landed. Flying in a plane was totally different than the flight he got when he used his gloves. His gloves didn't hit air-pockets and make his stomach feel like it was going to fly out of his throat. He wasn't sure if the view above the clouds had been worth the anxiety or not.

He stepped out of the Ninth's plane, the exit stairs going directly down to the landing strip instead of into the airport. Looking around, he saw his father was already waiting on him with an unmarked black car. One of his many provisions that the Ninth had agreed to had been that no one other than those directly connected with his training be told of his arrival in Italy until he felt ready. The Ninth must have decided that Iemitsu would be okay to send for Tsuna, allowing someone in the Family to pick him up without breaking his promise. Tsuna saved his greetings to his father until they were in the car. He didn't want his plan messed up because someone saw him with the Vongola's Outside Advisor and recognized him later.

"So," his father said as the driver got the car moving, "what's the deal with all this secrecy?"

Tsuna had expected the question. He had promised to explain after he arrived, after all. "I'm going to be going to school up here, right?" His father nodded at the obvious question. "Well, Vongola will be a pretty well-known name around there. I want to separate the vultures from the rest before word gets around about who I am."

His father nodded sadly. Vultures were a common factor for those with wealth and power. Even in Japan, Tsuna had come in contact with a few as word got around about his ownership of Black Glove Mountain. Once everything had settled down after the Horsemen Incursion, the vultures had come out of the woodwork, overcoming their fear in order to try and get their beaks on him. Or at least, trying to get their beaks on the money and power they thought he had. Up here though, if he played his cards right, he'd be able to pass off as a member of a unknown Family for a while. That would allow him to find any 'doves' before the vultures found out the truth and descended.

"It's going to be tricky," his father said. "Don't be surprised if the fact you're from Japan gives you away. A lot of people know that the heir of Vongola is Japanese, after all."

"Don't worry, I've got it all worked out." Tsuna replied reassuringly.

Iemitsu nodded, finally giving his son a brilliant smile. "You'll like it up here, once you get used to it all. It's a completely different world." His smile dimmed a bit as he asked, "How did Nana take it?

"She cried," he answered. "Because of that, I couldn't bear to tell anyone else I was leaving. It was hard enough dealing with her tears." He laughed. "Imagine what Gokudera would have been like if I had to tell him in person I was leaving and couldn't bring him with me yet." His father laughed with him, Gokudera's devotion being something else. They both could imagine what it would have been like; not pretty.

The car slowed and Tsuna's attention was pulled to the sight outside the window. They were going up a long driveway to a mansion. The brickwork was light brown and the roof was pitched and tiled. He could see the grounds spread out in every direction with landscaped gardens and carefully placed statuary. It was much larger than anything Tsuna could have imagined when he had been told he'd be staying at Vongola's headquarters.

"We're here," his father said, pointing out the large Vongola Crest above the doorway. Opening the door for his son, Tsuna stepped out and walked forward. He followed along as Iemitsu gave him a tour, first showing him his room on the second floor in the east wing. Tsuna couldn't help but notice the carefully concealed cameras and security doors going down the hallways. He was sure there were a lot more secrets that would pop out in times of need.

Iemitsu threw open the doors to Tsuna's new room with a large smile. His son's eyes opened wide looking at the spacious area. "T-This is all mine?" he asked in surprise. The four-poster bed centered against one wall could fit six people comfortably and the room was large enough to hold at least eight of them. There was a couch and seating area as soon as he walked in, a television easily ten times larger than the one at home centered on the entertainment center in front of it. Even the stereo system in the room was the latest top-of-the-line model.

"I-Is that a wet bar?" He asked, shocked that his father would put one in his room. He didn't turn seventeen for a few more months, let alone drinking age. But against the wall next to the entrance to a private bathroom was a fully stocked bar. He could see bottles of every size and shape lined up sparkling on the shelves. His father grinned.

"I won't tell Nana if you don't," he said with a wink. Tsuna continued to explore the room as a man in a black suit brought in his luggage. The closet was the size of his room in Japan, he noticed, and was already stocked with several school uniforms in his size and some other random clothes. The bathroom had an over-sized tub installed with spa jets, a 6 head shower system, and even a sauna! As he went back into the main room, he noticed a control panel installed next to the entrance. Seeing his curiosity, his father explained. "This button shuts off the security monitoring in the room if you need an extra bit of privacy. This one is a two-way link with the servants if you ever need anything like a snack or such. This one opens the secret passages."

He flicked the one for the passages to show Tsuna. Along the wall behind an over-sized Vongola tapestry, he could hear the sound of a door sliding open. Pulling the tapestry aside, he looked at his father, his question obvious in his eyes.

"It leads and connects to several other rooms that will eventually hold your Guardians," he explained. "They'll be able to use this passage to bypass much of the surveillance installed throughout the building. It's also an escape route if you ever need it."

Tsuna nodded as Iemitsu returned to the panel and closed the passage. He pointed to the last two buttons, one under a green cover and one under a red. "The green one is a two-way link with the Ninth. This room is one of only three that has that. Don't use it unless you absolutely must talk directly with the Ninth. The red is in case of emergency. If you hit that, every security squad will be alerted and you'll have backup within thirty seconds."

Tsuna nodded, understanding deeply how serious this really was again. It wasn't a game and there was no turning back. Whether he liked it or not anymore, he was Vongola the Tenth. His father tried to smile reassuringly, sensing Tsuna's thoughts.

"Well, I guess it's time. Lets take you to go see the Ninth."

"Ah," he agreed, "Lets go." Moving forward was the only choice he had anymore.

* * *

The Ninth's office was large. It seemed like everything in the mansion was large, though. He was sitting behind the desk as they entered, huge windows looming behind him. He seemed to be looking over a thick sheaf of documents. The Ninth waved him to sit down as he hit a button on his desk and called for tea. Iemitsu bowed himself out after paying his respects. What happened between the boss and his heir wasn't for the Outside Advisor to witness. Tsuna felt a bit nervous without his father at his back. Not to mention his last encounter with the Ninth hadn't ended happily. 

He was a bit relieved when the old man looked at him kindly and said, "So, how do you like your room? Is everything to your liking?"

"I-It's fine. I think I could fit my whole house in there easily," he replied nervously. To try and hide it, he sipped his tea quietly.

"I'm glad," the Ninth smiled. Tsuna's nerves were completely eased when he realized the smile was genuine. It was as if the incident the previous year had never happened. "I've got all your paperwork done here for your admittance to Don Girarde. Like you asked, your initial admittance is under the Family name Sawada. We can claim it was a simple mistake and change it to Vongola later." Tsuna smiled at the information.

"Thank you, Ninth. I appreciate it." He was sure the Ninth knew his reasons without him having to explain. For a mafia-based school, the forms required not only the person's family name, but their Family name. If Tsuna was going to survive in such a school, he needed a way to get familiar with the grounds without having to watch his back. The easiest way to do that was to seem weak and unworthy of notice.

"Looks like 'No-Good Tsuna' will be making another appearance," he continued. The Ninth smiled, a twinkle in his eye. He knew as much about Tsuna as anyone, having kept track of his progress and growth through the years.

"You won't be able to keep it up for long," the Ninth warned, relaxing back into his chair. "I'll only give it maybe a month before spies catch on. After that, the true games will begin." Tsuna nodded. The estimate wasn't much less than what he'd guessed. "We'll hold off the main part of your training until after that point," he continued. "I want you to know now that as a boss, there are going to be a lot of things you're not going to like. " His eyes seemed to be filled with sadness at his own words. "Part of the training you'll be undergoing here is to get you used to that. The mafia world isn't pretty. There are going to be times when you'll want to hide in a closet or worse."

Tsuna looked down as he began to pale, understanding what the Ninth was saying between the lines. Part of his training was going to be doing things that made him want to shudder when he thought about it. He looked back up and saw the look of worry and sadness in the Ninth's eyes before the man finally said, "Don't break, Tsunayoshi."

Tsuna nodded, silently agreeing. He couldn't break. He had to become strong enough to protect and lead everyone. Not just his friends back in Namimori, but all of Vongola.

* * *

As the sun set, Iemitsu helped his son get settled in. The truck carrying the rest of his belongings hadn't been more than an hour behind him in arrival. Tsuna knew that he'd feel more comfortable once his room took on a bit more of his personality, so he went ahead and started unpacking while his father helped. 

Manga went up on shelves next to the classics already there. His favorite CDs went up on the entertainment center. Pictures of his family went on every open shelf and space. His normal clothes went up next to his new school uniforms and other clothes that had been supplied. He smiled as he pulled out a blanket his mother had packed for him, her way of 'tucking him in' even though he was hundreds of miles away.

"So, did you ever decide between Kyoko or Haru?" His father asked. Tsuna choked.

"W-Where did that come from?!" He exclaimed.

He turned to his father, wondering what was going through his mind. The blood rushed from his face when he saw the reason. Iemitsu had been unpacking a box of trinkets and other small items. In his hands he held two small ring boxes. One was the broken ring that had once held his partner, Salmon. The other was the ring he'd had Patchwork make for him before he'd left Japan. He rushed forward and snatched them both out of his father's hands. They were both important items to him and he didn't want anyone else touching them. His father ignored his panic and got noisy.

"That's an engagement ring, isn't it?" Tsuna nodded. "So, you finally made a choice?" Again, Tsuna nodded. "Then why is that here instead of on the girl's finger?" Tsuna sighed, knowing that his father wasn't going to stop until he got a full answer. Unable to really put it into words, he answered a question with a question.

"What's the real reason you were hardly ever home?"

Iemitsu paled. He hadn't expected his son to ask such a thing. "That is..."

"It was because you can't keep home and work separate, right?" Tsuna bowed his head, not wanting his father to see the sadness in his eyes. "If you ever stayed for longer than a few days or weeks, eventually the part of your life you didn't want mom to see would follow you there, right? That's why you left us in Japan instead of bringing us with you here." He clenched his fists around the ring-box in effort to control his heartache. "You wanted mom and me to be happy, even if it meant you had to spend most of your time away from us."

His father ran a hand through his blonde hair. "You saw right through your old man, didn't you, son?"

"No," Tsuna answered, putting the rings into one of the dresser drawers and shutting it. "I've just been there. But I can't go down that same path. Kyoko means too much to me for me to let her stay at home alone, wondering if or when I'll ever come back. There have been too many times in the past that she's cried because she glimpsed our world. My only hope is to get strong enough that I can keep her by my side and still keep the doings of the mafia away from her. If not, then...then she's better off--" He stopped, sure that he wouldn't be able to hold back tears if he continued.

He would not cry. He'd silently sworn he wouldn't cry anymore when he had chosen to come to Italy. Only children cried and he couldn't be a child anymore. It was time for him to grow up. By not crying, he would become stronger. He would face any challenge or pain with determination instead of tears. Even the challenge that came of his unrequited love for Kyoko.

His father seemed to understand. He patted his son's shoulder before going over to the wet-bar. "I figure now is as good of time as any to show you this." Pushing in the upper left corner of the mirror inset into the back of the bottom shelf, he slid it aside to reveal a secret compartment. Reaching back, he pulled out an ornate bottle marked with a large V. "This baby is the pride of Vongola. You probably already know how your flame can burn off certain effects like alcohol," he said, giving Tsuna a knowing look.

Tsuna blushed, thinking back to all the times he'd gotten into a drinking contest with Patchwork and won. That was his, hers, and Ryohei's secret though. "Um, eh...maybe..." he temporized, not wanting to come out and admit it to his father.

Iemitsu just laughed as he poured them both a shot. "This baby was first created for Vongola the Second." His father winked saying, "Legend says he was easier to deal with when he had a few shots of this in him."

Tsuna smiled, his curiosity aroused. Ignoring the fact that his father was the one that poured it, he took the shot and tossed it back. As he placed the shot-glass face down on the bar, unintentionally admitting with his actions that this wasn't his first, he was rocked backward. The taste was faintly like that of Vodka and cherries, but the effect felt like he'd just finished out-drinking Patchwork; meaning he automatically got a light buzz. What would normally take six large bottles of strong liquor had only taken a single shot of this.

"What is that?" He asked after overcoming his surprise.

"We call it the V Special. Only those who use flame can handle it, so it's a rarity. If any normal person tried to drink it, they'd find themselves flat on their back before they could say Vongola." As Iemitsu put the bottle back into the bar's secret compartment, he asked Tsuna, "Are you getting hungry? It's not good to drink on an empty stomach. The food might be made a bit different here, but it's good." Tsuna nodded as a growl came from his belly. Iemitsu quickly went off to get some food as Tsuna shook off his buzz.

By the time he returned, Tsuna was already unpacking again. The boy stopped when he smelled the food. Sitting the tray on the coffee table in the sitting area, Iemitsu watched as his son dug greedily in. It had been a while since Tsuna's nerves had been calm enough for him to eat a meal. He'd been too nervous to eat before he got on the plane, while he was on the plane, or after he got off the plane. All due to different reasons, no less.

Iemitsu laughed as Tsuna looked down at his empty plate, obviously wishing for more. "I forget you're still a growing boy. I'll make sure the cook remembers that next time."

"It was good," Tsuna said as he blushed as he reached for his tea. "Maybe it's just because I'm used to eating rice with meals."

"Well, I need to go check in with Tumeric. You can call the servants if you need anything. Be sure and get to bed early, though. You might have just gotten here, but school starts tomorrow at Don Girarde." Tsuna nodded as his father got up. He was a bit surprised when his father came over and kissed him on his forehead before he left, showing a sudden burst of paternal love. It felt odd and nostalgic. His father hadn't done that since he was six or seven--that being the last time he remembered his father being home for several months straight.

"Heh," Tsuna said to the empty room. "I guess miracles do happen."


	3. Chapter 3 New School

Tsuna came awake all at once in the morning, the unfamiliar surroundings and the presence of an unfamiliar man being a shock to his self-preservation instincts. As he jerked in surprise, he looked up at the man standing over his bed. While his mind was still trying to decide 'friend' or 'foe', the man backed away.

"Good morning, young sir. I was told to wake you at five thirty?" Tsuna nodded as his mind sorted through his memories of yesterday and he remembered where he was. He yawned and rubbed his eyes as he relaxed, the spurt of adrenaline quickly wearing off.

"Thank you... Um, who are you?"

"I'm Cress, young sir," the man gave a polite bow. "I'm the servant assigned to this wing during the daytime. If you ever need anything, I'll do my best to meet your request."

"Tsuna," Tsuna said as he got out of bed and automatically started making it. The man looked at him questioningly. "My name's Tsuna. You don't have to keep calling me 'young sir'."

"I can get that, Lord Tsuna," the man said, taking the blankets out of his hands.

Tsuna blushed. "Sorry, old habits die hard. Though you really can just call me Tsuna. You don't have to add any honorifics."

"That would be inappropriate, Lord Tsuna," the man said gently. Tsuna didn't want to push him. At least he wasn't being called Lord Sawada, Lord Tsunayoshi or Vongola the Tenth. He had a feeling he'd forget himself pretty quickly with all the things people wanted to call him. He was willing to meet the man halfway if it meant he could hear someone at least call him by his nickname.

"Alright," he said. "Lord Tsuna it is. Any chance you know how long I have until I've got to leave?" He assumed the man had been briefed on Tsuna's schedule.

The man nodded. "You have a half hour to prepare, with another ten minutes set aside for breakfast. After that, there's a half hour car ride to get to the school. That should get you there in time for registration and a quick tour before class begins." Tsuna smiled in thanks as he went to his closet. He was a bit upset that he'd miss his morning run, but he figured that he would probably need the extra energy today.

"Let me warn you, I'm normally pretty hard to wake," Tsuna called from the closet.

"I have the electrocution paddles warmed up if needed, Lord Tsuna." Tsuna popped his head out of the closet, wondering if the man was serious or not. He smiled when he saw the grin on the man's face.

"You've been talking to Reborn, eh?"

"He gave me a quick briefing over the phone," Cress replied sheepishly as Tsuna reached for his uniform. "His plane should arrive this afternoon."

"He'll probably stay in hiding for the most part, at least until the truth about me gets out. He knows my reasons more than anyone, I'd say." Cress nodded as Tsuna went into the bathroom for a quick shower and change. When he came back out, Cress had already finished making the bed and had brought in an extra large breakfast.

"What's all this?" He asked. The amount of food on the tray was twice what he normally ate. "Not that I'm complaining, but last night I remember there being a lot less."

"It seems a certain blonde man came in this morning and reminded the cook that growing boys needed more than just fresh air to survive," Cress replied, a twinkle in his eye. Tsuna smiled as he began eating, sending a silent thanks to his father. As he finished he said, "Be sure and tell the cook thanks for me. It was delicious."

Cress nodded as he escorted Tsuna through the halls. Tsuna hadn't been in the mansion long enough to memorize the layout, so the manservant's help was greatly appreciated. He waved a cheerful farewell as he got into the waiting car out front.

As driver pulled the car away from the mansion, Tsuna began mentally preparing for what awaited him. Not only a new school full of mafioso but the challenges and trials that came with it. Not to mention he was about to put on the best act of his life. He grinned to himself, curious at what his new classmates would think of 'No-Good Tsuna'. If he could find even one dove among the vultures, it would be worth it.

* * *

Don Girarde was more of a University than a high school. He could tell when a man in his mid-twenties went up to register beside him. Apparently it was labeled a high school simply so that the younger students could get their high school diplomas without having to deal with a normal school. Age nor nationality seemed to matter. Registration merely required the proper forms of a recognized mafia boss. After that, class choices were left up to the student. 

Tsuna hoped he chose good classes. The Ninth had told him it didn't really matter for his first year, as long as he took a gym class to keep in shape. Everything taught at Don Girarde was things he could benefit from learning, although from the list of classes he choose from, he didn't see much difference from a normal school. There were a few exceptions, such as Weapons' Matienence and Usage, but overall everything had been listed in his choices were things like Science 101, Accounting 101, and Home Economics 101.

Apparently there was also three different class systems. One for combat mafioso who would eventually be hitmen, Vendiche, or otherwise subject to fighting. One for non-combat mafioso. This system seemed to be set up for the younger mafiosos like him who hadn't yet been faced with life-or-death situations and for women who didn't fight but were influential in the mafia world. The final one was a system set up for those that weren't combat nor were actually in the mafia. This system of classes helped those who were only pherphrially attached to a mafia Family. Those that were silent witnesses and played a role in the backstage of a Family. Tsuna choose the combat system of training automatically.

He was also a bit surprised when he had to sign an Omerta and a non-Rivalry Pact before being handed off for a tour of the school. What happens at the school, stays at the school. He guessed it was understandable, since this was a private mafia-based school. Likely, it was to keep lips sealed if something got out of hand and someone broke the Pact. The purpose of the Pact was obvious. It was there to ensure that even though people from hundreds of different Families came together, none of them would use the school as a grounds for settling disagreements.

The tour had been brief, mostly do to his seeming unimportance. The woman in charge didn't seem to care about his questions or him for that matter when she didn't recognize his Family name. He smiled inside, keeping a dimwitted look of contentment on his face. As they went through the halls, he got a few curious looks from other students also registering. He made himself stay relaxed, however. His Vongola ring was safely stashed beneath his shirt, hanging from a thick chain. Tsuna had even hidden his fingerless gloves in his back pocket, thereby removing his most identifying feature. He was just another new student from a unknown Family.

The woman in charge of the tour abruptly left, leaving him standing alone in front what he hoped was his classroom. He looked at his schedule then up to the number labeled over the door. Unlike what he was used to, it seemed the school here didn't separate classes by year and floor. Instead, he had to shuffle around to a different room every hour.

The first on his list was labeled "Homeroom" and had been a required class. He assumed that it was a class intended for attendance. Though why a whole hour would be set aside for it, he didn't know. He shrugged and went in, tripping as he crossed the thresh hold. He blushed as he could hear his new classmates snicker. One boy came to help him up, though.

"Are you okay?" The boy asked using the school's common language. Tsuna nodded, his face still red. "Don't worry about it. Everyone's probably nervous. Everyone here is new, you see."

"T-Thanks," he stuttered.

"I'm Jack," he said, introducing himself. "Jack of the Wilde Family."

Tsuna shook his hand and smiled, "I'm Tsuna of the Sawadas. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"I don't think I've ever heard of them," Jack said, obviously thinking hard.

"Then it's even," Tsuna replied with a laugh. "I've never heard of Wilde either." Tsuna noticed several girls looking at him, obviously trying to see if they recognized him. Finally one came over, interrupting Jack's explanation of Wilde's long Family history.

"Hey, boy-a," she said as she loomed over him. She had to have a least a foot in height on him. "You're from Japan, aren't cha?" Tsuna nodded, a bit in awe of the woman's arrogant attitude. She reminded him of a artiso instead of a mafioso. "Whatcha Family name, boy-a?"

"S-Sawada," he answered, purposely misunderstanding her question.

"Che," she replied, brushing him off. "Not him then." Before he could say anything more, she walked off, finding him not worth her time. He wanted to smile as she said something to the other girls waiting for her and they giggled in his direction. Instead, he gave a faltering wave of greeting, which made them giggle more and look the other way.

"Don't mind them," Jack said as Tsuna's face turned red again. "That was Irene of the Havlocks. With her is her sister Violet and Sara of the Trench Family. Both the Havlocks and the Trench Family have been trying to gain a foothold into this Family called Vongola. They say that the Vongola's heir is from Japan like you." Jack's eyes lit up as he thought of something, "You wouldn't happen to know him, would you?"

Tsuna shrugged noncommittally, not wanting to lie but not wanting to tell the truth either. Let Jack read it how he wanted. Before Jack could say more, the teacher entered, calling attention to the class as he pulled off his black blazer and threw it on the back of his chair.

"Alright, ladies and gents, I'm Mr. Purdy," he paused as he sat on his desk, obviously waiting on someone to snicker. No one dared. He nodded, pleased. "If you'll take a seat, any seat, we can get started." It took nearly five full minutes for everyone to pick a seat. Tsuna picked one near the windows covering one wall, his favorite past-time being that of ignoring the teacher and daydreaming. Although he doubted that he'd be allowed to do such a thing here, he felt more comfortable by the windows. He wanted to smile again as Jack took the seat behind him.

"Okay, everyone settled, everyone comfy?" The teacher asked. The class nodded disjointedly. "Well, first off, let me say welcome to Don Girarde. Many of you come from other countries and are used to other teaching methods. That's part of why you all have a Homeroom assigned. I'll be here to answer any questions about your classes or the facilities. I'll also be here to help you if you have any other problems. Just, don't ask me to get you out of gym class," he joked.

The class laughed, although a bit tensely. "Okay, you guys and gals are a bit too tightly strung. Relax, breathe in...breathe out..." He motioned for the class to join him in breathing exercises which they did falteringly at first. By the end though, the class did seem to be less stressed. Grins and smiles were on several of his new classmates faces.

Next, the teacher went around asking everyone their favorite food, instead of their names and Families like they expected. Tsuna became more and more perplexed as the class continued. This teacher was like nothing he'd ever seen before. Not only was he getting the class to relax and open up to him, but Tsuna found that not once did he feel the desire to stop paying attention. By the end of the hour, Tsuna knew not only everyone's name and Family, but their favorite food, country of origin, whether they liked rain, their favorite book, and if they'd ever been caught stealing. The bell rang before Tsuna had to answer the last question, for which he was grateful.

"Okay people," the teacher announced, bringing the class to a halt, "you have five minutes to get to your next class. If you don't know where it is, give me a shout and I'll point you in the right direction." Tsuna got up, at an utter loss. The teacher seemed to understand his surprise as he came up for directions. "Don't worry, kiddo. The teachers here are Family to every one of the students. You'll get used to it." With a wink, he gave directions to where Tsuna's history class was.

The day seemed to continue to be a surprise after surprise. History class proved to be not the normal fare that one got in school, but an interesting narrative from the mafia's viewpoint. The teacher was full of tales about underground wars, secret societies, and even a few romantic encounters that made Tsuna blush. Even though Reborn had once said that the mafia pulls the strings on the world, Tsuna had never realized exactly how much. One hour in History class at Don Girarde opened his eyes on that account.

After that came math, taught by a man who seemed to have more enthusiasm about numbers than Tsuna thought was possible. He covered not only the basics of algebra and geometry, but made sure the class understood the practical uses as he taught it. One of his examples was using a particular algebra equation to determine if his subordinate had been skimming money from the Family's account. Tsuna made sure to copy that formula down correctly, sensing that he'd need it.

Finally, as Tsuna's last class before lunch, he went in to find his science teacher was a Bovino. Several times during the course of the class, the teacher would use his 10-Year-Bazooka as he talked about the infinite possibilities of space-time. What was surprising is that it appeared that in ten years, he'd still be teaching science. His future-double had merely looked down at some notes on the desk before picking the lecture back up for the next five minutes. Tsuna had hid his head behind his book for most of that class, hoping that the man, either now or in ten years, didn't recognize Lambo's new boss.

When the teacher released them for lunch, Tsuna was relieved. He wanted to get his head on straight before he met the rest of his teachers. Don Girarde was much more than he'd ever expected. He followed the crowd who all seemed to be heading in the same direction. He was glad when he saw the cafeteria that had been pointed out to him during the school tour.

Before he could get inside, however, someone yelled, "FIGHT!" and he was pushed back against the wall by the crowd. He heard the clash of steel as two swordsmen went for each other's throats in front of the entrance. Apparently everyone carried a weapon on them, he realized. He began looking around as people pulled out firearms, artillery, and their personal favorites. He merely ducked his head, covering it with his hands like many other non-combatants were. Before the crowd could turn into a mob though, someone interfered.

"OOOIIIIII," he heard as a third swordsman knocked the two boys flat on their backs with the back of his sword. "If you maggots want to fucking duel, do it on your own time." Tsuna's face went pale. It couldn't be him, he thought to himself. But sure enough, as Tsuna continued to duck behind two large guys who were putting their pistols away, he saw Squalo pass by, trailed by the two sword-fighters. As he passed, Tsuna could hear him cursing and mumbling under his breath, "got to...freaking community service bullsh...that lousy piece of..."

Tsuna covered his mouth to keep himself from laughing out loud and thereby making Squalo notice him. Apparently Squalo's punishment for his part in the Ring Battles fiasco was still being paid. He smiled, unable to help himself. It was going to be an interesting experience, he was sure.

Lunch passed by quickly and he soon continued in his round of surprises. So far he'd only managed to get one teacher to think he was a complete idiot, but many of his classmates found his other antics amusing. The water fountain had splashed his pants at some point, making it look like he'd wet himself. His blushes had brought snickers and laughs all through his Customs course.

Customs seemed to be the school's replacement for a Language study. Instead, it covered the customs of different cultures, the ways one could show respect and insult accordingly. How to deal with foreign negotiators and how to deal with translators. How to deal with a boss of a rival or allied Family accordingly. It all made Tsuna's head spin by the time it was over.

After that, he'd tripped and fallen down some stairs on his way to his next class, landing on the well-endowed Home Economics teacher. Several of his male classmates had been openly jealous, although Tsuna hadn't found it anything to be jealous of. He'd overheard what Home Economics was like here when he'd went to the bathroom earlier to dry out his pants. For starters, it meant training in poison-cooking (how-to and recognition thereof), acupuncture, and the arts of camouflage. She was one scary teacher, looks aside.

Then had come the class that Tsuna dreaded. It was his last one of the day, which was both a blessing and a curse. Gym class. He walked in to the gym, unsure of what to expect, but knowing it couldn't be good. Everything else throughout the day had seemed to be the total opposite of what he expected. He didn't seem to be the only one that was nervous, however. Several of his other classmates that he recognized from his Homeroom all stood around as they waiting on the teacher to make his appearance. Which he did, by flying down from the ceiling attached to a rope.

"Hehehe," the man chuckled. "Gotta keep the kiddos on their toes! I betcha'll are wonderin' whatcha'll be doin' in here, eh?" Tsuna could barely understand him through his accent. Then, before he could show his inability to understand, the man straightened up and traded his accent for another. "I do believe you gentlemen are wondering who and what I am," he said, enunciating every syllable clearly. "I am Dr. Fyllable. My specialty is impersonation of speech patterns and recognition of dialects. Although, I am sure you could really care less." He relaxed, falling into a normal pattern that seemed to be shared with the other teachers. "What you probably do care about is what I will be having you do today. So, without further ado, lets go!" He took off at a run, not waiting to see if the others followed. Tsuna shrugged and set off after him.

They didn't have to go far. It seemed to be some kind of training grounds outside the gym. As the class looked at the training course set up, then over at the open field next to it, he explained. "You can choose either to spar or to run the course. The choice is yours, but I warn you, the course is harder than it looks." He pointed to where a pit of quicksand was, then to where they would have to swim across a vat of electric eels, then finally to where a climbing ladder was made out of barb wire.

"Oh, wait, is Tsuna in this group?" the teacher asked. Tsuna raised his hand in relief, already knowing why the teacher was asking for him. "Ah, Tsuna, you've got special permission from the Dean. Go ahead and either weight train back in the gym or run laps around the school." Tsuna nodded and set off back toward the gym, glad that he'd asked for this final provision from the Ninth. That is, the provision that stated that until his identity was revealed, all combat training would be done in private. He ignored the jealous and curious glares of his classmates. If they knew what his personal training was like, they'd be happy to run a course like the one set up.

* * *

School was finally over, but he didn't want to leave just yet. Now would be the best time to get used to the grounds, seeing how it was mostly empty. He ran outside and told his driver to take off for a break, then walked back through the school. It seemed so much larger without the crowds of students cluttering the halls. 

He started to walk pass the library when Jack darted out and pulled him inside. "There's someone I want you to meet," he said releasing his arm and pointing to where a shy girl peeked out from behind a bookcase. She wore large glasses and had her hair was braided in pigtails. It strangely reminded him of Patchwork's daughter, although only for an instant. Her shy demeanor was the total opposite of Kiri's brash one.

Tsuna gave a little wave in hello, curious how such a shy person could be in a school for mafioso. "She's always like this," Jack said when she hid her face behind the bookshelves again. "When she fights, she's like a demon incarnate, but when it comes to just talking to people, she's not very good at all." Tsuna smiled, feeling like he understood how that was _all too well_. "She's a big manga addict though, so be warned. Once she finds out you're Japanese--"

"Japanese?" She blurted, her face poking out from behind the case. She rushed forward, her previous shyness forgotten. "Are you really?" He nodded. "Will you go out with me?!"

"EH!?" He squealed. She clapped her hands over her mouth and took several quick steps backward, raising her hands in objection.

"No, no, not like that. I mean will you go out with me and Jack? No, no, that's not right either!" She stamped her feet in frustration and Tsuna couldn't help but laugh.

"I think she wants you to come with us to Prescott's," Jack explained and the girl nodded enthusiastically. When Tsuna looked at him in curiosity, he continued, "It's kind of like a mix between a Juice Bar and a Library. They seem to be pretty popular around here. Prescott's is one that specializes in comics and manga."

"Um, eh, I guess I can," Tsuna answered. "I'll have to let my driver know, but it should be okay. But first, can I have your name?" He asked the girl.

The girl looked appalled as she realized she hadn't introduced herself. With a overly-deep bow, which he assumed was her attempt at politeness toward his country of origin, she said, "I'm Cheri of the Olwick Family. It's a pleasure to meet you."

He smiled, touched by her attempt. He bowed back to her in courtesy. "I'm Tsuna of the Sawadas. Pleasure to meet you, too." Tsuna smiled again. It seems he had managed to catch two doves instead of one.


	4. Chapter 4 Training

As they left Prescott's once again, a week later, Tsuna smiled to himself. These two were truly caring and trustworthy individuals. He could sense it as they walked down the boulevard. Their reasons for being in the mafia weren't probably that far off from his own. The past week he hadn't found any others in the school that seemed as natural and untarnished as these two. He had a feeling he wouldn't either, for as long as he looked.

"What's up?" Cheri asked as she sipped on what was left of her juice. She was looking at his smile curiously.

"Are you two good at keeping a secret?" He asked, deciding that the time was right.

"Are you talking Omerta-grade secret here?" Jack replied as he kicked a rock out of his path. "Or just the kiss-and-don't-tell kind of secret?"

After a moment of thought, Tsuna answered, "Omerta-grade for now."

Cheri and Jack looked at each other, grinning from ear to ear. Omerta-grade secrets were their favorite kind. So much more exciting since they were so much more dangerous. They both nodded eagerly. Tsuna smiled as he nodded them into an alley. He let him inner flame flare by the smallest of margins, trying to sense if anyone was nearby. No one.

"If I have your promises not to say anything..." They both nodded in anticipation and motioned for him to spit it out. "The truth is I've been lying about my Family affiliation." Cheri dropped her drink and Jack dropped his jaw. He continued before they could decide on any other reaction, pulling out the ring still hanging from his neck. "I'm actually, like everyone suspected at first, Vongola the 10th." He held up his ring for them to inspect as proof.

"W-why?" Cheri asked, her shock obvious on her face. "Why would you hide something like that?"

"Why not? If I'm going to find friends that don't judge a book by it's cover, I've got to tear the cover off, don't I?"

She shook her head, her eyes still wide as Jack asked, "B-B-But I heard the heir of Vongola is a demon...he's the spawn of Hell that fears nothing, can fight anything, and his eyes are lit by the flames of Hellfire, giving him the power to see--" Tsuna interrupted him with a short laugh as Jack continued to spout out the second-hand description of him.

Then he smiled sadly, raising his inner flame to a level where it was reflected in his eyes. "My eyes might be lit by flames at times, but it's no Hellfire and I'm no demon." He let his hurt at the description show on his face. He knew this power wasn't the average kind, but calling him the spawn of Hell had been a bit much. Jack stepped back at the light in Tsuna's eyes, but then ignored it in favor of trying to ease the pain he'd caused with his ramblings.

"I'm sorry, it's just I've heard the stories so many times. How he...you took down the Varia and defeated Xanxus to claim his...your place as the next boss of Vongola." He shook his head as if trying to clear something from it. Tsuna let his inner flame die back down as he waited for their shock to ebb and true reactions to set in.

"Is this why you have special permission to self-train during gym?" He asked as a lot of little things started making sense. Tsuna nodded in confirmation.

"Until the secret comes out in the open, at least. I figure even if you two don't say anything, I've only got around three weeks of relative freedom left before someone figures it out."

"Freedom?" Cheri questioned curiously.

"Ah," Tsuna said as he tucked his ring back beneath his shirt. "Freedom from the mafioso who will want to get their clutches on me for what I am instead of who I am."

Jack and Cheri grimaced, understanding. They weren't from large or very powerful Families, but they'd seen what happened to those who were. The throngs of sycophants trying to fill their ears with sweet lies, the vultures waiting to clean up if they fell, and the easy betrayals shared by everyone within contact. It was one of the prices for the fame that came with power. Nothing could change that.

"Your secret is safe with me," Jack said, finally coming to a decision. "Honestly, I shouldn't say that since our Family's aren't allied...although they aren't rivals either. But still, I'll honor the trust you gave me." He smiled, making Tsuna smile back in relief. He'd taken a big chance by telling them so early. He looked over at Cheri, who's head was bowed in thought.

"On one condition," she said without looking up. She seemed to be trembling from the effort to restrain herself from something. "I'll keep it secret on one condition."

"And that is...?" Tsuna asked, worried that it might be something he couldn't meet.

She didn't seem to notice as she continued, "When your secret comes out..."

"Yes?"

"Fight me," she said, finally looking up. Her eyes seemed to be endless whirlpools the color of molten gold and Tsuna was captured by the intensity he felt from them. For a long moment he paused, unsure of how he should reply. Then he smiled.

"Alright."

Silence reigned until she finally turned away.

"Wow," Jack muttered as she walked off, lost in her own thoughts. "I know Cheri's fighting side comes out when there's someone strong in front of her, but damn." Tsuna's smile got wider. She had given him the same chill of excitement and challenge that he had never felt from anyone but Hibari. He wasn't sure if he should be happy or scared. Tsuna's smile covered half his face as he wondered how she would fight and he was suddenly very happy he'd decided to take the Ninth up on his invitation. Reborn cut into his open amusement, jumping onto his shoulder and startling the wits out of Jack.

"Oi, Tsuna," he said while Jack's eyes widened in recognition. "You stepping up the plan then? I assume the fact you told these two about yourself means that you've got the vultures all identified?" Tsuna nodded at his tutor.

"Ah," he agreed, "we'll move up the Ninth's training. There's no reason to put it off anymore." Reborn grunted as he jumped down, heading off to make arrangements.

"Ack!" Tsuna said, turning to Jack. "I'm sorry, that was my tutor, Reborn--" Jack was already backing away and waving his hands.

"T-that's okay, you didn't have to introduce him. Really it's okay. Everyone knows about Reborn. He's--" Jack stopped himself before he started rambling another inaccurate second-hand description.

Tsuna smiled. Everything was going to be alright.

* * *

Later that evening, before sitting down to supper, Tsuna was called in to meet with the Ninth. The usual tea and pleasantries were served before they finally got down to business.

"Reborn tells me you want to go ahead and start training?"

Tsuna nodded. "There's no reason we shouldn't," he replied. "I've gotten a good fix on everyone at the school now and I doubt more time will change any of my opinions. I've gotten used to the mansion and the outlying areas. Honestly, other than the underground, this place is an open book to me now." The Ninths eyes reflected sadness as he nodded. He was probably remembering when he first came to Headquarters, Tsuna thought.

"Very well, I'll be sending someone to you tomorrow then." He held up a finger in warning. "Reborn won't be with you on this one. There are some things a man has to learn on his own, so other than the instructor I'm sending, you won't have any support." Again sadness and worry flashed through his eyes. "Follow his instructions and you'll be fine."

Tsuna nodded and bowed himself out. Before he closed the door, however, he thought he heard the Ninth say one last time, "Don't break, Tsunayoshi. Please."

* * *

The next day was overcast, reflecting his conflicting heart. He had an idea of what the Ninth might be going to have him to do, but the uncertainty was eating at him. He was completely unable to focus most of the day, bringing worried glances from Jack and Cheri. Even his teachers noticed something was up because Mr. Purdy pulled him aside after his Home Economics class and asked what was wrong.

"Nothing," he pasted on a fake smile and continued on his way before his teacher could try and pry it out of him. Finally, during gym class, a guest arrived before the teacher released him for self-training.

"OOOIIIII," Squalo yelled, bringing the attention of the whole group. "Damn brat!" He pointed at Tsuna, causing all eyes to focus on him. Squalo smiled in glee, making Tsuna's face turn pale. This one would be hard to explain away. "Your special instructor is here, get your fucking ass inside." Looking for permission from his teacher, Tsuna followed Squalo back into the gym. He was totally unprepared for what awaited him.

"Xanxus," he said as his inner flame spiked.

"So, I finally get to teach you a lesson, scum," the older man grinned with a dark gleam in his eye. "Get your stuff and lets go."

Tsuna cautiously went into the locker room to change and get his stuff, the words of the Ninth suddenly resounding in his head.

"Don't break, Tsunayoshi. Please."

He had a feeling that it had been more than the mumblings of an old man, now. It had been a true warning against what awaited him.

* * *

Tsuna felt a bit sick as he sat beside his former enemy. He'd put his gloves on the moment he'd entered the vehicle but it didn't seem to ease the cold lump that had formed in the pit of his stomach. Why Xanxus had been the one chosen to oversee the Ninth's course of study for him, he wasn't sure he wanted to know. But he had a bad feeling.

The Ninth had already warned him, when he'd first arrived. There were things a boss had to do that he wouldn't like, but it was his job to order done anyways. He'd been told that part of his training would be getting him used to that. Part of him had thought it meant the Ninth was going to make him be the one to give out those orders for him. But the reality was too harsh for him to think about just yet.

They pulled up to a decrepit building, it's facade worn with weather and age. Looking around, his heart sank as he realized they were in 'No-Man's Land', the area of the city where no one asked questions and everything had it's price. This was a place where a screaming person would have their throat slit instead of finding aid. Xanxus took pleasure as the blood rushed out of Tsuna's face upon recognition of the area.

"Ha! What, you thought you'd be sitting in a classroom?" Xanxus mocked. "Being a boss isn't all fun and games, kid. The orders you'll be able to send out can either kill or maim if you aren't careful." He gave Tsuna another satisfied laugh as his charge turned a light shade of green. "The old man wants you to see first hand what the orders of a boss can bring."

He led him to a small room in the middle of the building where three men in black suits sat around guarding a prisoner. As Xanxus came in the room and shut the surrounding doors, the guards left. Tsuna could only sit there in numb shock, looking at the man sitting tied to a chair.

"W-who's that?" Tsuna asked quietly, not sure if he really wanted to know. Xanxus walked up behind the man, roughly yanking his head back by his hair.

"This piece of shit was once a spy for a rival Family." Xanxus laughed cruelly. "Not that they'll ever see him again." He looked up at Tsuna as he reached down to where the man's hand was strapped to the chair.

"It's our job to find out what he knows," Xanxus said. Tsuna jumped when he heard a sickening crunch. Looking down, Tsuna realized that Xanxus had broke one of the man's fingers. The man had lurched in place, but didn't make a sound. What was Xanxus doing?

"Who he was working with," Xanxus continued, his eyes lighting up in response to Tsuna's wide eyes. Another crunch sounded. The man lurched again and bit his lip from the pain of another broken finger that was left in the wake of Xanxus' moving hand. Tsuna felt like he was going to be sick. Xanxus couldn't be doing what Tsuna thought he was doing.

"When and where he was to report back," Xanxus smiled openly at the look of horror that creeped across Tsuna's face at the sound of a third crunch from another finger being broken. This time the man finally grunted in pain. Tsuna swallowed, trying to get rid of the lump in his throat and found it useless.

"And any other information we can get out of him," Xanxus finished with a fourth and fifth crunch. The victim gave a louder grunt of pain as his last two fingers were broken in rapid succession. Tsuna's breathing became ragged as his mind finally figured out the word for what he was witnessing. Torture. Xanxus was going to torture the man for information.

"Th-the Ni-ninth o-ordered this?" Tsuna stuttered. Xanxus looked at him, amused at Tsuna's naive question.

"Don't worry, your job is only to watch for today, scum. Participation is going to be saved for another time." Tsuna's knees couldn't hold out anymore. He sank to the ground as Xanxus continued to work the hostage for information. Tsuna was paralyzed while Xanxus started sending blows into the man's body around questions and broke bones when the man tried to lie.

"S-st-stop..." Tsuna begged with wide eyes. This couldn't be happening. He hadn't agreed to this when he came to Italy for training. When had getting stronger and protecting the Family included hurting others? Xanxus paused after sending another blow into his captive's throat to temporarily silence the pain-filled babbling the man had started to emit. Xanxus looked at Tsuna in disgust.

"Give me a fucking break," Xanxus laughed after a moment. With a sharp kick, he instantly laid Tsuna out flat on the ground. "This is fucking orders, scum. As of now, you're a piece of shit hitman for the Vongola. Keep your ass quiet and watch or else I'll break a few of your weak bones instead."

Tsuna crawled back to his knees and was once again paralyzed at what Xanxus began doing to the man in order to retrieve the information they'd been sent for. Blood started dripping to the ground and the man began to scream his answers. It seemed to go on for an eternity, during which time Tsuna started to go mentally blank. By the time Xanxus was done, the man had spilled every piece of information he knew and much of what he'd forgotten. As Xanxus turned away from what was left, he looked down at him; his distaste of Tsuna obvious. He crouched down so that he could look into Tsuna's blank eyes.

"That's right, scum," Xanxus said softly, no trace of a smile or laugh on his face. "Crumble like week-old bread. But before you do, let me tell you something else. If this scum's blood hadn't been spilled, the blood of the Vongola would have. He knew too many secrets and was willing to sell them to the highest bidder. Trash like that should just rot in the fucking gutter. It's the bosses' job to keep the blood of his own from being spilled, no matter the cost. It's not my fault or the old man's fault that this sucker's shitty Family treated his blood like chump change. It's only your fucking fault when it's the blood of your own men are being treated that way."

Tsuna looked into Xanxus' eyes, unable to formulate any words. The older man was serious. He didn't care about the lump of torn and bloodied flesh behind him, but he wouldn't allow the same thing to happen to his own. Xanxus was cold-hearted and ruthless, but his sense of obligation to those that served him remained. While one part of Tsuna's mind wondered what had happened to the man to bring that obligation out in the open, the other part continued to scream over the horror he'd just witnessed.

"I-I think I'm going to be sick," Tsuna said in a daze. His stomach was rebelling again as the smell of blood and death clogged the air in the room. He covered his mouth, fighting back the urge to empty his stomach onto the floor.

"No helping it," Xanxus said as he yanked Tsuna up to his feet by his collar. "Lets go get a fucking drink. I can't have scum leaving evidence behind." He led the way out and Tsuna followed with one final glance at the mutilated body still twitching silently in the center of the room. A drink sounded pretty good right about now.

Instead of taking the car, Xanxus led him down the road a bit to where he could hear drunken cheers and the sound of a fight coming to a close. Looking up, Tsuna realized it was a public bar. Before he could object, Xanxus strode in, knocking one guy that was in his way to the ground. The man looked up like he wanted to do something, but a single glare from Xanxus sent him fleeing. Tsuna followed him to the counter where Xanxus ordered himself a scotch.

"What's your poison, kid," the bartender asked, not caring that Tsuna was slightly underage. Tsuna said the first thing that popped in his head. He wanted something that would be able to calm his mind and warm his cold body. There was only one thing that he knew could do that instantly.

"V Special...?" The room when silent at his order while Xanxus threw back his head and laughed.

"I might get to like you after all, fucking brat."

"Hey, kid," the bartender asked, "we have it but are you sure--"

"Just give the trash a shot," Xanxus interrupted. Tsuna began to notice how at ease Xanxus seemed to be. This must be one of his favorite hideouts, Tsuna realized as the bartender silently poured him his drink. Tsuna tossed it back the moment it was filled and motioned for the bartender to give him another. The bartender looked shocked as the crowd cheered, Tsuna being one of the few that hadn't ended up on his back after one drink.

Tsuna's stomach settled and fake warmth flooded back into his body as he felt a light buzz in the back of his head. Taking the bottle from the bartender's hands, Xanxus picked up two shot-glasses and headed for a nearby table. He roughly kicked the current occupants out and took a seat, pouring Tsuna another shot as well as one for himself.

The crowd watched them out of the corner of their eyes, not wanting to be obvious, but not wanting to look away either. The silence in the room gave it all away though. They wanted to see a drinking contest between two people that could withstand the V Special. Xanxus growled, looking around dangerously. Talk flooded back into the building as everyone made sure they had something to talk about and someone to talk to. No one wanted to make Xanxus angry.

The older man tossed a shot down, not giving into the desires of the crowd. He was here to relax, now that the work of the day had been finished. Tsuna relaxed, too. He remember his father's comments about how the Second Boss had been easier to deal with when he had this stuff in him. Tsuna figured that Xanxus would be no different considering they shared the same flame.

"I really fucking hate you, kid," Xanxus said as they both took a another shot. "Because of you, I lost my position as head of the Varia and have to go around following the fucking orders of the old man."

"Why?" Tsuna asked as his buzz got marginally stronger. His father had never discussed their punishment with him before.

"It was either listen to the geezer or be put to sleep again and sent into the care of the Vendiche. What the fuck do you think I chose?" Tsuna shuddered as Xanxus threw back a third shot in anger and refilled both their glasses. "But that's okay," he continued. "It's not over yet. All I have to do is break you." Xanxus smiled contentedly as the blood rushed out of Tsuna's face, making him lightheaded. "The old man told me to push you scum to the edge over and over again until you either accepted the necessary bloodshed or was destroyed by it. If you're broken by it, then the fucking ring won't have any choice but to choose the closest replacement." Xanxus smiled cruelly. "And that would be me."

Tsuna knocked back another shot instead of trying to think of a reply. So that was how the Ninth had gotten Xanxus to oversee Tsuna's training. It always came down to having the right bait for types like his. Tsuna also knew now why the Ninth had chosen Xanxus of all people to be the one to walk him down this road. No one else would be able to force Tsuna into merely watching instead of interfering and no one else would care less if he broke because of what he saw. The mafia world wasn't kind to those that were blind. Either those blinded with their own compassion or those blinded by the compassion of others.

"It's a cruel world," Tsuna said, taking another shot as he silently accepted the Ninth's challenge.

He wouldn't break. For the sake of his Family he would get stronger. Strong enough that protecting the blood of his own Family overcame his fear of seeing the blood of others. He would protect them all, no matter what.


	5. Chapter 5 No Joke

Tsuna groaned, laying his head on his desk in Homeroom and silently wishing everyone would talk just a little bit quieter before class. Jack came up, giving him a loud 'Good Morning' in which Tsuna only groaned in reply. The sound of Jack's loud voice had caused lights to flash in front of his eyes from the pain.

"What's wrong with you?" He asked, still a bit worried about his unfocused attitude the previous day.

"Hangover," Tsuna muttered from where his face lay on his desk, trying to protect it from all the noise with his arms. For some reason, Cress hadn't been able to find the aspirin this morning. Jack laughed cheerfully at Tsuna's answer. He quickly found his seat when the teacher came in and called the class to order. Unfortunately for Tsuna, Mr. Purdy's immediate interest lied with him.

"I heard you had quite a night last night, Tsuna," he said loudly. Tsuna could feel the attention of the class focus on him. Tsuna raised his head with a small moan, trying to act normal. "Maybe," he replied. He couldn't remember much of it after a certain point. There had been something about playing dodge-ball with the remains of a car, he thought, but that might have been just a dream. He hoped.

"I heard you got in a drinking contest," the teacher continued mercilessly. Tsuna had an uneasy feeling that Reborn was behind this.

"Maybe," he said, rubbing his eyes to try and wake himself up more.

"So, did you win?" The teacher continued while the class watched their exchange with open amusement. Tsuna supposed that a hungover student wasn't that rare of an occurrence around here. Tsuna gave a thumbs down while he blushed, not wanting to admit out loud that Xanxus had out drank him. At least, he thought he'd lost. He had lost track of both of their count after around eight. The rest of the class chuckled quietly.

"So," the teacher wouldn't stop, "how much did you drink?" Tsuna gritted his teeth, causing another spasm of pain to shoot through his temple. Why wouldn't the teacher just leave him alone? He raised eight fingers, not wanting to feel the reverberation of his own voice in his head.

"Eight bottles?" The teacher asked in surprise.

"No," he said with a grimace. The pain in his head spasmed and he blushed again when he forced himself to answer, "Eight shots." He heard mutters calling him light-weight and weak. He gritted his teeth again, the pain from his head getting worse as the teacher continued to question him. Tsuna didn't care anymore, he laid his head back down. He swore to himself that he'd never make fun of Patchwork's or Ryohei's pain again. He'd never known a hangover could be such torture. Especially considering he'd never had one before, regardless of how much he drank.

"Eight shots of what?" His teacher asked with a smile, continuing the torture in obvious amusement. Without looking up, Tsuna raised his fingers in a victory 'V'. He heard a choking sound coming from his teacher and silence from the class. Only then did he realize what he'd just done. He'd just silently admitted to having the power of flame.

"Tsuna, what's your Family name?"

Tsuna looked up, knowing that he couldn't lie anymore. But he still tried and answered, "Sawada."

The teacher looked at his class roster, then back up at Tsuna. "No, not your familial name, your mafia Family name." Tsuna smiled.

"Vongola," he replied simply. He laid his head back down on his desk, insanely happy at the quiet around him. Maybe now his head would stop hurting. The sound of a rattling caught his attention. He looked up as the teacher tossed him a bottle of aspirin.

"School rules. No student gets pain medication for hangovers until they've been thoroughly tortured," he smiled. "Although if I had known you'd been drinking V Special, I would have handed them over sooner." Tsuna looked at the bottle in surprise, then gratefully popped it open and took three. So that was why Cress hadn't let him have any this morning. He sagged a bit in relief as his headache began to slowly subside.

"Thank you," he said, throwing the bottle back. Reborn jumped up on the teacher's desk, bringing surprised murmurs from the class.

"That's what you getting drunk with Xanxus, Baka-Tsuna," he said. "Next time you decide to play dodge-ball, make sure you use something other than a car." Tsuna turned red. So it hadn't been a dream. He groaned as his class responded to Reborn's statement with awe and laughter. He put his head back down, that being the only thing he could do. He had a feeling it was going to be a long day.

* * *

"Cheri isn't going to let you off the hook," Jack said during lunch. Tsuna groaned for the umpteenth time today. He'd forgotten his promise to the girl a mere two days ago.

"My plan went to hell in a hand-basket," Tsuna said, digging into his tray of food, " but I did promise her."

"You can't be serious," Jack said. "You've never seen her fight. She's a demon, I tell you!"

"What's going on?" A boy Tsuna recognized as being from his gym class said as he sat down with them. Tsuna couldn't help but think, 'And lo, the vultures descend. Before his reaction to the newcomer could be made plain on his face, Jack interrupted loudly,

"Tsuna is going to spar with Demon Cheri!" For some reason, when he said it, it happened to be one of those rare moments in the flow of talk when everyone stops at once. Tsuna supressed yet another groan as all eyes in the cafeteria turned on him.

"Thanks, Jack," he said quietly, sinking down in his chair. Reborn popped up on the table and stole the rest of his sandwich before finding himself a comfortable seat on the edge of the table.

"It needs to happen sooner or later, Baka-Tsuna. Otherwise Hibari is going to be ahead of you next time you see each other."

"He's already ahead of me," Tsuna replied as he massaged the bridge of his nose. He felt another headache coming on, although for a different reason. "The only I'm still in one piece is because I'm not far behind him."

"All the more reason to pick your combat training back up. He's got two week on you now," Reborn replied logically. They both were continuing their conversation while ignoring the silence and looks of the people around him. He had a feeling that this kind of attention was something he was going to have to get used to, whether he liked it or not.

"Alright," Tsuna agreed. "See if she's willing to spar during gym since I have to go with Xanxus after school." Reborn nodded and once again disappeared as he went to make arrangements. Since coming to Italy, Tsuna felt like Reborn had been more like an adviser than a tutor. Maybe that was just a sign of advancement, he mused.

He dug into the rest of his meal that Reborn hadn't snatched, obliviously ignoring the gossiping chatter going on around him. He knew, although he didn't want to, that nearly everyone was talking about him now. His freedom was over, now the real games would begin.

* * *

Tsuna put his gloves on, preparing to enter the sparring grounds. Dr. Fyllable had given permission for the spar even though it was between members of two separate classes. Actually, it seemed to be turning into an event, as other sparring matches stopped and teachers let students press against their classroom windows to watch. He began to wonder just why she was called 'Demon' Cheri.

Then he saw her, as she came out of the girl's locker room. Her hair had been braided into a tight bun on the back of her neck and her glasses were gone, apparently replaced with contacts for the duration of the match. She wore a tight battle suit that reminded Tsuna faintly of a ninja, although it was made of some kind of thick material.

In her hands were two small daggers which seemed to settle naturally against her wrists. Then she turned and looked at him, her eyes again the molten whirlpools he remembered before. He couldn't help but smile as she walked determinedly toward the sparring grounds.

"Tsuna," Reborn said, getting his attention while everyone was focused on his opponent, "Don't use your gloves unless you have to. Otherwise you'll probably be disappointed." Tsuna's face fell a bit, but he nodded. In other words, she was good, but not at the speeds he could potentially move. The only way to make this a challenge as well as a good workout would be if he held back his advantage.

"Alright, Hibari's the real target I have to overcome," he said as he walked forward. The crowd muttered to themselves, shocked at his easy entry into the field. They all knew he'd never seen Cheri fight and assumed he was either stupid or careless. He smiled to himself, looking over at Cheri. She was the only one here other than Reborn that wasn't underestimating him. She was already in a battle stance, waiting for the whistle to start. He smiled openly this time as he allowed the Dying Will Flame to surface, bringing the murmurs of the crowd to an end.

"Hey Jack," he called before they started, "What did my odds end up being?" From the sidelines, Jack blushed.

"Um, I think they were seven to one against you," he called back.

"How much did you bet on me, Reborn?" Tsuna asked carelessly.

"Half a million," Reborn said after suppressing the urge to smack his student. The crowd began muttering again at the hitman's response. Reborn's information gathering was second to none, after all. If he put his money on Tsuna, then this was definitely going to be an interesting show. Tsuna smiled. It had definitely been a long day.

Then the whistle sounded and all thoughts of the crowd disappeared.

Cheri ran forward silently, brandishing her daggers. Tsuna sidestepped, allowing her momentum to send her past him. As he turned, he dodged again as she swung around to counterattack. Her blade came within an inch of his cheek, but he grabbed her wrist as it passed and used her own momentum to throw her a good fifty feet. As she landed, unharmed and already standing within a second, Tsuna could see a smile playing on the corners of her lips. She and Hibari truly had to be kindred spirits, he thought in the moment's breath she allowed him before charging again.

This time, her blade came straight for his throat the moment she found an opening and he barely evaded with a back flip, kicking one of her blades out of her hand in the process. Instead of going to retrieve it, she switched her extra one to her dominant hand and slashed at him. It skimmed across his shirt, slicing through it, but he remained untouched. Cheri continued the path of the slash, bringing it around in an 'X' path. Seeing the path, Tsuna stayed ahead of it and dodged inside her guard before she could react. With a twist of his hips, he sent her flying again. Once again, she landed on her feet. This time, instead of charging in, she retrieved her lost dagger and circled him patiently.

He waited.

She circled.

He waited more.

There was a smile playing along both their lips as they each waited to see who would move first. Finally her eyes narrowed and he smiled widely. She charged, unable to control her blood lust with the realization that he had none. If she wanted to hurt him or even simply defeat him, she would have to be the one to attack.

He sidestepped as her blade flashed inches away from his eye and using the simplest trick in the book, he tripped her. While she tried to recover her balance from the sudden shock, he slipped around behind her and grabbed her hands. Overpowering her with simple muscles, he brought the blades she held up to her own neck. They laid criss-cross against her flesh as he paused, letting Cheri come to the realization on her own that she had just lost.

"Y-Yield," she called.

"What's the time, Reborn?" Tsuna called as they both went to separate sidelines. The crowd was silent with shock. Not only had he defeated the one fighter that no one wanted to challenge, but he'd done it in record time. For Tsuna and Cheri, it had seemed slow motion, but to the people watching from the outside, it had been a flash of steel and fists. Jack's eyes were a bit crossed from trying to keep track of their movements in the sparring area.

"Only two minutes," his tutor replied. Both he and Tsuna ignored everything else. This was the only time in Tsuna's day that he had time for personal training. They couldn't waste it. "Not bad if you take out the time you just stared at each other. But still not good enough. Do it faster next time." Tsuna nodded and called over to Cheri.

"Rematch?" She smiled brilliantly at him before nodding. Without waiting for the teacher's permission, Reborn blew a whistle and they began again.

* * *

Tsuna took a bit longer than normal in the locker room showers, rinsing the sweat from his body. He'd fought Cheri numerous times over the course of the hour and she had become a little faster and a little sharper with every rematch. Toward the end, his adrenaline and blood had been flowing so rapidly that he'd had to pour ice water down the back of his shirt to cool himself off before something embarrassing happened.

Although, he thought with a smile, he probably wasn't the only one taking a cold shower at the moment. She had seemed to be just as excited by the end. He had a feeling she didn't get challenged very often and when she was, the opponent wasn't in any shape for a rematch afterward. His shy little dove was more of a hawk than he'd ever imagined.

Part of him couldn't wait to let her meet Hibari.


	6. Chapter 6 First Blood

As he left the school ground with Jack and Cheri, Tsuna looked over at his only two friends he had here in Italy and suppressed a sudden moment of homesickness. Jack was still a bit stunned at his two friends' combat abilities. Cheri seemed pleased from the day's events as she kept un-braiding and re-braiding one of her pigtail while humming contentedly to herself. They were halfway to Prescott's, chatting about Tsuna's embarrassing hangover this morning when Tsuna noticed a car pull up. Recognizing it, he stopped with a bowed head and the smile left his face.

"I'm sorry, guys," he told the two, "Go on without me." They looked at him curiously, wondering what was with his sudden change. Before he could explain Xanxus opened the door to the car.

"Lets go, scum," he sneered. Tsuna turned a bit pale, but didn't argue. Xanxus was in charge of making sure Tsuna completed the tasks the Ninth had set and since Tsuna had agreed to train by coming to Italy, he really didn't have a choice anymore. If this kind of thing was what it took for him to succeed the Ninth sucessfully and protect his Family, he'd do it. However, he was unable to completely hide the look of anguish on his face as he got into the car, leaving his friends on the street behind him. Looking back out through the tinted window, he watched as Cheri started to run after the car and Jack stopped her.

"What's the agenda today?" He asked Xanxus quietly.

Xanxus' eyes seemed to flash as he replied, "Participation."

* * *

"No," Tsuna said, limply holding the knife Xanxus had forced him to take. They were in a bedroom, standing over the unconscious body of a man. Only after they'd entered the man's house and knocked him out had Xanxus explained what his 'participation' entailed. Tsuna didn't want to do it. His heart felt like it wanted to jump out his throat and run away at even the thought. There was no way he could stain his hands like this. It was one thing to watch it, but another thing to actually do it himself. There was no way he could-- His internal screams were silenced when Xanxus put one of his X-Guns to the man's head.

"If trash won't serve the punishment, then I'll just change the judgment."

"W-Wait--" Tsuna said as his heart leaped again. He put his hand up to make Xanxus stop, not wanting the man's death on his conscience. "I--" he didn't know what to say to change Xanxus' mind. There had to be another way. Something he could say or do.

"Don't even think about it," Xanxus warned, cocking his gun. "This scum was warned before to keep his hands out of the Family's money, but he still decided to try and skim several million from the books. Now, either you're going to cut off one of his fingers so that every time he writes in the ledgers, he remembers the punishment for betrayal...or we can just find another accountant." He dug his gun deeper into the man's temple and Tsuna's stomach churned.

It was either do it or let the man be killed. Xanxus wouldn't care either way.

"I'll give you until the count of--"

"I'll do it," Tsuna said, his heart leaping into his throat as he said it. He wanted to puke. He wanted to be anywhere but here. He wanted to run and hide in a closet where no one could find him. But he didn't. He stepped forward, his heart pounding. Tsuna couldn't let the man die because he'd failed to do one of the Ninth's tasks. This was the lesser of two Hells, he tried to tell himself.

He knelt, a dead look in his eyes, and began reaching for the man's hand.

* * *

Tsuna heaved as he vomited into the gutter several blocks down the street. Xanxus leaned against a nearby wall, devoid of the jacket that was normally hanging on his shoulders. Instead, it was hanging around Tsuna, hiding the blood that stained his school uniform. Tsuna hadn't been prepared for the amount of blood there had been. He hadn't been prepared for any number of things. How Xanxus had managed torture without getting a drop on him, Tsuna didn't want to know.

He clutched his stomach as he heaved again. His hands had been covered in blood before he'd even gotten the knife halfway through the joint. He'd panicked when the blood started to spray, stopping halfway through the cut. Xanxus had helped him finish by hitting the back of the knife with the pommel of his gun, forcing it through before Tsuna could react. Then, while Tsuna had numbly sat there, he'd taken care of cauterizing the wound and placing the finger in a box to give to the Ninth, as well as covering Tsuna's clothing so they could leave.

His stomach heaved a final time as Tsuna thought about the finger box in the pocket of Xanxus' coat. He wanted to cry and weep, but he didn't. He had chosen this path, he told himself. He had been the one that had agreed with the need for him to do this. He had been the one that decided this was the path he had to take to get strong enough to follow in the Ninth's footsteps. His shoulders trembled as he tried to keep himself from breaking over what he'd had to do.

"Pathetic trash," he heard Xanxus say behind him. "Do you really think you can take over as a mafia boss if you're cracking over a fucking finger?" He laughed cruelly, insanely. "Who the hell's going to follow scum like that? The boss of a Family has to be feared if they're going to keep other Families in line, but who the hell's going to fear you?" He continued to laugh tauntingly, purposely ignoring Tsuna's pain.

Tsuna bowed his head. He didn't know how to reply to that. There had to be another way, but he couldn't see it. Finally, he stood, pulling Xanxus' jacket tight around him to hide the bloodstains.

"Lets go back to the mansion," he said quietly, wanting nothing more than to wash the blood off of his body.

Xanxus smiled quietly, leading the way.

* * *

Iemitsu walked down the hall, heading for the Ninth's chambers. He'd just found out that Xanxus was the one assigned to Tsuna's training and he wanted answers. Basil jogged a bit to keep up with him but Iemitsu barely noticed in his rush. The boy barely stopped himself from ramming into his master's back when Iemitsu suddenly stopped halfway down the hall.

Peeking around him, Basil asked quietly, "Master?" His Master's face was pale and drawn. Basil looked over to see what his Master was focused on. "Sawada-dono..." Basil trailed off, seeing the blood splattered across Tsuna's clothes and his pale face. Tsuna didn't even seem to notice them while he walked past with a dead look in his eyes. Silently, he continued down the hall, his goal obviously being his rooms. After he had turned down the next hall, Iemitsu braced himself against a wall in shock.

It only took him a few moments to get control of himself, after which he forgot about his need to speak with the Ninth, forgot about Xanxus, forgot that Basil was even there with him. He ran down the hall toward Tsuna's rooms. Without even pausing to knock, Iemitsu rushed inside, looking for his son. The faint sound of running water directed him to the bathroom.

Suddenly feeling the need to be cautious, he opened the bathroom door quietly. He wanted to weep when the door opened to reveal his son huddled over in the floor of the shower still fully-dressed. All six faucet heads turned on full, but Tsuna didn't seem to register the heat of the water that rushed over him. Instead, he was shaking and rubbing his arms as if he were in the middle of a snowstorm.

Itemitsu ignored the water and sank down, pulling his son into his arms. Once again, Tsuna didn't seem to notice. He blankly stared into nothingness, his shoulders shaking with tears he refused to release. Iemitsu cried for him, holding him tightly as the water washed the blood away and heat began to leech back into Tsuna's cold body. What had Xanxus done to his son?

When Tsuna finally stopped shaking, Iemitsu turned off the showers and helped pull off the blood stained clothes. Still Tsuna didn't respond. Basil brought towels and robes for both of them. The blonde man ignored the ones intended for him and focused on wrapping his son up. Iemitsu didn't even notice his own clothes were soaked until he already had Tsuna tucked into a warm bed. He watched over him until his eyes finally closed as he fell into a fitful sleep.

As he dried himself off and had Basil bring him a dry suit, the anger in him built. He wanted answers.

* * *

Iemitsu walked respectfully up to the Ninth's desk. He had wanted to barge in here and grab the old man by his collar, but Basil had eventually talked him out of such an action.

"Ninth--" he began to say through gritted teeth. The old man waved him to silence, his hand coming to a rest on top of a small black box centered on his desk.

"I already know what you're going to say, Iemitsu. I'm not happy about it either. He's still but a baby to me, too." The man looked down at the box, sadness filling his eyes. "But we both know I don't have many more years left. He has to be made ready for anything. The mafia world isn't kind, especially to the weak-minded or the unprepared," he said. "Xanxus is the only one in the Family to not have had an instinctual desire to protect the boy, therefore he's the only choice to chauffeur him through this. We can't allow him to be blinded because of our desires to protect him from reality."

"Ninth...I understand, but isn't there another way?" The old man shook his head sadly.

"Do you remember that accountant we caught a few weeks ago? The one that was skimming money from the non-combatant funds and we gave the warning to?" Iemitsu nodded, wondering where the man was going with the sudden change of subject.

"I remember, I told you we should cut off one of his fingers if he did it again. That way he'd think twice before dipping his fingers into accounts that weren't his."

"Do you still think that is the right choice?" The Ninth asked.

"He has to be punished if he ignores the warning," Iemitsu confirmed with a small, confused nod, "but there's no reason to go into extremes such as killing the fool. What's this have to--" His face paled in sudden, horrible understanding. He looked at the box under the Ninth's hand again with wide eyes. Forgetting how disrespectful it probably was, he sat down in the chair before the Ninth's desk before his legs gave out on him and put his face in his hands, resisting the urge to howl.

"You had Tsuna...?"

The sadness in the Ninth's eyes told him everything.

* * *

Cress found his charge awake and sitting in the bathroom floor the next morning. He had woken up several hours before and had immediately felt the need to retch again. After that, he had just sat in a state of numb shock until the manservant had come in.

"Lord Tsuna...?" He began to ask, but he stopped when Reborn bounced pass him with a small glass of clear liquid in his hand. Tsuna took it gratefully and drank it down without looking to see what it was. As a light buzz started in the back of his head, his stomach began to finally unclench and his muscles relaxed. He realized what the little hitman had given him and gave a grateful look in return.

"I--" Tsuna stopped, unsure of what he wanted to say. There were so many thoughts and conflicting emotions going through him that he had a hard time organizing any of it.

"There's no school today, so for now just relax," Reborn said as the boy slowly got up to get dressed. There was nothing he hated more than seeing his student in this kind of state. For almost all of the tutor's previous students, they were allowed to slowly get used to the bloodshed over several years. Tsuna didn't have that luxury.

Although it was a closely guarded secret, the Ninth's health was slowly failing. Tsuna wouldn't have the time to learn all the rest of what he needed to learn if he couldn't overcome this trial soon. If he was going to be able to pick up the Ninth's tasks as the Ninth started being unable to do them, he'd have to have the resolution to do what was necessary. And that would be nearly impossible for Tsuna if he didn't overcome his fear and loathing of bloodshed.

Loosing one's innocence is never easy, Reborn thought.

"What's the plan for today?" Tsuna asked after he'd finished getting dressed. His face was a bit pale since he was sure he didn't want to know, but his back was straight and ready to face the challenge.

He nearly sank to the ground in relief when Reborn said, "Xanxus won't be coming today." Reborn felt a momentary hesitation before he continued. He didn't like it, but there was other training Tsuna had to go through. "Instead, you'll be weapons training."

"Weapons?" Tsuna was confused as he looked over at his gloves sitting on his dresser.

Reborn frowned. "Your lack of mid-range protection is a known factor. Unless we can fix that gap, you'll always have a weakness for others to exploit." Tsuna nodded, remembering his inability to fight Renrick the acid-thrower the previous year. "So, Iemitsu will be taking you to a firing range later for training." Tsuna paled again.

"F-firing range?" The image of people lined up against a wall flashed into Tsuna's head before he shook it away. That's the kind of training Xanxus would do, not his father. "You mean against paper targets, right?" Reborn nodded with a deeper frown. He could almost see what had flashed through Tsuna's mind for an instant and the knowledge wasn't pretty.

"He'll be here to get you after a while. Until then you're free to do whatever you want. Cress can take care of any arrangements you might need. I've got some things to do." With that, he was gone, leaving Cress and Tsuna in the large room.

"Is there anything I can get for you, Lord Tsuna?" Cress asked as Tsuna sat down on the edge of his bed. The poor boy looked miserable, making Cress' paternal instincts kick in. "Would you maybe like to call someone?"

Tsuna raised his head, a tiny gleam of hope in his eyes. With a smile, Cress didn't wait for his answer, he simply went over to the side table and pressed in one of the many hidden buttons the room had. As Tsuna watched, the table top receded and a handheld phone rose up. Handing it to the boy, he said, "Just press star five to get to an outside line. If you need anything else, you can contact me with the control panel." He bowed himself out of the room, giving Tsuna privacy for his call.

At first, Tsuna didn't know who he wanted to call. He tried to decide as he went to the bar for another drink. Part of him would be happy to hear any of his Family's voices, but the other part was scared to talk to any of them. The past two weeks hadn't been easy and the past two days had been hell. Thinking about the past two days decided him.

He needed the rain.

* * *

Yamamoto was behind the counter of his father's sushi place. He'd been working there since graduating to help his father out. The old man wasn't as spry as he used to be. Gokudera was sitting at one of the seats in front of him, ardently trying to follow Tsuna's last orders. Whether he was succeeding was for someone else to decide. Yamamoto laughed every time the silver-haired boy came in to check on him. Not because of the fact he was trying to see if everything was okay, but because of Gokudera's disgruntlement. By checking on Yamamoto in order to follow Tsuna's orders, he was silently admitting that the swordsman was part of Tsuna's Family. Something he'd never admit if he'd had the choice.

The ringing of a phone caught his attention, but he ignored it in favor of teasing Gokudera. That is, until his father answered and said, "Oi, is that you Tsuna?" Within seconds, both Yamamoto and Gokudera were rushing to get there first. Yamamoto, having been behind the counter, was a bit too slow in jumping over it. He was silently glad there were no other customers because he was sure he would have knocked them over if they'd been in his way. Either way, Gokudera got to the phone first. Yamamoto thought about fighting him for it, but instead decided to press his head against Gokudera's so he could just listen. Thankfully, Gokudera didn't grumble and instead tilted the phone so they could both hear.

"10th! Is that you 10th?!" They heard a chuckle from the other side that was definately Tsuna's.

"It's me, Gokudera. How's everything on that end?"

"Everything's fine, 10th! I've been doing like you asked, checking in on the Family every day to make sure they're safe and happy."

"That's great," Tsuna said softly. Gokudera's eyes began to shine. Yamamoto noticed something else though.

"Are you okay, Tsuna?" The swordsman asked, hearing the tired note in the other's voice. There was a moment of silence while Tsuna seemed to struggle with something.

"I-I'm fine," came the stuttered reply.

"Don't lie to me," Yamamoto narrowed his eyes, not letting the hesitation in Tsuna's voice pass by unnoticed.

"The training up here a bit harder than I thought, is all. Really, I'm fine though." They heard a faltering laugh as Tsuna tried hard to relieve their anxiety and failed miserably. He changed the subject quickly. "How's baseball? Did you finally choose a high school to play for?"

"No," the swordsman said sadly. "I decided to help the old man out instead. I can always play baseball for fun though."

"I-I see," there was silence as Tsuna tried to think of something to say. He didn't want to get off yet, but he didn't want to talk about his training either. "So how is everyone, Gokudera?"

"They're fine, 10th! Your mother's okay. She was a bit upset when I first went to check on her, but she seemed happy when I told her I'd be checking up everyday. She's been having me come over for dinner so that I can check on Lambo, I-Pin and Fuuta all at once. They're all doing well, 10th! Leave it to me!"

"You've been going everyday?" Tsuna asked in amazement. "What about Bianchi? She's still staying there, right?"

Gokudera's stomach clenched at the mention of his sister, but he managed to keep talking. "She left not long after you, 10th. She said she wanted to be with Reborn, but they wouldn't let her into Vongola H.Q. since she accidentally poisoned everyone there when she was younger. When she left she said she was going to go do a job to pass the boredom."

"J-job?"

"She wouldn't say anything else, 10th." Gokudera silently cursed himself for not getting more information. He had failed the 10th, he was sure.

"H-how's the girls?" Tsuna asked, not noticing Gokudera's disappointment in himself since they couldn't see each other. This one Yamamoto answered. He'd taken over watching out for them since Gokudera was horrible when it came to girls.

"They're both fine, Tsuna. They're both going to be going to Okari High when the new semester starts." Yamamoto looked at Gokudera. They both didn't want to say what they were thinking. There was no way they could tell Tsuna about _that._

"Ryohei's doing good, too, 10th!" Gokudera interrupted, changing the focus. "He's actually got several members in the boxing club at the Mountain."

"That's great! Tell him congratulations for me!" Tsuna's voice actually did seem happy for once. "Hold on," he said suddenly. There was the muffled sound of him talking to someone else in the room. After a few moments, he returned. His voice had turned hesitant again. "I-It looks like I have to go. Dad's here to take me to do some t-training."

"Are you sure you're okay, Tsuna?" Yamamoto asked, incredibly worried by the sudden change.

There was silence for a moment before Tsuna said, almost as if he was talking to himself, "Don't worry. I won't break." Before either of the boys could reply, the line went dead. The two boys looked at each other, wondering what that had meant. Then they looked at the phone, worry reflecting in both their eyes.

"What's really going on up there?" Yamamoto whispered to himself.

* * *

Tsuna cursed himself as he hung up the phone. He'd meant to say, "Don't worry. I'm fine." But his heart had betrayed his mouth and the words that he'd slowly been repeating to himself had come out instead.

The call had helped, though. Hearing the voices of his Family had reminded him of why he was doing this. Knowing that they were all safe and happy was a relief. He would do whatever was needed to keep them that way.

He turned to his father with determination and said, "Lets go."


	7. Chapter 7 Job

Tsuna rubbed his arm the next morning, trying to get his fatigued muscles to stop aching. His father had trained him mercilessly in the usage of his new Glock. With comments like "oh, you just hit the civilian behind him," "only a shoulder wound, he's probably going to grab a hostage now," and so on, his father had pushed his desire to aim better while reminding him what the training was for. In the end, he hadn't let Tsuna return home until he could hit the bullseye at least once out of two times.

The weight of the Glock in the holster positioned at the small of his back felt strange, but his father assured him that he'd get used to it. Tsuna didn't want to believe him, but seeing Iemitsu's gun peeking out from his arm holsters beneath his jacket told him otherwise. The man hadn't said it out of hope, but experience.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to this," Tsuna muttered.

"It isn't an easy road, Lord Tsuna," Cress replied as he brought in breakfast. Tsuna sat down to it with a sigh, not wanting to be reminded of the fact.

"What's the schedule today?" He took a bite of omelet as he asked, wondering if he'd be lucky enough to get a day to himself. No luck.

"I do believe Xanxus will be arriving to get you in an hour, Lord Tsuna. I think Reborn mentioned something about the Row and finding you a weekend job."

"Xanxus? Job?" He repeated, turning pale at the combination of words.

"Mafia Row is an underground facility open too all mafia affiliated people, allied and not. It's a grudge-free zone. No Family rivalries allowed within it's bounds just like the school. As for what it's like, it's hard to describe unless you've been there, Lord Tsuna." Reborn popped up, holding his morning coffee. Leon was still asleep on his hat.

"Friday after school through Sunday night you'll be working somewhere on the Row. Other than being part of your training, it will allow you to come in contact with mafioso in a more common setting."

"I-I see," he said, forcing himself to finish his breakfast. He made himself relax, reminding himself that they'd be going to a public area this time. It couldn't be that bad.

Tsuna got a sinking feeling.

* * *

Tsuna had been confused when they'd went into a hotel and he'd been introduced to the attendant. After putting him into the computer system, he'd become even more confused when she handed them key-cards and they went to the elevator. After that, they'd accessed the basement using one of the key-cards the woman had given them. He became perplexed when they'd accessed some abandoned sewer lines from that same basement. Now, after walking for nearly ten minutes, he was not only totally confused and perplexed, he was totally lost.

"Where--?"

"We're here," Xanxus said. In front of them was an access hatch not unlike the dozens they'd already passed. The only difference on this one was the lack of graffiti and the key-card reader. Placing his key-card in the slot, the hatch popped open and ducked inside. The hatch door closed with an jarring bang behind him. Tsuna looked around in amazement. Spread out before him was almost like a city to itself. Everywhere he looked there were lights and people. He even saw a few of his school's uniforms among the crowd.

"This is Mafia Row?" Tsuna asked in awe. Xanxus grunted an affirmative as Tsuna looked up at the 'sky'. The roof of the extensive cave network had to be half a mile high. Not that he could see it in the afterglow of all the streetlights, advertisement lights, and other bright signs covering the city. He barely managed to pull his attention back down as Xanxus decended the stairs in front of the hatch. The moment he hit ground-level, he started walking, a target obviously in mind. Tsuna followed him quietly, making sure not to loose him in the crowd.

Tsuna blushed brightly when he saw Xanxus leading him into a strip club. He stayed silent, even though his mind was wondering what Xanxus was doing. Wasn't he supposed to be getting Tsuna a job? Now wasn't the time for entertainment. Not that Tsuna was in any rush to get a job in a mafia-only district. He paused at the door before following Xanxus inside the softly lit building.

Once his eyes adjusted, he looked around in surprise. The layout reminded him of the opera houses he'd seen on television. There was a large stage that he tried to avoid his eyes from and along the walls going up several floors were booths filled with men drinking and enjoying themselves. Tsuna guessed by the soundproof glass encasing the booths, they were rooms for private parties and important guests. He didn't want to know why the curtains were closed on the inside of several of them. On the ground floor in front of the raised stage was a large bar separating it from the rest of the common area.

Ignoring the men seated around tables, the 'audience', Xanxus made his way to the bar. He whispered something to a waitress next to it and she motioned for them to follow. Once again, Tsuna merely followed along silently while trying to control his furious blushes. The glimpse he'd gotten of the girls onstage was more of the female body than he'd ever seen before. The waitress gave him a knowing look before she led them up to one of the 'booths' using a stairwell and hallway on the side of the main area. Xanxus smiled as they sat down in a chair and the waitress brought them a bottle of V Special and two glasses.

Tsuna looked around the 'booth' in dismay while Xanxus made himself comfortable. In the center of the room was a small table and a set of several chair, placed near the large window overlooking the stage and main floor. The positioning allowed whoever sat there to have a clear view of the stage below. From the couch tucked into the corner of the room, Tsuna had a funny feeling he knew why there were closeable curtains around the windows.

"What's going on?" He finally asked, ignoring the drink Xanxus poured him. Xanxus smiled as he poured himself a shot.

"Call this my version of sex education, scum." Tsuna turned red and his hand shook at the answer. He decided he better take the drink after all.

"I thought Reborn was having me get a weekend job," he reminded Xanxus after the alcohol calmed his nerves.

"Later, kid." Xanxus waved a hand absentmindedly. He was completely engrossed in the stage show and Tsuna gaped at how easily his objection was ignored by the man. Not knowing where to look, Tsuna kept his eyes on his glass. He had a feeling that he better not get any more glimpses at what Xanxus was watching or he'd be in trouble. At some point, two of the waitresses came in and sat down with them. Other than the color of their outfits, they had matching uniforms of skin tight corsets and lace skirts. He turned an even deeper shade of red as they giggled at his obvious discomfort. He poured himself another drink with shaking hands.

"Hey there, boys. I'm Red," the one in red said as she sat down next to him.

"And I'm Blue," the one in blue said as she sat down next to Xanxus. Xanxus ignored her, obviously still engrossed with whatever was happening on stage. Tsuna didn't want to know what that was.

The one that sat next to him was a gorgeous woman, supple and well-endowed. Her hair lay against her back in fiery waves and her eyes were a deep ebony. Red chatted with him about nonsense stuff to put him at ease while he took a third shot. She wanted to know his name, how old he was, where he went to school. Not once did she ask what Family he was from. Although, with Xanxus here, it was pretty obvious.

He finally calmed down and was talking with her about what his classes were like when she pounced. Pounced was the only word that Tsuna could think of for how she jumped in his lap, a flurry of flesh and lace. He choked when she swung a leg over and straddled him. He immediately tensed up, wondering what she was doing in his lap. After that, she didn't give him time to think anymore. She leaned seductively over him, her breast pressed against his chest, and moved to kiss him.

Between her body heat and the heat from the alcohol, Tsuna could feel his blood pumping. His arms hung limply by his sides due to his partial inebriation and shock. She nibbled his lip before pressing them firmly against his, making his heart pound faster. When he felt her tongue flicked against his lips, asking him to open up for her, he couldn't help himself as he did. Her tongue playfully licked the inside of his mouth, playing cat and mouse with his own tongue before winding it around his. He began to feel his body react to the sensations she gave him, making him lightheaded with want.

The image of Kyoko surfaced in his mind as Red began to reach a hand down to do something to his lower extremities. Before he even had conscious control of his actions, he grabbed the woman's arms and roughly held her away from him, breaking off the kiss in an instant. She looked disappointed as he shook his head to clear it.

From where she sat held on his lap, she asked with a sultry look, "What's wrong? You don't like girls?"

"Y-Yes, yes I do," he panted. "But not just any one." He released her arms, silently asking her to get off him. Tsuna sent a silent thanks to the heavens as she didn't argue and got off. She gave him a parting wink and left with Blue. After taking another shot of V Special to calm himself, he noticed that Xanxus was looking at him with a crooked grin on his face. Before he could ask the reason, another woman came in.

"I'm Pink," she said in a business-like fashion as she sat down with them. "I'm the owner here." She turned to Tsuna, "Red said not only did you passed with flying colors, you're a good kisser to boot."

"EH?!" Tsuna squealed in surprise.

"We'll take him," she said, turning to Xanxus. Once again, Tsuna found himself completely ignored. "It's not very often we find someone that has decent combat abilities and can also restrain themselves around the girls." Xanxus nodded and the woman got up and left before Tsuna could get any answers. Before Xanxus could ignore him yet again and go back to watching the show, Tsuna grabbed his attention.

"What was that all about?!" He exclaimed, wanting answers. Xanxus looked at him lazily and nursed another shot.

"Starting next Friday afternoon, your new job, scum." Tsuna's eyes widened as Xanxus continued. "You'll be a weekend replacement for one of the bouncers here. It'll be your job to throw out trash that gets too rough with the girls or don't follow Pink's rules." Xanxus laughed abruptly as Tsuna decided to down two shots in rapid succession. "Trash taking out trash, isn't that great." Xanxus turned his attention back to the stage show, not intending to leave just yet. Tsuna just sat in his chair, stunned.

* * *

Tsuna walked through Mafia Row, curious as to what all was there. Xanxus had given him a cell phone with a GPS that would show him how to get back, which he had taken gratefully. He hadn't wanted to stay at the strip club and watch the show, regardless of the fact that he'd be working there. He'd save getting to know the staff until after his body stopped remembering the kiss. He was happy to notice that although he was slightly drunk, he wasn't weaving or showing any other noticeable sign. Other than maybe a slight glazed look in his eyes, he was fine.

So he went for a walk to see what he could find. The street he was currently on seemed to be all bars and strip clubs. He blushed a bit when he passed one obviously meant for women. Or so he hoped. With a sigh of relief, he turned onto another street and found himself in a shopping area. Several stores seemed to be specifically meant for weaponry. He thought he saw Jack for a moment outside one that specialized in daggers and knives, but he lost track of him in the crowd before he could verify. If it was him, Tsuna supposed, he might have been getting a present for Cheri.

Turning down the next street, Tsuna found himself among food vendors. Every fast food he could imagine was lined up across one side of the road, while the other side seemed to be full of specialty cafes and restaurants. He stopped and got himself something to eat, hoping that it would help dissipate the lingering effects of all the V Special he'd drunk.

Tsuna continued down and found a street of stores that was an amalgamation of different things. This street seemed to be more like the shopping district he'd find anywhere else. The only difference was the quality of the goods. He stopped in front of a bookstore, about to go in to see if they had any of his favorite manga when his phone range. Xanxus was ready to return. After a moment of disappointment, Tsuna retraced his steps and together the two left Mafia Row.

He'd have plenty of time to explore the Row later, considering he'd be there every weekend from now on.


	8. Chapter 8 Orange

Tsuna woke up suddenly. He looked out the balcony over his shoulder and realized it was still the middle of the night. Rubbing his eyes, he was unsure of why he'd suddenly broken out of a sound sleep. He normally slept like a rock until Cress woke him. He glanced around in the darkness, wondering if maybe Cress had come in, but Tsuna didn't sense anyone else in the room. He shrugged, assuming he'd had a nightmare and couldn't remember it. He'd had a lot of nightmares the past week due to all the horrible things Xanxus had made him do. He shuddered and threw the covers up over his head at the thought. Xanxus hadn't pulled any punches in effort to either break him or get him to accept the bloodshed.

Tsuna sighed and closed his eyes, trying to force himself back to sleep. For the next half hour he tried, but he kept getting a nagging sensation. With a grumble, he threw back his covers and got up. There was no way he'd be able to sleep like this. He went over to his wet bar and poured himself a drink. Tsuna stopped as it touched his lips and he realized how much he'd been drinking lately. It had almost become second nature to go for alcohol instead of anything else. With a yawn, he decided to pour it out in the sink and get water instead.

Although he finally understood why his father always spent his first night home drunk, he didn't want to be like that if he could help it. He appreciated the effects of alcohol during those times that he felt like he was about to break, but this wasn't one of those. Turning off the light and scratching his stomach, he laid back down. Tomorrow after school would be his first day of work at the club, so he needed all the rest he could get.

He was almost asleep again when his internal alarms went off. Instinct kicked in and he rolled to the side, barely avoiding a flash of steel as it slammed into his pillow. Tsuna's inner flame surfaced and he tried to get up off the bed, but his feet became entangled in his covers. Someone jumped on top of him brandishing a large hunting knife. Was this one of Reborn's surprise encounters to keep him on his toes?!

Tsuna panicked when he was pinned to the bed by force and the sharp steel quickly decended toward his neck. Instinct kicked in again and Tsuna grabbed the man's wrist and tried to push it away. His eyes widened when he found himself slowly being overpowered. The knife nicked his throat and he finally realized this wasn't a surprise training encounter, but that the man on top of him was actually trying to kill him. His flame flared hotter from the knowledge, giving his arms the extra bit of strength he needed. Slowly, he was able to turn the knife away from his own neck. The intruder pushed harder, trying to regain the upper hand. Tsuna let out a roar and pushed harder. He felt moisture against his bare hands when the knife finally came in contact with the assassin. Where at, Tsuna didn't know, but he did know it was a damaging hit.

The man's strength waned and Tsuna got his feet untangled during that interlude. With a panicked movement, Tsuna used them to push the man across the room, sending him flying into the darkness. Rolling off the bed, he ran for the alarm on his control panel. Before the intruder could get back up, he'd hit it and a loud emergency siren began to go off. He turned quickly, putting his back against the wall to protect it. He cursed to himself as he fumbled blindly for the light switch. The lights flashed on and Tsuna blinked for a moment in blindness at the sudden change from pitch black to illumination. When his eyes finally adjusted, he looked around until he found the intruder. The masked man was laying unconscious on his stomach where he'd crashed after hitting the wall. Blood had begun to pool around his upper body from where the knife had been turned back on him.

Tsuna was saved from going over to him by the rushed entrance of several armed and angry men in black suits. They lowered their weapons when they saw that Tsuna was okay and the intruder had already been taken care of. As his father came running in, Tsuna watched as one of the black suits rolled the man over. The knife that had almost killed him was sticking hilt-deep in the base of the man's throat. Tsuna looked down at his hands in horror, suddenly realizing how much blood was on them.

He fell to his knees in shock, ignoring his father's panicked questions. He'd killed a man. With his own hands. The blood on his hands were from a dead man. A dead man that he'd killed. He'd never killed a man before. There had been those people that died during the Horsemen Incursion, but he had never been able to remember that. This was different. He was in total control of himself, yet he had still killed someone. Killing was something bad people did. It didn't matter if it was in self-defense. He, alone, had taken this man's life. The horror and knowledge of it left his mind blank with shock.

Then one of the black suits removed the intruder's mask and Tsuna wanted to scream.

"Jack," his voice broke on the word as he looked into the face of his friend. Dead, lifeless eyes stared back at him, the emotion he'd felt at the moment of his death forever etched into them; sadness. Tsuna stared back at those eyes until one of the black suits shut them. He looked down at the blood on his hands as it took on new meaning. Not only had his friend been trying to kill him, but he'd killed his friend. He was dead and it was Tsuna's fault.

He began to shake as his father seemed to grasp that Tsuna knew the assassin. Wordlessly, he threw a small blanket over Tsuna and escorted him to another room. Tsuna let him, still staring down blankly at his bloody hands. Tsuna was in a complete daze while his father washed the blood from his body. He continued to be in a daze even when the blood-stained robe he was wearing was pulled off and exchanged for a new one. He continued to shake in shock, the look in his eyes becoming more lifeless by the moment.

Iemitsu had Cress bring in some V Special and poured him a large glass. Tsuna held it absently for a moment before his father got his attention long enough to make him drink. His shaking calmed when the whole glass, half the bottle, went down his throat in one gulp. The dead look became a glazed one as the effects of that much alcohol hit Tsuna all at once. Within a minute, he had passed out.

* * *

He woke up all at once and sat up much faster than he should. Looking around, he saw that he was back in his own room. He must have gotten drunk to the point of hallucinating, considering the migraine he had. Tsuna rolled out of bed, instantly stopping the moment his feet touched the floor. A wave of dizziness hit him and he looked at the large bloodstain on the carpet before him in dismay and horror. 

"It wasn't a dream," he said to himself with a ragged breath. He sank to the floor, his back leaning up against his bed as he continued to stare at the stain. About that time, Cress came in the room and seemed disturbed when he couldn't immediately see Tsuna. Coming around the bed, the manservant found him on the floor, eyes wide with shock. Forcefully helping him up, he guided him over to the sitting area.

"Don't look, Lord Tsuna. The cleaners will have that up before this afternoon." Cress came to a decision as he continued to look at the panicked and pale look on his master's face. Instead of breakfast, he brought Tsuna a drink to calm him. Tsuna didn't even seem to notice until two shots had already went down his throat.

"Are you calmer now, Lord Tsuna?" Cress asked politely. He handed Tsuna some aspirin, waiting anxiously on the answer. Tsuna nodded, the blood beginning to flow back into his face. "Would you like me to call the school and cancel your classes for today?" He continued gently.

Tsuna silently thought about it, numerous thoughts rushing through his head over the course of several minutes. Finally he said, "No, I'll go. If word gets out about last night and I don't go to school today, it might be considered a sign of weakness." He rubbed his face with his hands. "Honestly, I'd rather stay here and hide, but I know where my responsibilities lie."

Cress nodded and went to get Tsuna's uniform for him. The boy might be in shock, but he was already thinking like a boss should. It seems that the Ninth's training was working as intended.

* * *

Tsuna sat at his desk in Homeroom, the empty desk behind him bearing a silent testimony to the fact that Jack wasn't there anymore. He'd quietly told Cheri before she went to her own Homeroom about what had happened. She had been an accumulation of tears that had brought curious looks from passerby. In the end, she had decided to call a car and return home instead of going to class. 

"Has anyone seen Jack?" The teacher asked when his name came up for roll call. The class muttered to themselves. No one knew. "Tsuna," he asked absently, "You two are friends, right? Have you seen him? His Family didn't call in for him today." Tsuna bowed his head and quietly answered the question.

"He's dead." Silence filled the room as the teacher collapsed into his chair.

"W-what happened," the teacher asked, unable to control the need to know. All his students were like Family and the loss of even one was a large blow. Tsuna got up and started to walk out. It had been a bad idea to come to class today, after all.

"Tsuna...?" The teacher asked. Whether the question was wondering where he was going or asking what had happened again, it was hard to tell. He gritted his teeth again and stopped in the doorway. The teacher had a right to know, but Tsuna couldn't come out and say it. Instead, he answered a question with a question.

"What would you do if an assassin tried to kill you in your sleep?"

"I-I'd kill him, of course." Tsuna looked at him coldly, letting him see the truth reflecting in Tsuna's eyes. The blood rushed out of the teacher's face as he realized what Tsuna was telling him. "Y-you...?"

Tsuna turned away silently and without looking back, he walked away.

* * *

Iemitsu found his son sitting against the open balcony doors in his room. He seemed to be deep in thought as he gnawed on his thumbnail. He was happy to at least see his son not shaking for once. 

"I heard about you walking out of class," he said as he sat down beside Tsuna. The boy nodded, not paying attention. "Are you okay?"

"I won't break," came the absent reply. Tsuna continued to look out the doors, lost in his own world. Noticing blood on his son's thumb, Iemitsu pulled his hand away from his mouth to look. The nail had been bitten down until it had bled, but the boy hadn't noticed.

"It's okay to cry sometimes, you know," his father said softly. "I know you want to be stronger, but sometimes strength doesn't mean holding it all in. You've been through a lot." Tsuna finally looked at his father, his face full of anguish and heartache for only a moment before he covered it and looked back out at the horizon. That moment made Iemitsu's heart clench, then it clenched tighter as he saw his son's emotional withdrawal. Instead of breaking, his son was slowly imploding.

"Do you want to go home?" Iemitsu asked softly. The Ninth be damned. One word from Tsuna and he'd be back in Japan before he could finish saying yes.

"No," came the heartrending reply. "I've went too far to go back now."

"Do you want me to send for the others?" Maybe they would help his son release his emotions.

"No," Tsuna said simply, making Iemitsu's heart clench again. "Not yet. I'm not strong enough yet."

"Is there anything I can do for you at all?" His father begged, wanting to do something to help his son.

"Let me know when I need to leave for work."

Iemitsu supressed the urge to howl at the answer. It wasn't the type of help he was wanting to give. Tsuna's eyes became unfocused and he seemed to become lost in his own private Hell. He no longer even noticed the presence of his father beside him while he looked out the doors at the sky.

Iemitsu wanted to weep when Tsuna began absently biting on his bloody nail again.

* * *

"So you're the new kid, eh?" The man standing over Tsuna was at least six times his size, even after the height and muscle he'd gotten in the few weeks since coming to Italy. The man in question was the head bouncer at Pink's, which happened to be the name of the club as well as the owner. Tsuna nodded silently to answer the man's question. 

"I don't like it," the Security Head grunted.

"What's that, Grey?" Another man said from behind him.

"This little brat is supposed to be Yellow's replacement on the weekends," Grey answered. Tsuna smiled a little to himself. Apparently not only the waitresses went by color code-names.

"Why not give him a test," the new man suggested. Tsuna groaned inside, but politely stayed silent. It would be better not to purposely aggravate his new co-workers.

"Alright. That sounds good, Indigo. We'll give him a test." Grey smiled, his face splitting in two by his extremely large mouth. He went over and sat at one of the tables spread around the back room meant for staff. He put up his arm, silently challenging Tsuna to an arm-wrestling competition. Tsuna smiled. Six times his size or not, he'd not lost in arm-wrestling since he'd gotten personal control of his flame. He sat down and clasped the man's hand. Raising his inner flame to right below the surfacing level, he waited for the cue to start.

"Go," Indigo called. Tsuna yawned when the other man couldn't get his arm to budge. Tsuna purposely ignored the amount of effort he was having to put in to keep it that way and kept a careless attitude. Grey's eyes flashed at the silent insult and he started to stand to get more leverage. Tsuna wanted to smile when the man took the bait. Taking the opportunity as the man's weight shifted, Tsuna put all his strength into one controlled thrust. Indigo gasped in surprise when Tsuna slammed Grey's hand into the table.

"Holy Hell," Indigo said. "I think that's a first, Grey." Grey rubbed his wrist and silently agreed with a nod.

"What color do you want to be, kid?" Indigo asked while Grey disappeared to find some ice.

Tsuna smiled, "Is Orange still free?"

"Orange it is," Indigo said, running a hand across his bald head. He was only two times Tsuna's size in comparison to Grey's six and seemed to be the type that was always playing pranks. Both Grey and Indigo didn't look to be older than their mid-twenties. Then again, it seemed very few in the mafia got much older than thirty before retiring or being buried. "I'll show you the ropes since I don't think Grey's going to be able to forgive you for a while." He gave a grin as he led the way out of the room.

"Mostly your job is to keep order in the main hall," he explained as he pointed to the area around the bar. "I cover the left booths, Grey covers the right. You'll only be needed up there if things get out of hand. That rarely ever happens, though."

"What do you mean by keeping order?" Tsuna asked, wanting it to be clear.

"Sometimes drinks flow a bit too freely and the audience gets out of hand. If a fight breaks out, it's your job to bust their heads and throw them outside on the street. If someone gets too frisky with a waitress and the waitress says no but they don't listen, it's your job to give the guilty party a warning. If they don't follow the warning, again, you bust their heads and throw them out on the street. Same thing for anyone that tries to get on the stage." He stopped, trying to decide something.

With a small sigh he continued, "Pink has two rules that everyone who comes in here knows. If you hit a waitress, you're subject to the bouncer's punishment. In other words, it will be our job to beat him within an inch of his life before tossing him out. Also, for those that pay for one of the girl's 'company' in the booths, they can't go past a certain amount of roughness."

Tsuna blushed, knowing all too well what Indigo meant. The booths weren't only for private parties, they were also bedrooms. Indigo continued, oblivious to his discomfort. "If they do, it calls for Bouncer's Judgement which is a punishment that will be decided and dealt out by us bouncers. Typically it's done in private, but not always. Hopefully you never have to be part of that."

"If it happens, I'd rather be there," Tsuna said, going cold. "This is all part of my training, after all." Indigo looked at him curiously, wondering what he meant but Tsuna just shook his head. Other than Red, Blue, and Pink, no one here had been told who he was.

"Last but not least," Indigo continued as they walked up to the bar. "Drinks are free for us, but don't get drunk while watching the room."

"Don't worry about that."

"What? You don't drink?" Indigo asked in surprise.

"No, I just won't drink any V Special while I'm here," Tsuna answered with a small grin. Indigo's jaw dropped.

"No wonder you beat Grey. If you can handle that stuff, there must be more to you than meets the eye. I tried a sip of it once on a dare and was out for three days. Even Grey can barely stand up after half a shot."

"Half a bottle knocked me out for the night, so don't feel too bad," Tsuna replied, running a hand through his hair in embarrassment. Indigo laughed at the comparison.

"Well," Indigo said with a handshake, "welcome to Pink's. I've got to go make my rounds of the booths, but I'll come back occasion--" He was stopped by the sound of two men yelling and a crash as someone was thrown into a table. "Looks like you got a welcoming party, kiddo." Tsuna nodded and walked forward toward the mob that was forming.

As Indigo watched, he stopped in place for a moment. Then, literally in the blink of an eye, there was a flash of orange and Tsuna was on the other side of the crowd of drunken fighters. Indigo narrowed his eyes. How did the kid--? One by one the fighters fell to the ground as their bodies felt the blows Tsuna had sent. Indigo looked at the boy codenamed 'Orange' with wide eyes.

"Doesn't seem too hard," Orange said softly, looking back with flame-lit eyes that sent a chill down Indigo's spine. The rest of the customers suddenly decided that sitting down and keeping to themselves instead of fighting was a much better plan.

"You said throw them out on the street, right?" Indigo nodded numbly to answer Tsuna's question. Picking them up two at a time by their collars, one in each hand, Orange hauled them out the front door and left them in a pile on the street. Indigo narrowed his eyes a bit at the tired resignation that was barely perceptible in the new bouncer's step.

"Not bad, kiddo," Pink said from behind the bar when he'd finished. "You-know-who hinted that you beat him, but since he never came out and said it, I wasn't sure until now." She put a glass of amber liquid on the bar, obviously her thanks for working so quickly. Tsuna took it without a second thought while Indigo left for his rounds.

As he drank, Tsuna kept his eyes completely averted from the show on the raised stage behind them. He had a feeling he wouldn't be doing much but standing around for the rest of the night, but watching something like what the girls were doing up there wasn't his idea of how to pass the time. Instead, he turned his back to the stage and leaned up against the bar, turning out to look at the audience.

Several of the tables were full of men completely engrossed in the show, making him blush at the unabashed looks of lust and desire on their faces. Others seemed to be full of men chatting and drinking, only looking at the stage occasionally. There were one or two tables that had men neither talking or watching, but were nursing their drinks quietly. Tsuna had a gut feeling that they'd just completed orders for their boss. Only one table had a woman in it that wasn't a waitress. She seemed to be in the last group of people. She didn't care about the show and she wasn't talking to anyone.

"Who's that?" He asked Pink. The bartender looked up at where he was pointing after she finished mixing a drink.

"That's White. She's one of ours. She's one of the girls that doesn't do waitress duties and only serves booth clients." At Tsuna's blush she amended, "Not that kind of service. She's called on when we have a shattered one."

"Shattered?"

"When one of our regular clients or staff is broken, she's the one that puts them back together." Tsuna shuddered, but Pink didn't notice. "She's good at what she does. Good enough she could have an outside practice, but she stays here with us. We sometimes get extra customers that ask specifically for her. I don't know her reasons for staying with us, but I'm grateful." Pink filled another order before continuing, "Make sure you keep an eye out for her, though. A lot of the time new customers won't want to pay one of the girls to fill their needs, so they go for her thinking she's another customer."

Tsuna nodded. It was his job, after all.


	9. Chapter 9 Hell Week

When Monday morning rolled around again, it was Xanxus instead of Cress that woke him first thing in the morning. Then again, Tsuna had been jumpy since the assassination attempt and it was likely they'd sent Xanxus in as the only way to safely wake him. He'd stopped himself from hurting Cress so far, but there had been some close calls the past few days. Once, he'd woken up with his fist a mere inch from Cress' face. Even in his sleep he'd stopped himself, however. The second time, he'd woke to find he was pointing his gun at the poor manservant. That time, too, Tsuna nearly had a heart attack when he realized what he almost did in his sleep. Only luck had named Cress as 'friend' even to Tsuna's sleeping mind and had saved the man.

Tsuna spluttered and instantly came fully awake from the cold water that was dumped on him Monday morning, however. He wiped his face and looked at Xanxus in surprise. First of all, why the hell was that man in Tsuna's room? Second, why was he so pleased other than the fact he'd just tossed a bucket of water on Tsuna from ten feet away? Third, why was he in Tsuna's room again?!

"Get up, brat," Xanxus scowled when he didn't immediately jump out of bed. "Get fucking dressed. We're going overseas for a few days to do some jobs. Don't bother packing. Anything you bring would only get in the fucking way. You have ten minutes before I drag your ass out of here even if you're naked." He started to leave, but Tsuna's squeal made him pause.

"What about school?!"

"The old man called them and told them you'd be back next week," Xanxus replied. "Great thing about that trash place you go to; no one asks questions when a boss says one of the shitty students will be missing for a while." He looked at his watch. "Nine minutes left," he warned before walking out. Tsuna was glad that he was used to running late for once. He was dressed and ready within five. Xanxus merely grunted when he appeared before Xanxus had to drag him out.

"You said we're going overseas to do some jobs?" Tsuna prompted after they were comfortably seated in a car. The car pulled away from the estate swiftly, heading toward the airport.

"Someone made off with plans to Gola Mosca a while back. The old man finally tracked them down and it's our job to silence every scumbag involved."

"S-silence?"

"Shoot, kill, and otherwise fuck them the hell up," Xanxus confirmed. He laughed when all the blood rushed out of Tsuna's face in an horror-filled instant. "What's wrong, trash? Think you're too fucking good to get your hands dirty like the rest of us? Don't think I haven't noticed, shit-for-brains, how I have to fucking talk your ass into doing the work. This time if you hesitate, your ass is going to be looking up from six feet under."

Tsuna swallowed. Twice.

"Welcome to my version of Hell Week, scum," Xanxus laughed.

* * *

Xanxus motioned silently for Tsuna to follow him through the airport. Tsuna did, feeling oddly uneasy without his Glock holstered at his back. Xanxus had made him take it off before even entering the airport back in Italy, claiming that he'd have it waiting on him once they reached New York. After that, the rest of the trip had been eerily silent. It had almost been as if Xanxus pretended he didn't exist. 

He was surprised when Xanxus led him over to the luggage conveyor belt. They hadn't brought any luggage. His eyebrows flew up when Xanxus grabbed a black case from it and silently walked toward the bathroom. Tsuna followed him, perplexed. He waited silently while Xanxus was in a stall, assuming he'd get answers eventually. Xanxus gave him a _look _when he exited. Tsuna's confusion was obvious, making Xanxus grit his teeth in irritation. Grabbing Tsuna by the back of his neck, Xanxus propelled him into the same stall he'd used.

Once inside with the door fastened shut, Tsuna saw the reason for all the silence and strange behavior. Laying open on top of the toilet was the luggage Xanxus had swiped. Looking at it carefully, the tag attached to it had a Vongola Crest. He smiled to himself and reached for the Glock stored carefully within. After a quick inspection, he confirmed it as his own. Xanxus must have went in first to retrieve his X-Guns. The feeling of uneasiness Tsuna had vanished the moment the Glock was stored in the previously empty holster at his back. He pulled his shirt down over it to ensure it was safely hidden from sight.

Tsuna left the stall with the empty bag. Xanxus took it from his hands and Tsuna followed him back to the luggage conveyor. There, he tossed the empty bag back to be reclaimed by the 'handlers' hiding among the airport workers. With a glare, Xanxus once again motioned for Tsuna to follow. They quickly left the airport and grabbed the first available taxi. Tsuna looked around like a normal sightseer as the car began navigating traffic.

Within minutes, they were in a part of town not much different than No-Man's Land. Tsuna assumed that every large city had an area like that. It was places like these that new Families tended to rise out from in effort to band together and protect themselves. Xanxus started to curse when the driver refused to get any closer to their destination. Not that Tsuna could really blame the driver. The guys on the streets were looking crazier and rougher the deeper they went.

"Come on, kid," Xanxus grumbled softly when the driver started begging them to get out around apologies. Tsuna was surprised that Xanxus didn't threaten the man to go farther, but he guessed that either Xanxus didn't want attention or they weren't far. His second guess was proved correct when after a mere six streets later, they came to a stop in front of three men around a streetsign. Tsuna raised his internal flame a bit in preparation. One never knew if first meetings would go bad.

"Yo, it's freaking cold out here. I wish the weather would change," one man said to his friend as they walked up, oblivious to the clear and sunny sky. Xanxus smirked for a moment and paused. The men looked at him expectantly.

"Enough with the fucking games," Xanxus growled. "What are you, fucking retards?" The men continued to glare at him, waiting for his pass-code. "Sky. Dark. Night." Xanxus snapped in quick succession, not bothering to phrase it in case someone was listening.

"Yo, man," one guy objected. "Now we gotta change it all up for the next cousin that comes to visit."

"I'm Xanxus," Xanxus said, ignoring their objection. His lip curled up in distaste of their attempt at secrecy. As if three local guys meeting up with foreigners wasn't enough to make them stick out. These three wanted to play wargames, too. Tsuna stayed silent, knowing that Xanxus' hyper-intuition would have told him if there had actually been a need for secrecy. "Are you the fucking Nubo scum or what?"

"Man, you need some damn lessons in keeping things down low. You're gonna fuck up our shit if you keep it up," the man replied. Xanxus gave him a dangerous glare and Tsuna merely watched with his poker-face intact.

"Just take me to your shitty boss," Xanxus ordered.

"Watch your lip, man," another guy warned. Xanxus laughed at the threat, making the man turn red in anger.

"Tell me that after we've talked to your shitty boss," Xanxus replied. "Now, if you take any fucking longer, I'm going to get real fucking angry. I don't think your boss would like me angry." Xanxus raised a glowing hand in warning and Tsuna looked around to make sure no one was watching. It would be really bad if Xanxus decided to act. Not only were they in broad daylight, they were out in the open. Tsuna sighed in relief when he didn't see nor sense any watchers nearby.

"What's that?" One guy asked curiously. "A fucking glow-stick?" Tsuna paled when the man started reaching toward Xanxus' hands to touch it. How stupid could a person get? He reached out automatically and grabbed the man's wrist firmly, saving him from making the last mistake of his life. Xanxus wasn't playing games. Xanxus smiled knowingly at Tsuna's action.

"Damn, kid. I thought I was finally going to have fucking fun with these shit-for-brains," he said with a laugh. Tsuna turned to the man's wrist he held, oblivious to the looks of anger they were giving him over the fact he'd grabbed him. He gave the man a warning shake of his head which only seemed to make him angrier. That look disappeared when Xanxus touched his glowing hand to a nearby trashcan and it melted instantly.

Tsuna let go of the man's wrist, knowing that there was no way that he was going to tempt fate after seeing Xanxus' display. The looks of anger quickly turned to those of gratitude, but Tsuna kept his bored poker-face in place. He was incredibly relieved that he'd managed to stop the man, but he had a feeling that he couldn't show that to these guys. His intuition told him that he had to pretend that him and Xanxus were a close-knit team, regardless of their true relationship.

The man rubbed his wrist and led them down into an alley. After several switchbacks and countless turns, they came to a cellar door. Two guys opened it wide while the third led them inside. Apparently going in the front was out of the question. They crossed the cellar and went up some stairs. Tsuna blinked when he saw they were in a Pizzeria kitchen. The man led them through with a few cheerful greetings to the staff along the way. Tsuna had to suppress a laugh when they passed a stack of prepared empty boxes. The mascot for this place was Reborn in chef gear. He recognized that face anywhere.

He quickly found himself and Xanxus seated at the room's best table. A big round man that he faintly remembered from the Calcassa invasion of Mafia-Land walked up. Tsuna wanted to groan when the man's eyes widened in recognition. With a single look from the boss, the work crew quickly emptied out the room of customers while their guide waited patiently. The moment the room was empty, the boss immediately turned to their guide and started smacking him on the head.

"You damn, fucking shit-head," the round man said between smacks. "You brought the next Godfather through the back fucking door! What the hell were you thinking?"

"Yo," the man said, covering his head to protect it from the sudden attack. "You said Xanxus would be dangerous and to bring him through the back."

"Not Xanxus, you shit-for-brains!" The man yelled. "Don't you know Vongola the Tenth when you see him? I know I told all you shit-heads to memorize his face from the picture I handed out!"

"I-It's okay," Tsuna interjected. Both men paused. The guide paused in surprise. The boss paused in what Tsuna recognized as fear. Tsuna paused at that look of fear in his own surprise. Was the man afraid he'd take insult for something like being brought through the back? Apparently so, considering his anger at the guide turned into an instant salvo of apologies. Tsuna blushed, his poker-face completely destroyed.

"I-It's okay," Tsuna repeated. "He didn't do anything wrong. I'm here as Xanxus' second, not as the Tenth. So no harm done." He looked over at Xanxus, silently pleading for help before the boss got any more outrageous in his apologies. Xanxus smiled cruelly at the look.

"Let's get down to fucking business," Xanxus growled loudly. Tsuna sighed when the Nubo boss wiped his head and nodded. He was still giving Tsuna worried looks out of the corner of his eye, but he seemed willing to go along. Tsuna smiled at both of them reassuringly and let Xanxus take the lead. Tsuna had no clue what they were here for anyway!

He quickly found out as the Nubo boss presented a list of names and addresses. Tsuna looked at the list in dismay. There were nearly twenty people listed, if not more. From the gleam in Xanxus' eyes, it was a list that they'd have to complete. He silently prayed that they weren't executions. Other than the accidental death of Jack, Tsuna had never really killed before. He never wanted to again, either.

After that, the Nubo boss offered the second floor of the restaurant to be their base of operations. Once again, he started apologizing for not setting up anything better. Once again, Tsuna had to step in and reassure him it was fine. Xanxus led him upstairs to debrief him after the boss finished, concluding that he'd need another day to track down the final thing the Ninth had requested from him.

Tsuna collapsed into one of the waiting couches in the otherwise empty room. The day had barely started and he already felt completely worn out. That feeling only got worse when Xanxus started talking.

"We'll complete the whole fucking list tonight," Xanxus said with a cruel smile. At Tsuna's open look of dismay, he laughed. "Don't worry, brat. These are only punishments. A body part here, a beating there. It'll be easy." Tsuna started to object, but clamped his mouth shut at Xanxus' knowing look. "Since we're doing all of them in one night, your ass better not hesitate."

"Can you at least tell me why," Tsuna replied with a bowed head. He figured Xanxus should at least tell him that much. Xanxus growled at the request, but answered after tossing himself into the room's second couch to wait out the rest of the day.

"Sealing the leak," he said simply. Tsuna looked at him, his lack of understanding obvious from the blank look on his face. "The plans got out from fucking somewhere, right? Use your brains. We're going to punish every hand that touched them along the way."

"But there are so many people on that list..." Tsuna replied with wide eyes.

"Exactly," Xanxus said with an wicked gleam in his eye. "We've got to beat the living shit out of each of them first to ensure they didn't make any damn copies, then punish them for their hair-brained actions. Every single one of those fucks knew the price they would have to pay if they were caught. We're just going to make them pay up."

Tsuna sighed in resignation. At least the worst he'd have to do is cause bruises and maybe a few broken bones. A beating should be good enough punishment for a simple information exchange. It could be a whole lot worse. Xanxus seemed to follow his train of thoughts, however.

"You wish, brat," he laughed. "If they made a single shitty copy, we have to take souvenirs."

Tsuna couldn't suppress a moan of dismay at the knowledge.

* * *

Tsuna collapsed back on their hideout's couch at dawn. Normally he'd be sick after everything that had happened during the night, but he'd passed that point hours ago. Now he was simply tired and heart-sore. Seven people had made copies. Seven people had been beaten and hurt until they'd given up the names and locations of the copies' owners. Those would be left for tomorrow night, however. For now, Tsuna merely wanted rest. 

Several of the targets had been together. A few had gotten lucky punches in before Xanxus and Tsuna had overwhelmed them. His jaw still hurt from the punch that the four-hundred pound wrestler had managed to land. His ribs hurt from where he'd landed badly after the same man had thrown him through a table before he was subdued. Somewhere along the lines, he had wrenched his shoulder, too. That might have been when Xanxus had made him ram a blocked doorway when kicking it in had proved impossible.

He was sure he had a black-eye, as well, from the woman who'd tried to stop them from hurting 'her man'. Tsuna had completely screwed up on that one and Xanxus still mocked him over it. Hesitation could be just as deadly as Xanxus had warned. He was lucky that the woman hadn't been armed. Tsuna had quelled on hurting her since she was an innocent bystander and her attack had caught him by surprise. In the end, it had been Xanxus that had coldly knocked her out and tossed her on the target's bed. But that had only been after she'd landed a powerful right fist into Tsuna's unprotected face.

He couldn't even count the amount of people he had hurt anymore. They hadn't only had to subdue their targets, but their targets' friends if they were accompanied. On top of that had been the punishments for the copies. Two of the seven who'd made copies had their tongues cut out. Three now had missing fingers. In the case of one, he'd lost his whole arm before they'd even managed to finish beating him. That one had been a real fighter. The last one had ended up dying.

Tsuna wasn't sure how to feel on that one. The man had jumped off the roof after being chased through his apartment building. Tsuna had tried to catch him, but the man had hit his head on the fire-escape somewhere during his descent before Tsuna had reached him. After landing, Tsuna had wanted to save him, but the man's skull had been too damaged. In the end, Xanxus had turned the man into ash to cover their trail. It would be too strange for the man to be found on the ground after falling without going splat. Had he not left blood evidence on the fire-escape on his way down, it would have been possible to leave him intact. Xanxus had given Tsuna an option, but Tsuna refused to take the man back to the roof and drop him again. So, that had only left Xanxus' method of cover-up.

In a single night, Tsuna had done more horrible things than he'd done in the whole time he'd been in Italy. Somewhere down the line, he'd gone numb. Maybe it had been after he lost his dinner. Maybe it had been after he took the third souvenir. Maybe it had been when that man had died halfway through the night. He didn't know.

But he knew he was tired and worn, inside and out. He barely noticed when Xanxus tossed a cover over him before leaving the room. He was asleep the moment he shut his eyes, for once sleeping deeply enough that the nightmares didn't come.


	10. Chapter 10 Hell Week II

Resignation was a common feeling for Tsuna over the next few days. He understood why they were doing what they were doing although he still wanted to balk occasionally. Xanxus' lessons from Italy were still fresh in his mind. Punishments were the second strike after warnings. Punishments put people in line before there became a need to kill them to protect the Family. If a punishment wasn't done correctly, he could only blame himself for a person's death at strike three. Instead of burdening the guilt of murder, he would first burden the pain of handing out punishments.

But there seemed to be no end to them. In the little time that the Gola Mosca plans had been outside of Vongola hands, literally dozens of copies had been made. Tracking them all down and destroying them proved to be a larger feat than even Xanxus had first expected. Along with every copy they found, a punishment was delivered personally by Tsuna. At least word seemed to spread through the network of information thieves. People started screaming that they already destroyed their copy the moment Xanxus and Tsuna showed up at their door.

Tsuna only wished that it was enough to forestall anymore bloodshed. It wasn't. Even if the person hadn't handed out another copy, they still had to be beaten within an inch of their lives. They still had to be warned yet again about the price that came with stealing from Vongola. It was the only way to instill fear so that no one would want to steal from Vongola again. It was the only way to protect one of Vongola's priceless commodities: information. If Tsuna let Vongola information get out into enemy hands, even if it was something as simple as the plans to Gola Mosca, it could potentially be used to harm his Family in the future. And if someone actually managed to complete those plans, Tsuna would be to blame for not doing the Ninth's assigned task until completion.

He couldn't let that happen. Gola Mosca was a incredibly destructive weapon. If one was to be made and then released into a city, hundreds of innocent lives would be at risk. Not only that, but he had first hand knowledge of how much the monstrosity violated human rights. Why Vongola even had the plans to begin with, Tsuna didn't really want to know. He resigned himself to simply keeping it out of hands other than his Family's.

"Okay, brat," Xanxus said finally. "That's the last of the trash." Tsuna looked up from where he'd just finished severing their target's ear, not comprehending Xanxus at all for a moment. Xanxus laughed at his blank face. Tsuna blinked down at their target, trying to understand. Last? As in no more? This man was their last target?

It took Tsuna several minutes grasp the simple words while his victim continued to bleed out the side of his head. Xanxus narrowed his eyes at Tsuna's simplemindedness. He continued to watch Tsuna while his charge bent down and cauterized the wound without a single moment to cheer over the fact they were done.

On the first night, Tsuna had went numb halfway through as the only way to continue working. The second night, he went emotionally numb even faster. This, their third and final night of the hunt, Tsuna had been numb from the beginning. He couldn't count how many people he'd hurt anymore. How many ears, tongues, and other appendages had he severed over the past three nights? Too many. Not feeling was the only way to keep his mind from being affected by the knowledge of all the pain and suffering he was causing.

He didn't know any other way to deal with these people's crime. It's not like they could turn them into the police. A slap on the thieves wrist wouldn't stop them from stealing again. The opposite, in fact. A light sentence would make Vongola look weak and ripe to be plucked again. Tsuna couldn't let that happen. He had to protect his Family. He couldn't fail his Family. His Family required this of him. Tsuna looked over at Xanxus with dead eyes, wondering what was next. No matter what the man said, Tsuna couldn't see an end to this endless week of bloodshed and pain. Xanxus smiled cruelly at that look.

"Tomorrow night is the grand finale. For now, lets go get a fucking drink," he said with a laugh. Tsuna nodded and followed Xanxus back to their base of operations.

Xanxus might not have a gentle or caring heart, but his sense of obligation was still working in full swing. No matter what he claimed, he wasn't going to let Tsuna break that easily. It was proving to be too fun forcing the brat into doing dirty work and seeing how far he could be pushed before he started cracking. Each time he cracked a bit, Xanxus would take him out for drinks in order to let him relax and put himself back together. Xanxus was ever the sadist that way.

Reggie, the man who'd been their guide the first night, was surprised at their early return. Tsuna couldn't blame him, they'd been out until dawn the past three nights and it was barely midnight. The Nubo boss had assigned the man as their servant during their stay as a way of apology for their miserly accommodations.

Not that Tsuna really noticed where he slept. The past two mornings, he'd came in and collapsed the moment he hit the couch. He'd sleep until it was time to work again, during which time Xanxus slept elsewhere. Where, Tsuna didn't know. He assumed it was self-preservation that sent him out of the room. Tsuna's morning antics with Cress before they had left was still fresh in both of their minds. Tsuna had finally learned the word for it from Xanxus after their second day in New York. He was hair-triggered. After being nearly killed in his sleep, his internal alarms and self-defense mechanisms had learned to turn themselves on 'high' whenever he was unconscious.

"Yo, man," Reggie exclaimed at Xanxus, breaking into Tsuna's train of thought. "If you're looking for V Special, there's only one place in the city I've ever seen it. That shit's expensive, though. You sure you want--"

"Just take us there, scum," Xanxus growled. Tsuna watched their exchange silently. His body was a mass of aches and his heart was a cold lump in his chest. He followed behind Xanxus in a dull haze, completely uncaring about anything other than what he was told to do. He didn't have to feel to act anymore. Three days of Xanxus' hell week had ensured that.

He barely noticed when Reggie led them into an underground night club. Lights flashed everywhere and the music screamed in their ears to harrowing extremes. Tsuna ignored it while Xanxus went to find them a table. With Reggie's help, Tsuna managed to creep his way up to the bar to get the bottle they'd come for.

"What do you want?" The bartender yelled over the music.

"V Special," Tsuna yelled back. The bartender looked at him with a raised eyebrow and Tsuna glared in return. He wasn't in the mood to deal with the man if he decided to check I.D. Xanxus told him to go get a bottle and he was going to get it one way or another. The bartender blinked in surprise, sensing Tsuna's intent.

"It's $1000 for a whole bottle," the bartender warned. Tsuna rolled his eyes and reached into his wallet. The bartender looked surprised at the gold card Tsuna produced. The man took it and ran it through the register while Tsuna tapped his fingers on the bar impatiently. Within minutes, the man returned, handing over the card and the bottle with a look of near-shock. Tsuna assumed that the bottle had been in safe-keeping for a while. He ignored the man's look and snatched two shot glasses from behind the bar before leaving with Reggie in tow.

Xanxus had cleared them a table on one of the overlooking balconies over the dance floor. Tsuna sat down in one of the empty chairs and opened the bottle. Reggie was nearly drooling over the thought of sipping on a thousand dollar bottle of liquor.

"Go get yourself a beer. You can't handle this stuff," Tsuna warned. Reggie looked disappointed and Xanxus seemed to get a gleam in his eye that Tsuna didn't like. Before Xanxus could decide to offer the man a full shot, Tsuna acted first. He didn't want their only guide back to their hideout falling unconscious. The location of the nightclub in relation to base was one thing he had no clue about.

Tsuna emptied his shot and handed the empty glass to Reggie. The man raised his eyebrow, but Tsuna motioned for him to drink the drop that he knew was in the bottom. The man looked insulted by the offering but Tsuna's glare kept him from saying anything. Reggie drank the drop. His eyes widened in surprise when it hit him.

"Holy shit," he muttered while Tsuna retrieved his glass and wiped it clean. Tsuna ignored the man and poured himself another. Tsuna sagged a bit in relief when he started to feel the effects of the second shot. Reggie watched the two of them down another full shot in shock. "Holy shit," he repeated. "How are you guys still alive with that shit in you?"

Not feeling up to talking, Tsuna let the Dying Will Flame burst out on his head for an instant. It was gone before anyone other than Reggie could react to it. Reggie stared at Tsuna's head in surprise before slowly putting his head down on the table. Hallucination from the drop of liquor. Had to be a hallucination. Never again would Reggie drink expensive, unknown alcohol. Tsuna sent a quirky smile at Xanxus over the man's reaction and tossed back another shot.

By his sixth shot, Tsuna was feeling again. The aches in his body disappeared and the cold lump in his chest began to thaw and beat. He nursed his seventh shot, wanting to stay at the level of pleasantly drunk that he was at instead of sinking into the drunken stupor he knew would come with a few more shots. Unfortunately, by that time, he could think freely again as well as feeling.

"What's the grand finale," he asked, knowing that his words would be covered by the insanely loud music. Reggie looked up, his attention caught. Xanxus smiled once again and leaned forward.

"Some fucks actually started trying to develop a Gola Mosca," he cackled. "We're going to raid their shitty facility and execute every last piece of trash there." All the blood rushed out of Tsuna's face while he looked at Xanxus in shock. His breathing became ragged at the knowledge. He wouldn't kill again. Not again. He wasn't capable of killing in cold blood. Not how Xanxus intended. There had to be another way.

"No," Tsuna found himself saying. He looked up at Xanxus, glad that he'd finally managed to spit the word out. Xanxus narrowed his eyes before reaching over and slapping Tsuna across the cheek. The snap of the sound brought the attention of a few nearby people, but they quickly looked elsewhere at Xanxus' glare. For his part, Tsuna just stayed frozen in surprise. Xanxus hadn't punched him, he'd hit him with an open-faced slap. The ultimate insult of strikes. Tsuna looked at him with wide eyes, ignoring Reggie's dropped jaw.

"Don't fucking tell me no," Xanxus scowled. "You're not the boss yet. The old man sent these orders. If you think you can manage to do better than I did in taking over, feel fucking free. Until then, keep your trash mouth shut and do your shitty job."

"B-but--" Tsuna objected. Xanxus raised a finger in warning and silence him.

"I'll tell you what, kid," Xanxus said reasonably. Tsuna realized the man was drunk. He'd never be reasonable otherwise. "You just bust in and gather the scum and I'll take care of the rest. As long as you watch, it should be good enough to satisfy the old man. Think of it as my gift for working like a good little hitman the past few days and not giving me any fucking trouble."

Tsuna bowed his head unhappily, but nodded in acceptance of the deal. He didn't want anyone to die at all, but the world he lived in wasn't that nice. The Ninth wouldn't order unnecessary deaths, which meant this was the only option. One way or another, the facility would be shut down and it's crew executed. At least this way the blood wouldn't be on his hands to the extent it would be if Xanxus exchanged their roles.

Why didn't it feel like it was going to be that easy though?

* * *

It was a small facility. The crew was only nineteen people, all scientists in their late twenties with the exception of an older overseer. Raiding had proved a bit difficult since the entrance was hidden in the middle of an abandoned trash heap outside the city. The smell and nameless things they'd had to walk through alone had put both him and Xanxus in a bad mood. He'd gagged a few times, but Xanxus had produced handkerchiefs for both of them to breathe through. It helped. 

Subduing them all for Xanxus didn't prove hard. There was only one entrance and the nineteen researchers weren't used to combat. He had them knocked out and tied up within a few seconds. Currently, Xanxus was 'questioning' one of the fools to ensure this was the only lab. He was purposely doing it in front of the rest of the group to get supplementary information if he could.

Meanwhile, Tsuna was checking out the rest of the lab. It wasn't huge, but there were multiple rooms and a few corridors that he needed to check out to ensure he hadn't missed anyone in his initial sweep of the place. He gritted his teeth when he heard crying. Someone had gotten through after all. He pulled out his Glock and went back down the corridor, following the sound of muffled crying silently. It seemed to come from inside the back of the diagnostic room overlooking the main research lab. Tsuna looked out the window, seeing that Xanxus was still hard at work.

He continued to follow the sound of crying, going into where the lab's back-up power generators sat lifeless. Behind one of the two monstrous machines in the room, he found a door that he'd previously overlooked. With a sharp kick, he knocked it down and went inside to find a stairwell steeply going downward. Curiously, the sound of crying didn't stop in fear of the door's crash. Instead it got louder. He descended.

His arms fell slack to his sides at what lay on the bottom of the stairwell. A pile of dead bodies lie messily in the middle of the blood soaked room. Their naked forms were tossed on top of each other carelessly as if they were nothing more than bags of trash. At some point, the pile had gotten too big and bodies had rolled off to lie exposed and bare around the base. There were countless people there, all staring out of lifeless eyes. Their faces were all etched in pain that they'd felt during their last moments and their bodies were broken. Completely broken. Tsuna could see bones poking through skin and crushed skulls on a few of them.

The lack of fresh air coupled with the smell of urine, blood, rotting flesh and stench of the trash heap above made him gag and lean against the wall for support. Only the fact that he hadn't been able to eat today saved him from actually vomiting. He found his eyes locked on the bloodstained trash compactor in the corner of the room, proving the pile of bodies to not be the depths of the lab's horror. How many people had been killed? Why?

The feeling of something pulling down on his pant leg made him jump. Looking down, it proved to be a woman no older than he. Tears on her face marked her as the one he'd heard. She, too, was naked. She had slowly crawled up to him from the base of the pile during his shock and a trail of blood marked her path. Tsuna shook himself out of his surprise and bent down to help her.

"What happened?" He asked when he finally got through to her that he wasn't one of the scientists that had hurt her. While he waited for her to get enough energy to answer, he pulled off his shirt and wrapped it around her. She was in a terrible state, starved and weak from whatever they'd done to her.

She tried to talk, but nothing came out except incoherent babble. He grimaced at the sound of her voice. It was cracked and pain-filled. It was the sound of a woman who hadn't had water touch her lips in days. Tsuna didn't make her say anything else. He'd get information out of her if she lived. For now, he had to get her to a hospital.

Picking her up carefully, he took her back out into the main part of the lab. It seemed like it took hours to navigate the short corridors. Xanxus looked surprised to see him walk in with a girl wearing his shirt in his arms. Then the surprise disappeared and he gave Tsuna another cruelly knowing look. Anything he might have said was interrupted by one of the scientists' objections.

"What are you doing with that lab rat?" The man sneered from the middle of the group. Xanxus didn't move to silence him, curious as to Tsuna's response. Tsuna responded quite forcefully.

"She's not a lab rat. She's a person and she needs help," he yelled at the man. The researcher gave a small, mocking smirk and ignored him.

"Whatever. It's a failure anyway. How much longer until you're going to let us go back to work?" The man asked, looking at Xanxus. Tsuna looked at Xanxus as well. The man must have tempted them with lies of freedom in exchange for information. Their orders were to execute.

"Who ever said you scum would be going back to work?" Xanxus replied with a cruel smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"What the hell?" Another scientist yelled in panic. "You said you'd let us go free if we told you what you wanted to know." This man tried to get to his feet and was summarily knocked down.

"Well, kid," Xanxus asked Tsuna with a knowing look. "Anything you want to know before the scum is let free? Now is the only chance you'll get to question the trash." Tsuna nodded, knowing that Xanxus' version of freedom was death. He sat the woman in his arms down carefully. His head was bowed with his own inner turmoil but there was indeed something he wanted to know. He walked up the the scientist that had been most vocal and looked him in the eyes. Cocky, cold eyes looked back into Tsuna's sad and heart-sore ones.

"Why? Why did you kill all those people?" Tsuna asked simply. His eyes widened in shock when the man started laughing. Slowly, it caught on and all nineteen of the scientists began chuckling at his simple question.

Something inside Tsuna snapped and his sad eyes turned dull with a sudden lack of emotion. These people were laughing at the pile of dead bodies in their basement. They had heartlessly killed countless people and piled them up like they were yesterday's garbage. Their laughs were the last straw. Tsuna's internal snap became an external crack of gunfire. The man dropped to the ground with a bullet in his head mid-laugh and silence fell on the rest of the group in shock. They'd really thought they would get out alive. Suddenly, that didn't seem so likely. He could see the realization in their eyes.

"Why?" Tsuna repeated, coldly ignoring Xanxus' cruel smile. Tsuna lowered his firearm back down to his side while he waited for an answer.

"Does it matter?" One researcher asked with a sneer, oblivious to his own peril. "They were all failures. At this rate, we'll never have Gola Mosca perfected. We need higher-quality subjects." Tsuna felt himself grow colder at the answer. These people were all fools and kept giving him answers he didn't like. He silently told the man how much he didn't like it with a shot to his chest. He purposely missed the heart and hit a lung, wanting the man to drown on his own blood. Tsuna didn't care. It was as if he couldn't feel anything anymore. His mind still worked, but it was bound by one question.

"Why?" Tsuna repeated a final time. Another researcher piped up. This time it was a woman who was betting her life on a scientific answer, hoping it was what Tsuna wanted.

"They were test subjects. The blueprints specify that only people with a certain type of concentrated life-force could make it work for extended periods of time. Until we manage to find a person with that quality, we use what specimens we can find. Those that we used for short-term test runs died because they didn't have enough life-force to survive after what the prototype Gola Mosca pulled out of them." Tsuna looked at her coldly and raised his Glock. Carefully and quickly he aimed for her head, once again displeased with the answer he was given. This time, Xanxus interceded with a hand on top of his raised wrist.

"She gave you a fucking answer, kid," he said. Tsuna ignored him and fired. As the woman fell dead to the floor, Tsuna looked at Xanxus with lifeless eyes.

"I asked why, not how," Tsuna replied softly. The restrained researchers that were left began quivering in fear. One actually wet himself.

"That _was _why, kid," Xanxus growled, pulling his hand back. "For this kind of trash, there's not a fucking reason other than to reach their damn goals. Not much different than what you're fucking doing, now is it?"

"Tell me that after you've seen the bodies below the generator room," Tsuna said softly. "I can't let these people go. Too many people died because of them. Only more people would die if you actually let them free." Xanxus raised an eyebrow in surprise at Tsuna's words.

"Alright, kid," Xanxus agreed, curious at what Tsuna had seen. "You stay here and watch the scum, I'll go see the fucking bodies you're all pissy about." Tsuna nodded silently and once again bowed his head, content to await Xanxus' judgment. Xanxus was back within a minute, his face set in stone. Tsuna didn't know what he was thinking on the inside, but his eyes were hard.

"Lets finish this and get out of here," Xanxus muttered. "Your little girlfriend doesn't look like she'll last much longer." Tsuna looked over at the only survivor. Her eyes had become unfocused and she sat collapsed against the wall where he'd set her down. Tsuna nodded in agreement and turned back to the scientists.

Precisely and clinically, he shot them in the head one at a time. In less than ten seconds, nineteen corpses littered the floor. Xanxus didn't seem surprised when Tsuna finished the job personally. Instead, he pointed with his chin for Tsuna to retrieve the survivor and leave. Tsuna did so while Xanxus began pouring his rage into his X-Guns in preparation of the last step in their orders.

Wipe the lab off of the map.

Heat and flame started flickering against his back as Xanxus' flames began incinerating walls and whole rooms. The man slowly backed up the stairs leading out of the underground facility while he continued to fire. Carefully, while Xanxus ensured the complete destruction of the facility, Tsuna placed the woman over his shoulder.

The moment Xanxus finished, the two went airborne with the boost of their flames. Tsuna started to drop altitude around the hospital, but Xanxus stopped him with a yell. Instead, they returned to base and left the woman in the care of the Nubo Gang. For once, Tsuna shamelessly used his status in the Nubo boss' eyes to ensure the woman was well taken care of.

His mind still continued to ask the same question continuously through the rest of the day. While he changed into some clothes that the Nubo boss provided. While Xanxus led him to the airport. While their plane slowly made its way back to Italy. The whole time, a single question encompassed the entirety of Tsuna's mind, making it hard for him to do much more than follow along in Xanxus' wake.

Why?


	11. Chapter 11 Returns

Tsuna had returned in time to go to work at Pink's, but as Monday came around again, he dreaded what it would be like at school. Not only would he have to deal with Cheri, but whatever his classmate's reaction was to Jack's death. Part of him wanted to say screw school, but the things he was learning there were required for the Ninth's curriculum. He had to make up for the fact that he had been blissfully unaware of the mafia world until a few years ago. The advantage that others had due to being knee-deep in Family affairs since birth had to be balanced by his effort.

So he shut down his emotions and went. He didn't have to feel to learn. The past week had given him the ability to act without feeling.

The reaction from most of his classmates was to be expected. Tsuna could quickly tell who had killed before and who hadn't due to the looks they gave him. Looks of sympathy from the former and looks of disgust from the latter. There were a few that didn't seem to care either way. He was taken aback by a few looks of awe and respect which made him want to hurl.

Overall, though, there was a sense of fear when people looked at him. They'd seen his combat abilities and knew how strong he was. Add the killing factor into that and no one could see anything but a monster. With the exception of Cheri. Cheri still saw him as human. One in which she wanted to see bleed. The look of hate and loathing she'd given him first thing in the morning had shocked him completely.

He didn't understand how deep it ran until he'd heard some boys talking in the bathroom, not noticing his presence.

"Demon Cheri's going to rampage soon, isn't she?"  
"Looks like it."  
"Tsuna isn't going to know what hit him. She gets even scarier when she's like that."  
"She hasn't went off in what, two years?"  
"Something like that. Not since her brother was killed."  
"Heh, and now her lover, too."  
"They were lovers?"  
"Oh yah, it was a secret, though. Their families don't get along, but it was fine as long as they kept it quiet in public."  
"Poor guys."  
"Che, nothing special to it. Happens all the time, you know that."  
"True, true..."

The boy's voices trailed off as they left the bathroom. Tsuna just leaned against his stall door and groaned. Sparring would be interesting, that was for sure.

* * *

Cheri gave a loud battle cry as she went for his throat again, putting all her rage and anger into trying to kill him. Her speed had increase exponentially and Tsuna was having a hard time even with the use of his gloves. He thought about hovering in the air out of reach, but that wouldn't solve the problem. 

If he wanted his friend back, he'd have to face this head on. He was the object and reason for her rage, so it was only fair he kept at it until her hate and rage was spent. He was already covered in small, shallow cuts where she'd almost got through to him, but she hadn't yet landed a critical hit. She was a fury of stabs and slashes and he now knew why they called her 'Demon' Cheri. He could swear it was a whirlwind of teeth and claws he was fighting instead of human. But still he kept at it, trying to let her ease her pain by allowing himself to become a physical target.

He was glad now that he'd asked Reborn to make arrangements so that this would be a private spar. The rest of the classes were inside, training in the gym. Even the blinds on all the classroom windows had been pulled shut. Other than him, Cheri, and Reborn, no one would be there to witness the outcome either way.

They'd been going at it for almost an hour now, Reborn signaled. Tsuna nodded and dodged another blow, simultaneously making his biggest mistake of the match. He allowed his foot to get caught in a crack and he tripped. Before he could catch himself, she stabbed, her dagger going hilt-deep into his shoulder as she pushed him onto the ground. She jumped on top of him, straddling him as her second blade went for his neck.

Midway, she pulled back and stopped. All her rage disappeared in an instant. The reason was what she saw reflecting in Tsuna's eyes. Kill me, they begged. Seeing his suffering out in the open for the first time, she began to cry. Her dagger dropped forgotten on the ground and she put her face in her hands and wept. Tsuna sat up, ignoring the fact she was still sitting on him. He ignored the pain and blood from his shoulder wound and the forgotten dagger still lodged deep in it. He ignored everything but her heartache. Wrapping his arms around her, he held her while she cried for both of them.

It was all he knew how to do anymore.

* * *

Tsuna had handed Cheri off to one of the teachers in the gym before he died of blood loss again. Then he let Reborn stop the bleeding in his shoulder before binding it with thick bandages. Thankfully, the wound had been a clean one. Reborn didn't think he'd need stitches if he was careful. 

"That was pretty reckless, Tsuna," he scolded. The truth was that he'd seen the look in Tsuna's eyes the moment Cheri had stopped. The memory of it rattled even Reborn. For the most part, Reborn had been watching from afar, restricted by the Ninth's orders regarding Tsuna's new training. It was getting to a point, though, that even Reborn wanted to step in and stop it. That look in Tsuna's eyes had finally clenched it. He was definitely going to have a talk with the Ninth later.

"I know," Tsuna said quietly. "But it was what was needed." Reborn paused and nodded. At least the boy's heart could still feel other's pain, even if it had stopped feeling it's own. Tsuna stood, putting his clothes back on and re-holstering his Glock against the small of his back before heading out to meet Xanxus.

* * *

"What the hell happened to you?" Xanxus asked, curious at the numerous cuts and bruises scoring his entire body. Tsuna hadn't yet had time to apply a cover-up ointment on them. 

Tsuna laughed, "Girls are scary when they get riled up."

Xanxus gave a crooked smile, letting the rest of the car ride be done in silence. This time, they headed to a mid-class area. They entered a well-tended apartment building without notice. As they went up the stairs instead of using the elevator, Xanxus briefed him. "This is a warning instead of punishment. You know the deal. We go in, scare them, make them fear for their lives, then leave."

"The target?" Tsuna asked, turning to the business at hand. Xanxus stopped in front of their target's door.

"His name is Michinni. This trash has been trying to get his hands on the blueprints to Gola Mosca so that he can sell it to some shitty foreign government." Tsuna's eyes went hard.

"Got it," Tsuna said as he kicked the door in, his eyes cold and dark. He was going to scare the man, yes indeed.

* * *

Tsuna pulled off his bloodstained shirt and threw it in the trash. After taking a shower, he poured himself a drink, wanting nothing more than to relax. He'd overdid it a bit today. When they'd crashed in Michinni's apartment, they'd found he had somehow already gotten his hands on the blueprints. Although he hadn't had time to make contact and send them anywhere, Tsuna had been enraged. He'd decided, on the spot, to bypass warning and go straight to punishment. In the end, Xanxus had been forced to pull him off the man before punishment turned into execution. 

Tsuna gave himself a little insane laugh, surprised at how easy it had been to hurt the man. Maybe it had been the effect of the anger. Maybe it had been the memories of all the corpses in the New York lab that did it. He didn't know. But he wasn't sickened at what he'd done. He just felt tired. Incredibly tired.

Noticing a piece of paper on his dresser, he went over to look. It was a letter from the Ninth, signed with the Dying Will Flame. Tsuna's eyes widened at what it said.

_Tsunayoshi,  
Due to the fact that your birthday is coming up in a few days, I have decided to send you home to Japan so that you may be allowed to celebrate with your Family. Your plane leaves in the morning. Sleep well tonight and enjoy the rest this will allow you from training.  
Vongola the Ninth_

He'd completely forgotten about his birthday, he realized. Had he really been gone that long? Tsuna smiled. It didn't matter. He was going to get to see his Family again.

* * *

Tsuna stepped of the Ninth's private jet with his father and Reborn behind him and let out a small sigh coupled with a content smile. It felt good to be home. The air suddenly smelled fresher and he felt cleaner. It was as if everything in Italy had been a long nightmare instead of reality. He quickly followed his father to where a car waited, not wanting to waste a moment by walking. 

"Does anyone know we're coming?" Tsuna asked curiously.

"No, the Ninth decided to send you back at the last minute, so the arrangements came before calling anyone," Iemitsu smiled. He was glad to see a look of happiness on Tsuna again. Almost as glad as Tsuna himself was.

"In that case, instead of going straight home, can you drop me off at Yamamoto's?" He knew Gokudera was probably with him and those were the first two people he wanted to see. With a nod, Iemitsu gave instructions to the driver. As the sushi restaurant came into view, Tsuna's heart suddenly clenched. He didn't know why, but he had a very uncomfortable feeling.

"Don't worry, Tsuna," Reborn said seeing the sudden apprehension in his student. And the hint of shame. "They're still your Family." Tsuna looked at him with wide eyes. When the car stopped, the boy forcibly made himself relax.

"I'm going to go see your mother," Iemitsu said as Tsuna got out of the car. Reborn jumped out, as well, not wanting to leave Tsuna alone. The car drove off and Tsuna turned to the restaurant. Hesitantly, he went inside.

"I'm coming in," he called. Before he could get his head past the curtain separating the doorway, he heard the sound of scrambling inside. The next thing he knew, he was being tackled by two very excited boys. As he fell to the ground he heard them yell happily.

"Tsuna"  
"10th!"

He lay on the ground, the two boys on top of him smiling widely. He gasped for air and tried to overcome his surprise. Once he did, he responded how any normal boy would after finding themselves tackled by his friends. He gave a loud war-cry, the largest smile imaginable on his face, and tackled them back. It quickly turned into a playful wrestling match in the middle of the street, bringing looks of amusement from passerby. As their excitement finally wore off, Tsuna let go of the headlock he had Gokudera in and lay on his back panting.

"It's good to be back," he said to his friends. They, too, were panting and sprawled out on the street in front of Takeshi Sushi, both bearing large and brilliant smiles. Dirt and dust covered all of them, but thankfully no bruises or blood. About that point is when Yamamoto's father came out and threatened them all within an inch of their lives for making such a scene in front of his shop. But even he seemed to be holding back a very large smile that kept trying to break free. Finally, he gave Yamamoto the rest of the day off as the boys stood and dusted themselves off. With a smile, they wordlessly decided to go for a walk before Mr. Takeshi could change his mind.

"You've gotten taller, Tsuna," Yamamoto said as they turned a corner, no obvious goal in mind. It was true. Although he was still shorter than his two friends, he'd somehow closed the gap a bit during the time he was in Italy.

"Must have been the food up there," he said, not wanting to think of any other possibilities.

"So when did you get back?"

"Just now," Tsuna answered. "I had the car drop me off here since I knew Gokudera would probably be with you."

"I'm honored, 10th!" Gokudera said with shining eyes.

"So fill me in. I was only able to call that once, so I'm dying for news," Tsuna begged.

As they wandered around the city aimlessly, the two boys filled him in. Lambo and I-pin were now eight, having had their birthdays since Tsuna had left. Lambo was the teacher's pet of his new school, which made Tsuna laugh at the irony. Tsuna's mother had gotten I-pin a set of contacts now that she was old enough to keep from loosing them. Fuuta had been worried about Tsuna, although he wouldn't tell anyone why. All they could say was that he'd been doing a lot of rankings since he'd been gone. Ryohei was doing well, although his membership count for the Mountain's boxing club had went back down to three after hitting a record high of eight. They couldn't tell him anything about Hibari or Chrome. The former being too hard to deal with and the latter not willing to allow anyone into her 'home' to check on her. Gokudera claimed when he tried, every time he went inside he found himself walking back out. Tsuna assumed it was Chrome's illusions at work.

"What about the girls?" He asked worriedly.

"They're doing good," Yamamoto answered simply. Tsuna noted a moment of hesitation in his voice, but decided not to push it. He'd find out what it was sooner or later.

A sudden scream rended the air, causing both boys to look up. Ahead, they saw a woman yelling and pointing at the man rushing toward the three of them. In his hand was a purse that he'd just snatched. As the man came near, Yamamoto and Gokudera both moved to grab him. Before they could even land a finger on him, though, Tsuna acted. He reached up and grabbed the man's throat as he tried to pass, throwing him to the ground in an instant. The man quivered as he looked into his captor's eyes.

"Apologize," Tsuna growled and the man immediately began nodding his head in agreement. Tsuna let him go. The man ran back to the woman and returned her purse, all the while sending scared looks back behind him. Back at where Tsuna was watching his every move dangerously. After fulfilling his captor's orders, the purse-snatcher ran. He ran as if he thought his life was forfeit. Tsuna just watched him go.

"10th..." Gokudera murmured in awe. The sound of his voice seemed to shake Tsuna out of the coldness that had descended onto him. He turned back, looking at his two friends.

"Sorry, it's habit to do it myself anymore," he said with a wide smile planted firmly on his face. He began walking again, trying to put his mind back at ease. Behind him, Gokudera and Yamamoto barely noticed in time to follow. While Gokudera was in awe, the emotion Yamamoto had was something far different. Worry. He was disconcerted by the sudden change he'd just witnessed, far more than his cocky smile showed.

"Ah," Tsuna exclaimed, breaking into Yamamoto's train of thought. "Since we're so close, lets head over to the Mountain. I've got to check the books at some point while I'm here and we can see Ryohei at the same time." They both nodded and Tsuna led the way.

Black Glove Mountain had been Tsuna's training facility for the previous year and a half while he was still in school. While half of the huge facility housed his private training area, the other half was a recreational gym that was open to the public. Although, the people that frequented the gym would probably go nuts if they knew the staff were all retired mafia. The Ninth had given it to Tsuna, intending it to be his first step into management. Therefore it was his responsibility to check up on it.

"I better get business out of the way first," Tsuna said as he walked past a very surprised attendant into the manager's office. The manager jumped to his feet, stunned by the sudden entrance of his boss who had been thought to be in Italy.

"Tsuna-dono," the manager greeted. Tsuna waved him to sit back down.

"I'm just here to check the books. No need to get all serious." He picked the account ledger off the manager's desk before the man could react. As Tsuna looked over it, his eyes narrowed. Gokudera and Yamamoto looked at each other, sensing another harsh fluctuation in their friend.

"Change that," Tsuna finally said. "I'm going to be borrowing your office for a bit." The manager nodded and bowed himself out, sweating.

Tsuna went around and sat in the manager's chair. He began to lean back to relax while Gokudera and Yamamoto took up the other two chairs in the office. Absentmindedly, Tsuna reached back and pulled his Glock out of the small of his back, laying it on the desk so he could be more comfortable while he read over the ledgers. His friend's eyebrows flew up in surprise. Tsuna didn't notice, being too engrossed in what he was reading.

The aura around Tsuna seemed to get colder as he picked up a pen and started circling item after item on the page before him. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity for the two other boys in the room, Tsuna looked up.

"Gokudera," he asked, "Could you please bring me the manager." Gokudera nodded and took off, insanely pleased by the request while also disturbed by the cold rage in Tsuna's eyes. Before Yamamoto could formulate the question cycling through his head, Gokudera returned with the manager in tow.

"Is there something wrong, Tsuna?" The manager asked as the door shut behind him, his eyes darting to the gun sitting openly on his desk. He seemed to pale as Tsuna continued staring at him. Tsuna tossed the ledger at the manager, who managed to catch it after it bounced off his chest..

"How many errors did I circle?" Tsuna asked icily. The manager counted.

"T-Twenty-seven, sir."

"And what would you think if an accountant made twenty-seven errors?" Tsuna continued. The manager turned whiter.

"T-that they were bad at math...?" The manager gave a faltering smile at his joke. Tsuna smiled in return, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"That's possible," Tsuna said reasonably. He leaned forward onto the desk carelessly from where he sat. "But what if your accountant never made any errors before you left town? He was never bad at math before."

"I-I--" he began to stutter. Tsuna interrupted the sweating man before he could get started.

"I'd say they were trying to take advantage, wouldn't you?" Tsuna picked up his Glock, making everyone in the room jump. "I'd say they were skimming money from what wasn't theirs." He smiled at the manager, making the poor man's eyes nearly pop out of his head. "But you wouldn't do that, now would you?"

"N-no, Sawada-dono."

"What's the name of your Family?" Tsuna looked at him, the fake smile gone from his face. He obviously wasn't asking for the man's last name.

"V-Vongola, Sawada-dono."

"Now, I know you wouldn't steal from Family, so fix it," Tsuna said as he stood and re-holstered his Glock and pulled his shirt back over it to hide it. He made to leave but stopped before he got to the door. Leaning over to the facility's manager's shoulder, who looked like he was about to wet himself, he whispered, "You don't want to know what happens to Vongola accountants that are bad at math."

Opening the door, he walked out, leaving the manager and his two friends standing behind him in shock.

* * *

"This is bad," Reborn said, popping up onto the desk in the office. The two boys were watching Tsuna's back as he stepped into the elevator, heading to one of the upper floors. 

"What happened to him?" Yamamoto asked quietly while Gokudera was trying to decide if he should be in awe or worried.

Reborn answered with a frown, "He was pushed hard in his training. I'm not allowed to go into details, but I can say he's almost at his limit. Tsuna's at the brink and a single incident could push him over. I had the Ninth temporarily send him home to keep that from happening. I didn't think there would be any problems here for him to have to deal with." He looked at the sobbing manager in the floor with disgust.

"Brink? Incident?" Gokudera asked. "The 10th couldn't possibly--"

"He's only human, Gokudera," Reborn interrupted. "He can break just like anyone else." Gokudera finally decided on worry as he looked at Reborn and Yamamoto.

"W-We better go check on him," Gokudera said. With a nod, Yamamoto followed him to the elevator. Stopping in on each of the floors, they couldn't seem to find Tsuna anywhere. When they checked the empty ones, they finally found him on the top floor.

Tsuna was sitting sprawled out as if he'd fallen to his knees. He was staring out one of the massive windows covering one wall, unable to even notice the ding of the elevator as his friends arrived. His shoulders seemed to twitch as he continued to be lost in thought. Wanting to break him out of it, Yamamoto laid a hand on his shoulder. Tsuna looked up and for a moment, his mask slipped. Anguish covered his face and sadness filled his eyes before he could hide it.

"Are you okay, 10th?" Gokudera asked, disturbed by the sight. Tsuna turned, looking back out at the skyline.

"I won't break," he whispered as his shoulders twitched again. Yamamoto tried to think of something to say as the silence filled the room.

"What happens to those that are bad at math?" Yamamoto asked, using the first thing that came to mind in hopes that Tsuna would start talking. Tsuna didn't even look up. His voice was hard as he replied.

"I cut off one of their fingers."

Yamamoto swallowed, hard. Both the swordsman and Gokudera were speechless. The idea that a finger was cut off didn't disturb them so much as the fact Tsuna had said 'I'. While they tried to think of something to say, the door to the elevator dinged and Iemitsu walked out wearing his road-work disguise. The blond-haired man ignored the two boys and went over to Tsuna, handing him a bottle that they didn't recognize. Still Tsuna didn't look up as he took it absently and sipped carefully. He seemed to sag as whatever was in the bottle hit him.

"Thanks," he whispered. His eyes lost their blank stare and he seemed to return to himself. After a minute, he looked up at his friends, truly noticing their presence for the first time. "I'm sorry," he said softly, apologizing not only for the scene they'd witnessed, but for seeing him like this. Tsuna looked away in shame, unable to meet their eyes anymore.

"Tsuna..." Yamamoto whispered.

"You don't have to apologize, 10th!" Gokudera was caught between his desire to make Tsuna feel better and his desire to hurt the invisible something that had caused him to be this way. Trying to make him feel better, he said, "Just relax, 10th, I can take care of anything you need."

Tsuna looked up in shock for an instant before he turned and vomited, once again bringing silence to the room. Gokudera's eyes widened, not understanding what he'd said to make his boss react like that. He'd only meant he'd do anything to make his boss feel better, but saying it had made his boss feel worse. As for Tsuna, he had been instantly overwhelmed by images of Gokudera doing all of the things he'd been having to do in his training with Xanxus. The image of his friend soaked in blood and cutting off body parts was more than Tsuna could take. Iemitsu leaned over, rubbing his son's back while he continued to heave. Yamamoto and Gokudera stood stock still, now completely unsure of what to say or do or even _be_ next.

"You two go home," Reborn said, popping out of nowhere again. "You can't deal with this, so you're only in the way. He'll be fine again by this afternoon. For now, just give him some time alone."

The two boys nodded, their eyes wide with worry and shock as they walked to the elevator. They silently watched the doors close on the trembling back of their friend and brother. The same thoughts were running through both of their heads.

What had happened for Tsuna to be like this and what could they do to fix it?


	12. Chapter 12 Sleep

When Tsuna finally felt up to going back down into the facility almost an hour later, he did so with a straight face. No trace of the incident could be seen by looking at him except a slightly glazed look in his eyes from the alcohol he'd drank to calm himself. When he went down to say hello to Ryohei in the gym, he found Yamamoto and Gokudera waiting, as well. Looks of worry were etched on their faces as he walked in.

"Sorry," he said calmly. "I didn't know you two were waiting." The two boys frowned deeper and looked like they wanted to say something, but were interrupted by Ryohei's entrance. He had a towel around his neck and looked as if he'd just finished showering.

"Sawada!" The boxer yelled in greeting.

"Hey, Ryohei!" Tsuna said with a genuine smile. Ryohei looked him over.

"You've been drinking without me, haven't you?" He asked, ignoring the others. Tsuna's smile got wider.

"How could you tell, big brother?"

"I've been drinking with you since Patchwork gave you that first extreme challenge. Your eyes always give you away." He looked at Tsuna again. "Although it's odd for it to last this long. Usually that look is gone within a few seconds." He gave a knowing smile. "You found something good, didn't you?"

"May-be," Tsuna replied, drawing out the word. "But you can't have any. It's too extreme for you," he taunted.

"Like Hell! I want to try some!" His eyes were blazing at the thought of something 'too extreme'. Ryohei always did love a challenge.

"Maybe later," Tsuna replied with a laugh. "I only stopped in to say hello. I've got to get home. Mom's probably cooking a feast as we speak."

"I'll come with you, 10th," Gokudera said. Yamamoto nodded, silently saying he'd come too. Tsuna sighed. He knew that they were going to confront him at some point, but he still didn't really want to say no.

"The more the merrier, I guess." He gave his farewells to Ryohei and left, his friends towed behind him. Gokudera had placed himself to Tsuna's right and Yamamoto stayed to his left, both hovering over him protectively. Tsuna couldn't help but feel a warm tingle as their caring stabbed through all his emotional barriers like they didn't exist.

* * *

Tsuna sat in his bed, holding his knees. It was the middle of the night, but he couldn't sleep. He didn't want to sleep. Over the course of dinner and the small party afterward, his Family had managed to get him to relax and put down more of the barriers around his heart. He had let down his guard to allow himself to feel his Family's caring and love. He had felt it.

He didn't know how to deal with it anymore. The barriers that had been put up with weeks of bloodshed and agony had come down like they were nothing. And the knowledge that they were down left him with the need to shudder. If he could feel his Family's love, he could also feel pain again. He could feel the guilt and shame that came with his action. He could feel heartache for all the bloodshed and agony he'd been through. He could feel.

So he stayed awake, fearing the nightmares he was sure to have and kept trying to put his barriers back up again. But the icy walls that surrounded him during the daytime didn't answer his call. He was left shaking in his bed while he tried to figure out some way to save himself.

* * *

Reborn pulled the bottle out of Tsuna's sleeping hands. The boy had eventually given up and leaned on the only thing he felt he could. Reborn frowned, disliking Tsuna's building dependency on the V Special. He'd thought it was bad before, but it was starting to become a serious issue. Yet at this stage, Tsuna would probably break without it. The boy had already cracked a few times, but he'd been able to mend himself thanks to the bottle.

If he was going to break Tsuna's dependency, he had to replace it with something else for the boy to lean on. The only healthy option was his Family, but the Ninth wouldn't allow it. The Ninth wanted Tsuna to be built to be a pillar that everything else leans on, not a scaffold built on the strength of others.

Reborn frowned. There had to be a way, but he couldn't see it.

* * *

The next morning, Kyoko crept into Tsuna's room to wake him. Tsuna's mother said Iemistu had told her that no one should go near him in the morning, but Kyoko snuck past anyway. She wanted to see him before she went to school. She wanted to know the meaning behind the letter he'd left her.

He rolled onto his back in his sleep, knocking the covers to the floor. She smiled when she saw he was still fully dressed from the previous day. She also noticed by how his feet hung off the bed that he'd gotten a bit taller. But Kyoko was sure that a few weeks hadn't made that much difference in Tsuna. His face looked so peaceful as he laid there.

She began to reach down to shake him awake when his hand reached up and grabbed her wrist. Before she could move, he pulled her down on top of him. As she fell, Tsuna wrapped an arm around her, pressing her tightly to his body. She looked up, wondering what he was doing and only then realized he was still asleep. But his hand still moved assuredly as he let go of her wrist and ran it through her hair, simultaneously kissing her.

Her mouth parted in shock and her body tensed for a moment before pleasure took over. He didn't notice her reaction. His tongue took the opportunity of her silent gasp to lick the inside of her lips then enter her. She could taste cherries on his breath as his tongue rolled across hers, occasionally flicking the roof and sides of her mouth. The hand around her back lowered itself and he pressed on the small of her back firmly with his open palm. Kyoko could feel the hardness of his morning erection digging into her through their clothes as he started to roll his hips.

She broke off the kiss, realizing that if she didn't, he wouldn't be able to. His eyes were still closed when she pulled her lips away. Needing to touch something, his lips started to kiss and suck on her neck instead. She was lightheaded with desire as he continued to press her against his body. His free hand began to wander it's way under her shirt and crawled up her back. She gasped again in surprise when his hand cupped her breast and his hips began to roll faster. He let out a small moan of pleasure and continued digging himself into her through their clothes.

"St-stop," she said, her breath coming soft and ragged. His eyes flew open as he stopped. There was a moment of shock as he woke and his body tensed up when he realized where he was and what he was currently doing. Tsuna let go of her in a rush and she scrambled backward off the bed. He covered his face with his hands. At first, she assumed the motion was out of embarrassment, until Tsuna spoke.

"Didn't they tell you not to bother me in the morning?" He asked coldly.

"Y-yes," she replied hesitantly, still flustered by his actions. He sat up on his elbows, the hard look in his eyes making her heart clench.

"My body reacts on it's own to things when I'm asleep," he continued.

"T-Tsuna...?"

"I could have killed you, Kyoko," he said as his eyes softened, filling full of heartache. "I could have killed you and not even noticed."

"W-What..." she whispered, not understanding. His eyes darkened, growing hard again.

"Get out." She continued to stand there, shock and confusion written all over her face. He snapped her out of it.

"Get out!" He yelled. She ran out of the room, leaving him sitting on his bed shaking with physical and mental shock. Not only the shock of waking and finding Kyoko on top of him, but the shock of knowing what could have happened to her. It could have been a lot worse than what did happen. A lot more painful and bloody. A lot more irreversible. He let his head fall back to the bed and covered his face with his hands again as his father came running in.

"Are you okay? I heard you yell and then Kyoko went running out of the house. Did something happen?"

"She tried to wake me up," he said from where he lay. "Didn't you say you'd make sure that no one bothered me in the morning?" Iemitsu nodded, grimacing at his failure.

"I did."

"Do you know why that was so important?" Tsuna continued.

"You're still hair-triggered because of that assassin, right?" Tsuna nodded, not wanting to say Jack's name in correction.

"Thankfully it was Kyoko instead of one of the guys. From the position we were in when I woke up, I can guess what I did instead of hurting her. But if it had been Yamamoto or Gokudera..." He trailed off, unsure of what would have happened. Whatever would have happened, it wouldn't be pretty as his instincts and combat abilities both turned on. "Even Reborn's stopped waking me in the mornings. Cress is the only one that can get near me now and that's only because I've gotten used to him. Anyone else and my body just reacts on it's own."

"Sorry, son," Iemitsu said as he ran a hand through his hair. "We'll get a lock for your door so it doesn't happen again."

"Thanks, dad," he replied.

"Anything else you need before breakfast?"

"How about some aspirin?" He asked as his hangover finally hit him. His father smiled and wordlessly left to get some.

It was going to be a long day.

* * *

After eating breakfast with only Cress for company for so long, it felt strange to be surrounded by a mob again. Lambo was eating his rice one piece at a time, apparently because of a dare by I-Pin. I-Pin was trying to braid her hair one-handed as she used the other hand to eat. Fuuta was quietly sitting to the side, merely staring at Tsuna, which started to make him feel uncomfortable after a while. Finally he laid down his chopsticks and decided to confront the issue, hoping to get some peace for the rest of his breakfast.

"What's wrong, Fuuta?"

"One of your rankings changed, Tsuna-nii," he said quietly. Everyone around the table stopped and listened. Tsuna wanted to sigh.

"You know your rankings go strange when you try them on me."

"They weren't made on you," Fuuta replied, hiding his hands under the table.

"I don't get it. So it's my ranking, but not on me? How's that possible?" He was thoroughly confused and a bit upset about how Fuuta was beating around the bush. That disappeared when Fuuta explained.

"It was the ranking for 'Mafia That Other Mafia Fear'." Tsuna turned pale at Fuuta's words. The ranking had to be accurate then. It was based on how other people felt about him instead of directly on him.

"W-what was my ranking?" He wasn't sure he wanted to know, but at the same time he needed to know.

"Tsuna-nii is ranked number 72 out of all mafioso." Tears started to well up in Fuuta's eyes and he began sobbing around his words. "I always check that ranking because it lets me know who to run away from and I saw Tsuna-nii's name keep moving. You were in last place when you left, Tsuna-nii. But then you went up. And up. Sometimes you would jump up over a hundred people in one day." He began bawling as Tsuna's face went completely white.

Tsuna's dad came in, wondering what all the commotion was. He stopped when he saw the look on Tsuna's face and Fuuta's tears. Without saying a word, Tsuna got up and went to his room. He quietly shut the door to block out the sounds of Fuuta's crying, then grabbed the remainder of the bottle next to his bed. After three extended gulps, he laid back down and let sweet oblivion wash over him.

* * *

The sound of gunshot woke him. His own gun. Iemistu was holding his wrist, forcefully pointing it and the gun he held toward the ceiling. Looking down, he saw that he was standing over Dino, pinning the man's windpipe closed. He let go as soon as he realized what he was doing.

"What...?" He asked, falling backward against a wall in shock. Tsuna sank to the floor while Dino gasped for air. He looked around at the carnage he'd done in his sleep. Dino's men laid sprawled out across the floor unconscious. Iemitsu went one-by-one to check their pulses. When he was done, he looked up at Tsuna.

"They're all fine," he said softly, giving Tsuna a look of sadness. Tsuna sagged with relief, his face still reflecting his shock. "You didn't have time to do anything more than knock them out."

Yamamoto and Gokudera came rushing in then, having heard the gunshot from where they were walking outside. The stopped as they looked over the mayhem. Tsuna ignored them but Iemitsu got their attention and had them help wake the unconscious men. One-by-one the men jerked awake, immediately looking for Dino. After seeing he was alright and everything was over, they stumbled out the door.

"What happened? Why...?" He started to put his hands over his face, then realized he was still holding his Glock. Realization of what he'd almost done hit him and he dropped it.

"It's my fault," Dino said, having finally stopped gasping. "Your dad tried to stop me, but my men interfered. I didn't know you were hair-triggered until I'd already got close enough to set you off."

"And all your men?" Tsuna asked as the blood drained from his face.

"They tried to stop you when you went for my head. Damn, Tsuna," Dino coughed again as he rubbed his throat. "What the hell happened?"

"Failed assassination attempt in my sleep," he answered absently. His mind continued to wrap itself around having almost shot Dino. His mouth began rambling due to not being connected with his brain at that moment. "One of my friends up in Italy tried to kill me but I killed him instead. I turned his knife back on him before I knew who it was attacking me. Since it was such a close call, I tend to react aggressively in my sleep." Gokudera and Yamamoto stopped what they were doing and stared at him. He silently cursed himself for saying all that in front of them.

"Yup, that would do it," Dino smiled reassuringly at him. Not that it made him feel any better.

"Why are you here?" Tsuna asked. Iemitsu handed Tsuna the bottle on the side table and Tsuna didn't even look up as he took it, the action being so familiar by now. He sipped, letting the fake calm and warmth of it wash over him, settling his mind and body. A corner of his mind watched as the last of Dino's men left the room with a dazed look on his face.

"I heard you were in town and wanted to see how you were doing," Dino said. Tsuna stared him in the eye, sensing a lie. Dino looked at his narrowed eyes and grimaced. He bowed his head and told Tsuna the truth. "I heard some rumors and wanted to know if there was truth to them. Since they're about you, I figured I'd just come to you directly."

"What rumors?" Tsuna asked as Yamamoto and Gokudera sat to the side, listening quietly. They didn't want Tsuna to refocus on them and stop talking, so they kept as still as they could. Both boys wanted to hear what others were saying about Tsuna as much as he did.

"Well, the deal with you killing your classmate for one," Dino replied. Tsuna nodded. With the school's Omerta, one could still pass along information within the bounds of their mafia Family. It wasn't surprising that the news had made it's way to Dino. "Then there's the crazy one saying you've been working one-on-one with Xanxus." Tsuna grimaced.

"It's true."

"What?!" Everyone in the room yelled, with the exception of Iemitsu and Tsuna. Tsuna sighed again, this time in resignation. He figured it was going to happen sooner or later, so now was as good a time as any.

"Dad, can you get everyone drinks? I have a feeling they're going to need one." Iemitsu nodded and left. Within a minute he returned with six bottles of sake. The two boys took theirs with a look of confusion, but Dino accepted his wholeheartedly. Tsuna felt like laughing. Dino was probably the only one in the room that understood what he was about to tell them.

"I'll take the Family out so you can have some privacy," his father said as he set down the extra bottles and left, giving Tsuna a worried glance behind him. Tsuna sipped on his V Special until he'd heard the front door close and the noise from the Family fade into the distance.

"So you've been working with Xanxus," Dino prompted.

"Ah," Tsuna agreed, laying his head back against the wall. "It's part of the Ninth's curriculum of training. He figures I should see first-hand what my orders will someday bring and at the same time overcome my fear and hesitation in giving those kinds of orders. I've been working as a Vongola hitman under Xanxus." Dino blanched, recognizing the explaination.

"The Bloody Gauntlet," Dino said. Yamamoto and Gokudera looked at him in askance, so he explained. "I didn't have to go through it, but I've heard of it. It's the harshest way possible to get a person used to bloodshed. Basically, they're sent on missions repeatedly under the supervision of another and forced to do those missions until they are able to complete them on their own." Tsuna nodded in agreement with Dino's words as the two boys decided they'd try sake after all. Tsuna continued after taking another large drink to fortify himself.

"So far I've managed to keep it together and finish the tasks, but there's been several times I only did it because of Xanxus' so-called instruction." Dino ignored the other boys in the room and asked the question that immediately came to mind.

"What have you done so far?"

"I've only had to participate in warnings and punishments so far," Tsuna replied easily. "Xanxus has me watch the information gathering and executions though. He doesn't feel I'm up to the challenge yet. Not that I mind." Dino had turned white, hearing Tsuna talk about it like it was nothing. Again the other two boys looked at Dino in askance. They'd both understood what Tsuna had said, but not what it truly meant. Dino gritted his teeth while he explained.

"Warnings are strike one. You go in and scare the bejesus out of the person. Punishments are strike two. For those, usually it's a very harsh beating or a body part is taken. Executions are strike three and I don't think I have to explain that." Tsuna nodded once again in agreement and took another large drink. He wasn't feeling much due to the amount he'd already drunk, so he took over to let Dino get some blood back in his face. The poor guy didn't like having to explain the judgments of the mafia, regardless of the fact he sent out orders for it when needed.

"And lastly, information gathering. That's where you torture the poor fool until he tells you everything he knows. Then you torture him some more to make sure he's not lying. Then, if you find out he was lying, you torture him some more. If he wasn't, you leave him there for someone to find. Whether the poor sucker lives or not pretty much depends on luck after that." Yamamoto looked like he wanted to vomit. Gokudera didn't seem to be surprised, but he was still a bit pale. Tsuna wanted to laugh for some reason.

"You think hearing about it is bad. Wait 'til you see it," he said as he took another drink. He was now thoroughly inebriated, having drunk a quarter of the bottle while still having quite a bit from earlier inside him. This had the unintended affect of loosening his tongue more than he ever would have normally around his friends.

His eyes became distant when he started rambling, "How they jerk when you beat them first. Then you get to hear the of bones breaking. Typically you start with the fingers. After that starts the bloodshed and the burning. Oh, and you can't forget the smell. Half the time the target pees their pants in fear. Plus there's the smell of blood that begins to cover everything. And when Xanxus is in the right mood, you get the smell of burnt skin and hair. It all gets up in your nose and makes it so hard to breathe." Some corner of his mind barely registered when someone ran for the bathroom to vomit. Probably Yamamoto. He was too intoxicated to stop though.

"You'll hear their screams as they beg for you to stop. Their screams as they try to answer your questions. Then the screams when they beg you to just kill them. And if you're not careful, by the end, your clothes and the whole area around you is covered in blood. But you always walk away with the information. Always. People talk so much when you hurt them."

"How many have you witnessed, Tsuna?" Dino asked, his face green at the description. Tsuna laughed, unable to help himself.

"Too many," he replied as darkness finally swept him away again.


	13. Chapter 13 New Dawn

Tsuna woke again to find himself still slumped against the wall in his room. He assumed that after what happened before, no one had wanted to bother him after he passed out. He couldn't blame them. He began to move to stand, but then clutched his head and moaned. His head felt like someone had put Cheri and Hibari inside and told them to fight their way out. In other words, it hurt like hell. He tried again to stand and completely fell over from the pain.

The sound of someone opening the door caught his attention. Footsteps walked over to him while he continued to moan, still clutching his head in effort to control the intense pressure. The sound of each step felt like someone was hitting his head with a hammer. He nearly screamed when he heard the rattle of that same someone shaking a pill bottle. He couldn't move, every nerve felt like it was on fire as the pain spread.

Whoever was standing over him seemed to realize how much pain he was in, because they leaned down and touched his forehead. The hand felt like ice and the pain minutely lessened for an instant. He grabbed onto it and held it in place like it was a lifeline. Shutting his eyes seemed to help even more. He kept them tightly clenched, hoping that the pain would go away between the icy hand on his head and the lack of light.

"Hold on," that same person whispered as quietly as they could, pulling the lifeline away. Even as quietly as the person spoke, the sound sent shock-waves through Tsuna's head. He heard the hammering of the footsteps recede then return. There was a shock as something even colder than the hand touched his head before he mercifully blacked out.

* * *

Reborn looked down at his student. He had passed out again the moment the ice pack had hit his head. It was no wonder though. Even his flame would have trouble burning off as much alcohol as he'd drunk in the past few hours. A lesser man would be dead three times over already.

Not for the first time since the start of what had supposed to have been a vacation, Reborn frowned. Instead of helping him, this trip seemed to be making him worse. Normally talking about horrifying experiences helped a person release their emotions, but Tsuna had seemed to push his farther away the more he talked. He was shutting down faster and faster as time passed and that wasn't a good sign.

He had to think of a way to get Tsuna to accept that he was going through pain, otherwise it would continue to accumulate until it broke both his mind and his spirit.

Spirit.

A sudden moment of inspiration made him stop. There was one way. Maybe. If he could talk the man into doing it.

* * *

Tsuna looked at the sky, wondering where he was. One minute he was laying in the floor of his room, the next he was by a lake. In an instant, the blood rushed from his face as he recognized his surroundings.

"H-how...?" He muttered to himself in shock. He sank to the ground when his legs turned to jelly. This place could only be gotten to after death. It was the place of limbo between lifetimes.

Was he dead?

From a hangover?!

The sound of footsteps caught his attention. He looked over his shoulder to find the familiar form of Mukuro looking down at him.

"Did I die?" Tsuna asked, knowing that in this place, Mukuro wasn't an enemy.

"Did you want to?" Mukuro replied.

"I--" Tsuna stopped, not knowing how he truly wanted to answer. Did he? "It doesn't matter," he said finally. "I can't die, too many people need me to live."

"Kufufufu," he laughed mockingly. "No one needs someone that's broken."

"I-I'm broken?" He asked with eyes dialated in shock. Mukuro's smile told him silently that he was and he began to panic. "No! No, I can't break! You're lying!" He punched the ground, trying to find some release for the pain clenching his heart at the accusation. If he was broken, he'd failed. He'd failed his Family. Everything he'd done was pointless. Tears began to fall from his eyes, the first on only ones he'd allowed since deciding to go to Italy.

"I'm not broken," he screamed over and over again, trying to convince himself of the fact as his body shook. He continued repeating it as his fits turned bloody from striking the hard ground over and over again. His throat became too raw for the words to come out while Mukuro just watched until Tsuna finally sat huddled on the ground, his panic and emotions spent.

"The 'Path of Humans' is truly as I said, isn't it?" Mukuro said, finally coming over and laying a hand on Tsuna's shaking back. "It's a dangerous and horrible path. Are you sure you don't want to leave it and choose a different path? I can make that happen for you." Tsuna clenched his eyes, ignoring his heart's pain as he answered quietly, his voice ragged and raw from yelling.

"No, I have to go back. I can't fail them. I'm not broken. I can't break."

"Kufufufu," he laughed again. "You always say that. And somehow you always manage to fulfill that resolution, cycle after cycle. But one day, my dear Sawada Tsunayoshi, you _will _break." Tsuna looked up at him as the insinuation behind the statement hit him. One day he would...but not today. Relief made his shoulders sag and dizziness wash over him. A wave of laughter came from Mukuro again and oblivion rushed in it's wake.

* * *

Tsuna jerked awake in his bed. Reaching up, he could feel tears in his eyes from where he'd cried in his sleep. He wiped them away ruthlessly.

"I'm not broken," he whispered into the darkness. Mentally, he felt raw. He wasn't sure if what had happened with Mukuro was reality or simply a dream, but either way it had worn him out completely. He reached for his bottle, wanting something to soothe the feeling away. With a shake, he realized it was empty. He groaned. Something had told him to bring more than one bottle, but he hadn't listened. Now he was paying for not listening to his instincts.

He got up, positive he'd be unable to sleep anymore, night time or not. Going downstairs, he found his father sprawled out in the living room. Not wanting to wake him, he crept past and out the door. Unable to think of anything else to do, Tsuna sat on the edge of the porch and just let his mind stay blank. He watched the stars pass by and the moon set. When the sun finally dawned, he sighed. He couldn't explain it, but it was as if he momentarily dawned bright and clear with it. All the pressure that had been on his shoulders had somehow been lightened.

From his hiding spot in a nearby tree, Reborn smiled.

Crisis averted.

* * *

The next day seemed to go easier. Everyone noticed the slight change in Tsuna that the release of emotions during his sleep had caused. His aura seemed calmer and his back was straight again, two things that he hadn't had since his arrival back home. Gokudera and Yamamoto took it as a good sign and made sure not to speak in front of him about the talk they'd had with Dino. They didn't want him recalling it if they could help it.

Tsuna had given Reborn his birthday present the moment they'd seen each other over breakfast. He apologized for sleeping through the little man's day, but Reborn didn't seem to mind. After talking with Tsuna, they decided not to have the Vongola traditional birthday party, regardless of the fact that Tsuna's seventeenth birthday was an odd one. Instead, Reborn handed him the present that he and Leon had gotten him.

Tsuna looked at the gift curiously. It was a small box no bigger than his palm. Reborn motioned for him to just open it, which he did. Nestled inside was a small Rebuke Bullet on a thick chain. Tsuna smiled. It was almost nostalgic seeing it's white form again. He put it around his neck, giving thanks to Leon and Reborn for the charm. It wasn't a gift that just anyone could give him, after all.

After breakfast, he decided to go walk around town. He stopped by the Mountain to see how everything was going and was relieved when the manager came up and handed him the account ledgers--with the errors fixed. After leaving, he ran into Haru outside a cake shop.

"Tsuna!" She said, surprised to see him.

"Hey, Haru," he greeted. "How are you?"

"Great!" She replied. "This cake shop just got a new strawberry cream puff. Haru was going to get some and bring to you. You like strawberry creme puffs, don't you?"

He smiled and talked with Haru for several minutes, listening while she informed him about all the wonders of the newest cakes. Finally, she grabbed his hand and pulled him inside, intending to give him first hand experience in the joy she called cake. With a laugh, he willingly went. He couldn't help the smile that stayed on his face as she picked out slice of cake after cake and helped him eat them.

"I missed you, Haru," he found himself saying as he leaned back from their final slice. He blushed, but didn't take back the words. She was pushy and over-energetic, but that's what made her Haru. She smiled brilliantly in return and reached down for her purse. Pulling out something, she offered it to him.

"Happy Birthday, Tsuna!"

"What's this?" He asked in surprise. Her energy had completely blown him away, making him totally forget that it was his birthday for a while.

"Open, open!" She clapped excitedly. With a laugh, he did before she could explode and do it for him. Looking at what was inside, he began to laugh hysterically. He couldn't help it. It was something that Haru was only crazy enough to get for him.

It was a picture frame with a picture inside. But not just any picture. She had managed to get everyone together in cos-play costumes. Even Chrome and Hibari, although how she'd managed that, he didn't know. She, Kyoko, and Chrome were sitting in the front, wearing a kitten, angel and bunny outfit respectively. Behind them stood the five guys. Gokudera was wearing a top hat and had a cane in one hand and a stick of dynamite in the other. Next to him was Yamamoto in a long black wig and kimono; Shigure Kintoki was faithfully at his side. Next to him was Ryohei in a flashy boxing costume, wearing an extremely large title belt. Then, beside Ryohei stood adult-Lambo wearing a bright matador's costume. A red cape was hanging from his arm. Finally there was Hibari with Hibird on his shoulder. He didn't seem to be wearing a costume, but at second glance Tsuna could see fake fangs in his mouth.

It took him several minutes to stop laughing when he noticed that. Haru had taken "I'll bite you to death" to a whole new level of irony. He looked up at her, the smile on his face shining.

"Thank you, Haru," he told her, putting all the feeling he could into the words. "How did you manage to get Hibari in on this though?"

She gave a little smile and said, "Se-ce-ret."

After paying, they walked home together. She had wanted to pay for all the cakes, saying it was part of her present for him, but he wouldn't let her. By the time they'd finished trying things out, they'd ended up buying literally one of everything. He was suddenly very glad that the store had been a small one.

As he opened the door and ushered Haru inside, the sound of stealth movement caught his attention. He automatically jumped in front of Haru, pushing her behind him to protect her as his battle instincts kicked in. His stomach clenched and his heart started pounding. The sound of everyone yelling "Surprise!" and jumping out of hiding made him twitch since his nerves were already on fire.

He lowered his fists as realization kicked in and his inner flame went down with it. His heart was still pounding a mile a minute from the sudden surge of adrenaline and he tried to get his body to relax before anyone noticed how panicked he was. Iemitsu walked up to him, using his body to hide Tsuna from the crowd for a moment. He put his hand on his son's tense shoulders and whispered so the others couldn't hear.

"I tried to tell them not to, but they said it wouldn't be a surprise party if they didn't surprise you."

Tsuna nodded and forced his shoulders to relax. Most of them didn't know what it meant to be hair-triggered, so he couldn't blame them. It was something that only those that went into sudden life-and-death combat could understand. It was that mental setting where all it took was a hair to set you into combat mode and react. He felt Haru's arms wrap around his waist as she hugged his back in support, surprising him.

"It'll be okay, Tsuna," she said softly, making his heart leap once more before it finally calmed down. She let go after a moment and Iemitsu stepped out of the way so that he could go and greet his Family. They looked a little hesitant due to how long Iemitsu had been standing in front of him, but he put them at ease with a smile.

"Thank you," he told them before joining them in the celebration. The light in everyone's eyes grew as he showed true happiness at their gifts and feeling. Strangeness aside, this was the Tsuna they all loved and cared about. Even Fuuta had overcome his hesitancy that his rankings had caused and seemed to enjoy spending time with his 'Tsuna-nii' again.

Behind him, Iemitsu was the only one that held sadness in his eyes instead of joy. The knowledge he held made him want to weep as he watched his son blissfully interacting with his Family. The knowledge of the agony that Tsuna would have to eventually return to. Iemitsu stepped outside with a bottle of sake to keep from ruining the party.

"It's never easy," Reborn told him, having followed the man outside.

"No, it's not," came the sad reply.

* * *

"No," Tsuna said as he continued to pack his things. His plane was due to leave in a mere hour and he'd waited until the last moment to get ready. Gokudera and Yamamoto were both standing in his room, stubbornly trying to get him to agree to let them come too.

"You need us, Tsuna. You can't go through this alone," Yamamoto said. Tsuna just shook his head.

"I have to. That's part of the training," he replied. His heart and stomach clenched at the mention of 'training' but he ignored it. The past several days had helped him regain his balance, but Hell still awaited him when he got back.

"Please, 10th!" Gokudera was on his knees begging. "Let us help you!"

Tsuna stopped, noticing how Gokudera said 'us' instead of 'me'. He was sorely tempted to tell them to come, but then the images of what he did with Xanxus on a daily basis stopped him. He couldn't let his Family see that. He couldn't let their minds and hands become stained like his. It was his job to protect them from that.

"No," he repeated sadly. Before they tried again, he picked up his suitcase and walked out of the room. He didn't even stop to say goodbye. Tsuna left the house and got into the car waiting for him as quickly as he could. Fear made him almost run. Fear that if he stayed any longer, he'd give in. That fear stayed with him as he rode to the airport. It stayed with him as he boarded the Ninth's private jet. It stayed with him all the way back to Italy.


	14. Chapter 14 Regroup

Tsuna sighed as he walked into the school grounds. He'd gotten back Friday afternoon, meaning he'd spent the weekend working at the strip club. It hadn't been a good weekend, either. No one made trouble in the common area anymore since he had proved he could deal with even a riot. So now, the troublemakers all seemed to take their drunken aggression up to the booths. Tsuna had been forced to come help no less than four times over the past three days. Once he'd gotten there in time to just beat the troublemaker and toss him in the street, but the other three times had ended with a Bouncer's Judgment. It hadn't been pretty.

The sound of cheering and the clash of steel caught his attention. Curious, he followed the sound to where it was coming from behind the school at the sparring grounds. He walked up to the half-wall separating the crowd from the sparring area, sighing a bit at how the crowd automatically parting in fear to let him through. What he saw made his jaw drop. Then rage took over and his eyes flashed. His classmates backed farther away, sensing his mood.

"YAMAMOTO!" He yelled, bringing both him and Squalo to an instant halt. The two looked over at him. Seeing his anger, Squalo sheathed his sword and walked away after giving a look to his opponent that silently said, "We'll finish this later." Tsuna continued to stand there, his anger completely visible to the curious and fearful crowd around him. Yamamoto carelessly walked up to where he was standing, a cocky yet sheepish grin on his face.

"Yo, Tsuna."

"Why," Tsuna said dangerously through clenched teeth. "Why are you here?"

"We had Dino bring us, since Reborn couldn't. I told you when you first left that you weren't allowed to have fun without me, didn't I?" He ran a hand through his hair, ignoring Tsuna's tense posture. His tense posture turned from one caused by anger into one caused by shock. Not that many people could tell the difference, other than his suddenly dropped jaw. He could hear people in the crowd around them muttering, asking each other whether Tsuna was going to kill the new guy. He ignored them.

"Bring 'us'?" He repeated, stunned.

"Yup," Yamamoto said. He pointed with his chin over to where Gokudera detached himself from the crowd. Tsuna looked at him with wide eyes, his jaw dropping even lower.

"We're all here, 10th. Although only me, Yamamoto, and Hibari are signed up for classes."

"H-Hibari's here, too?" Tsuna felt his knees go weak, but he managed to stay standing. From behind him, he heard someone walk up. He turned, dreading what he would find.

"This place seems like it needs a touch of Discipline," Hibari said, glaring at the crowd. The crowd ignored him until they saw Tsuna take a step back, his breath becoming ragged from surprise coupled with a hint of fear. His classmates' eyes refocused on the person that even made 'Hellfire Tsuna' react. A smile twitched on the corner of Hibari's lips.

"I'll bite you all to death," he warned, raising his tonfas up to reinforce the warning. Tsuna couldn't help it when his legs gave out at Hibari's words and Gokudera caught him.

"How? Why?" He asked weakly.

Yamamoto smiled as he replied, "Because we're your Family."

* * *

"So, they came," the Ninth said. He put his hands on his desk as he looked at Reborn. "I'm glad." Reborn looked at the current boss of Vongola curiously.

"I thought you didn't want them to come?" The Ninth shook his head, a sad smile on his lips at Reborn's words.

"I never said they couldn't come. I just said they couldn't help Tsuna in his training."

"Then why--?"

"I didn't give them invitations because this is something they had to decide on their own. Whether or not Tsuna was important enough to them or not. They, too, are going to have to have the resolution if they're going to be his Family. And being a Family means sharing the pain as well as the joy." His eyes held a hint of remorse. "I had expected the boy to rely on them more between his training sessions. It surprised me when I found out he hadn't called home more than once. I didn't know that he'd been bottling it up so much until you came to me. I honestly thought his Family had been constantly getting clues as to his state this whole time. At least, now I know why they didn't come sooner."

"So that's why you sent him home so readily," Reborn replied. The Ninth nodded.

"I'm glad," he repeated. "Tsunayoshi's training is only going to get harsher from here on out. He'll have to lean on his family now if he's going to survive and become a pillar for them later."

"So, are you going to let them in the household? Most of them are currently staying at one of Dino's estates," Reborn informed him respectfully.

"Everyone will be moved into the Guardian's Hall," the Ninth said firmly.

"Even Chrome?" Reborn asked, wondering if the Ninth was really going to let in Mukuro's other half.

"Even Chrome," he agreed. "Although I doubt she'll leave the side of her two Wanted companions. We'll set up a secondary house outside the grounds for them in case they refuse." Reborn nodded and paid his respects as he left. He wanted to go see Tsuna's reaction and let the Five Guardians know they'd be staying at Headquarters if they wished.

* * *

Tsuna walked down the halls toward his class, still in shock about his Family's sudden arrival. Yamamoto was curiously looking around, noticing how the other classmates treated Tsuna and not liking it one bit. Gokudera was smoking a cigarette while he informed Tsuna about their plane trip. Apparently there had been a small issue when they tried to go through Customs. In the end, Dino had sent them on a private jet so that Gokudera and the others didn't have to disarm. Even professional weapon's handlers would have trouble transporting the amount of dynamite Gokudera kept on hand.

"Who's your Homeroom teacher?" Tsuna asked, coming to a stop in front of his own. The two boys pulled their schedules out of their pockets and looked at them.

"Mr. Purdy," they said simultaneously, making Tsuna groan. That had to be Reborn's work. He led them inside and took his seat with a warning not to sit in the empty desk behind him. They both looked at him for a moment before nodding and taking one of the other empty desks around him. The classmate that used to sit in front of him and beside him had both switched classes for some reason, although Tsuna could guess why. The fearful looks that people still gave him made his heart clench. Even now, no one could see past his combat abilities.

One of his classmates pulled Yamamoto away when Tsuna laid his head on his desk in effort to block out the fearful looks around him. The boy whispered something urgently into Yamamoto's ear, causing the other boy to tense up briefly. Tsuna raised his head again at the sound of Yamamoto gritting his teeth. His classmate jerked back in surprise.

"If I ever hear someone say that again, I won't forgive them," Yamamoto warned. He backed up the warning with a small swing of his Shigure Kintoki, causing the harmless bamboo blade to transform into steel. Tsuna looked at him curiously, wondering what was going on. As the classmate backed away from the fierce look in Yamamoto's eyes, the blood finally rushed out of Tsuna's face. Something told him that the classmate had tried to warn Yamamoto about 'Hellfire' Tsuna's dangerous reputation.

"Saying bad things about the Tenth to Yamamoto is a good way to get hurt," Gokudera warned loudly, bringing the attention of the class to him. Everyone in the room turned pale as the teacher came in. With a small flip of the hilt, Yamamoto released his blade back into it's bamboo form, not wanting to make a bad impression on the man.

"Ah!" The teacher gave a small start of surprise, seeing the blade's transformation. "That's--" He looked back up at Yamamoto. "You couldn't be--" His eyes widened. "You're the swordsman I heard about! The one that beat Squalo!" Yamamoto scratched his head, at a loss. It was strange to be recognized as a swordsman instead of a baseball player.

"Uh, um, that was just luck," he blushed with a smile. "I still have a long way to go if I'm going to defeat him without a surprise up my sleeve." The teacher shook his head as if he was trying to clear it.

"Anyway, sit down everyone and I'll introduce our two new students." It took a few minutes for everyone to get over their surprise and get to their desks. Tsuna leaned back in his chair, oddly happy at his Family's defense of him. "As I've already mentioned, this is Yamamoto Takeshi, the swordsman that beat Superbi Squalo several years ago. And this one is Gokudera Hayato." From the front of the class where they stood, Yamamoto gave a small, respectful bow and Gokudera put out his cigarette with a curl of his lip. Mumbling broke out, but one phrase caught Tsuna's attention.

"Isn't that the half-breed pianist that no Family wanted?"  
"What's he doing here?"  
"I thought you had to have a well-known boss fill out the paperwork to get in."  
"Did he maybe forge it?"

The comments and conversation had been loud enough to carry and Gokudera looked like he needed to spit something nasty out of his mouth. Tsuna started to grit his teeth but a sudden thought made him smile instead. His Family had defended him, now it was his turn.

"Ahhh," Tsuna said loudly in contentment, catching everyone's attention. For once, he was glad of the fear his classmates had of him. "It's good to have my right-hand man at my side again, Gokudera." The room went silent. Everyone instantly became afraid of saying something about Gokudera and possibly angering Tsuna. The faces of his classmates turned pale and the teacher raised an eyebrow in speculation. However, Gokudera face lit up in joy, speechless at being called what he always wanted. Yamamoto patted Gokudera's shoulder.

"Yup, you know Tsuna can't do a thing without you on his right and me on his left." Gokudera looked over at Yamamoto, his mouth trying to work but no words coming out. Finally the teacher broke into his shock and had them both sit so he could call attendance. As Gokudera sat in the desk beside him and Yamamoto sat in the one in front, he heard Gokudera quietly speak so only Tsuna could hear.

"Thank you, Tenth."

Tsuna smiled. Maybe having them here with him was a good thing after all.

* * *

School was actually relaxing for once. Typically Tsuna went through the day in a daze, that being the only way he could ignore his classmates' fear and still complete the lessons. Today, however, was completely different. At lunch, he'd found himself actually laughing and talking instead of rushing to eat and leave before the fearful stares his classmates gave out of the corner of their eyes made his stomach turn into knots.

"Since you all have the same schedule I do, I'll introduce you to Cheri during gym. She's a girl, but Dr. Fyllable had her join our class."

"Gym?" Yamamoto asked around a bite of food. Tsuna nodded.

"It's not like what we did back home. Here you can either run a training course or spar. Cheri is pretty good, she's almost up to Hibari's level now. I think," Tsuna amended. Hibari was capable of anything. He'd probably gotten stronger over the past few weeks in anticipation. Tsuna didn't know if training without using his Flames had made him stronger or not. Would he still be up to par with Hibari?

"Tenth," Gokudera replied with a dull voice, "Hibari has gym class with us. Apparently that's the only one he shares."

Tsuna turned pale. It was definately going to be an interesting day.

* * *

Tsuna walked toward the sparring grounds, his nerves twitching in anticipation. Dr. Fyllable had been surprised when Tsuna said he was sparring someone other than Cheri today. The green tinge to Tsuna's face had kept him from asking. Tsuna was incredibly nervous. It was almost as bad as the time he'd fought Xanxus. He had no clue what to expect out of Hibari anymore.

"So," Cheri asked as she walked with Tsuna and his two shadows, "Is this guy strong?" Tsuna looked over at her and let the light of anticipation in his eyes tell her for him. The light in her eyes began to swirl in response.

"Really," she said, understanding his silent answer. Cheri had taken to the appearance of Tsuna's Family naturally. While they seemed strong to her, they didn't set her off like the thought of sparring Tsuna did. She had been disappointed that they weren't going to have a session today, but she was interested in the spar that was going to happen. Very interested. The scrape of steel caught their attention. Hibari stood before them with his tonfas held up in challenge.

"It seems I finally get to bite you to death, Sawada," he said with a small small tugging at his lips.

"You can try," Tsuna replied, finally smiling in amusement. His face lost it's green tinge and his nervousness disappeared in face of his opponent. He flared his flame so that the Dying Will Flame spread across his head in an instant. They walked out onto the grounds, not caring about the crowd that was forming. Their eyes were focused only on each other.

"They're doing it again," Yamamoto grinned. Cheri looked at him in askance, but he only shook his head. It was something that only those who'd seen the two fight could understand. The girl would figure it out in a few moments if she couldn't already feel the building anticipation. Gokudera tried to explain anyway, seeing the nonplussed look on her face.

"You've been sparring the 10th, right?" He flicked his cigarette butt away when she nodded. "I can tell you right now he's been holding back. He won't do that with Hibari."

"Why not?" She asked in surprise. Gokudera grinned and pointed with his chin to where the two were standing. They were calmly waiting in the center of the sparring grounds for the teacher to signal the start, but the auras of restrained power coming off the two made her shake with excitement. The blood lust she could sense in Tsuna's opponent was incredible and she'd never seen Tsuna show this much willpower in his stance before.

There was a click as Hibari released the chains hidden within his weapons. As he began to let them fly, Cheri saw the look on Tsuna's face turn from amusement to narrow concentration. It was a look that he'd never given before and the fact he was now sent shivers through the crowd. How strong was this new guy?

"R-Reborn..." Cheri mumbled, turning to the little guy watching from atop the half-wall surrounding the sparring grounds. "How much did you bet on Tsuna this time...?" Reborn looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"I didn't bet," Reborn replied. "The outcome of a spar between them two is too random to calculate." Cheri looked at the little hitman with wide eyes before looking once again at Tsuna's opponent. Even without the Vongola Flame, that guy was _that _powerful? That couldn't be.

In an instant, they found out that it was. The whistle sounded and both boys charged. The flames from Tsuna's hands flared behind him. He used it to boost his speed exponentially like he had restrained himself from doing with Cheri. Tsuna's flame had been the reason his classmates had started calling him Hellfire; Hellfire being the only thing that can burn a Demon. The two clashed in a moment of fury and heat, creating a crater at their feet from the power and destruction that was released.

The crowd dropped their collective jaws as Tsuna flew backwards. He landed with a harsh thud on his back for a silent moment. Then he began coughing from the impact to his chest and sat up. Wiping blood from the corner of his mouth, he looked at his opponent.

"You've gotten stronger, Hibari," he said with a grin once his lungs began working correctly again. A small smile played on the corner of Hibari's mouth.

"You're still a herbivore," he taunted. Tsuna got up and returned to a ready stance.

"Not for much longer," he whispered. The whistle sounded again. This time he released all his power and speed, temporarily disappearing from the eyes of the crowd. There was a loud thud when Tsuna's foot connected with Hibari's tonfa. The tonfa in question had been raised in defense of Hibari's head so quickly that no one had been able to follow it's movement.

"That's more like it." Hibari smiled up at his opponent as Tsuna seemed to hover in the air from the force of his foot pushing down on Hibari's weapon. Hibari's true blood lust finally came out and the crowd watched in awe. Both boys released their abilities and potential to the limit, sending shockwave after shockwave through the ground.

By the end of the hour, few people had the courage to even _think _about breaking discipline at Don Girarde High.


	15. Chapter 15 Uncovered

Tsuna touched the bruise on his chest beneath his shirt as the three boys and Cheri walked off the school grounds. That had been the only hit that Tsuna had allowed to get through, but it had been a massively damaging one. He didn't think he had any broken bones, but that was only due to luck on his part. His two friends were chatting to themselves about the interesting twist this school had with it's courses of study. Cheri, on the other hand, had been silent since mid-way through the bout, lost in her own lust for battle. Tsuna smiled enjoying the sensation of having his Family at his side.

The smile quickly left his face as he came to a halt, his friends growing silent as they stopped behind him. His heart started pounding and his stomach clenched when Xanxus' car pulled to a stop beside them.

"I-I've got to go," he told them without looking up. "I'll see you guys later back at home." Before they could respond, he darted into the car and it hurriedly pulled away.

"Where's the 10th going?" Gokudera asked in surprise. Yamamoto shrugged, but Cheri seemed to snap out of her daze.

"He goes in that car every day after school. I don't know where he goes, but sometimes the next day..." she paused, unsure if she should say anything. She shook her head, realizing that it was silly. These guys were Tsuna's Family. "The next day he's sometimes not all there, if you know what I mean. It's like he's seen something that he shouldn't have. Something really bad." Yamamoto's eyes narrowed at the description.

"Xanxus," he growled and Gokudera nodded.

"The Bloody Gauntlet," he confirmed. Cheri's face went pale. She'd heard about the gauntlet of bloodshed that some mafia Families put their new people through, but she hadn't known Tsuna was going through it.

"H-how long has he..." She began. The two boys looked at her, the sadness in their eyes overwhelming her question. Since he got here, they told her wordlessly. Cheri bowed her head in shame. "No wonder," she mumbled to herself, thinking about how he had been able to coldly respond to Jack's death in school. The memory of the look in his eyes during their last spar before he disappeared to Japan took on a whole new meaning. It hadn't been a look caused by guilt over only Jack's death, but by overwhelming heartache from everything he'd been doing in secret.

"Let's get to Headquarters," Gokudera said. "The Tenth will need us when he gets back." Yamamoto nodded and silently the two walked down the street, leaving Cheri alone on the sidewalk.

* * *

"What are we doing today?" Tsuna asked as the car came to a stop and they got out. He was proud of his ability to restrain the quiver trying to reverberate in his throat when he looked over at Xanxus. Over the course of the car ride, Tsuna had put all his effort into calming his mind and putting up the walls back up around his heart. He had succeeded, but only barely. Xanxus smiled, the gleam of cruelty in his eyes sharpening as they walked into yet another non-descript building. The car pulled away, a sign to Tsuna that they'd be there a while.

"Information gathering," he answered predictably. Tsuna nodded in acceptance. He'd expected as much considering he'd been gone for a week. Xanxus would want to ensure he got right back into the swing of things. Plus, 'information gathering' got to Tsuna like nothing else did. Not even executions brought him as close to the breaking point, since they were typically quick and clean. With Xanxus' ultimate goal being the mental and spiritual destruction of Tsuna, he'd made sure that the boy had to watch the process at least once a week.

"You should enjoy watching this one, kid," he said with a cruel and knowing smile. Tsuna hated that smile since it was pointed at him so often before he was forced into doing something he normally wouldn't. Xanxus ignored Tsuna's look of disgust. He went to the man tied up in the middle of the room and yanked his head back by the hair. "Meet our little spy from the Wilde Family. Apparently this little fuck was the one that got that half-assed assassin into Headquarters." Xanxus' smile deepened at the cold chill that settled in Tsuna's eyes.

"Is that so?" Tsuna asked dangerously. There was a cold feeling building up in him that he couldn't describe, but he was grateful for it. The barriers within his heart instantly solidified into a impenetrable wall, closing out everything but his determination to reach his goal. Tsuna continued softly, "In that case, I have a few questions of my own to ask."

Xanxus looked him in the eyes, surprised at the boy's sudden desire. It hadn't been the first time that his charge had done something unexpected. For example, way he'd reacted after finding the pile of bodies in the New York lab. Also, how he'd nearly killed Michinni when they'd simply went to warn the man. Tsuna was touchy when it came to Gola Mosca but this was a complete first. For him to volunteer for torture after not seeing bloodshed for a week was a complete turn of events that Xanxus hadn't expected.

"Alright, kid. I'll walk you through tearing this scum to pieces," Xanxus replied with a gleam of respect in his eyes that was quickly hidden. Tsuna nodded and walked forward with determination, ignoring the look of misery on the blindfolded man's face.

He would get answers. No matter how long it took.

* * *

Yamamoto, Gokudera, and Ryohei sat on the couch in Tsuna's room, waiting for his return. They'd walked to Dino's mansion, but Iemitsu had been already waiting there with a car when they arrived. He'd brought them here and showed them their rooms. After being showed how the control panel worked, the two boys had asked where Tsuna's room was and the blond man had showed them. He seemed a bit hesitant as he let them inside. At first, Cress hadn't wanted to let them at all, but Iemitsu took him aside and talked to him. After a few whispers back and forth, Cress had left and brought them all some tea while they waited. Hours seemed to pass and still they waited. Finally Gokudera snapped.

"What the hell's taking so long?" He stood and started pacing back and forth through the sitting area, unable to keep still any longer. Yamamoto and Ryohei could only shrug. Cress began to answer when the sound of footsteps could be heard coming down the hall followed by a click as the doorknob turned.

Everyone jumped up, hoping that it was Tsuna. They sat back down in shock when he entered. His clothes and body were covered in blood that obviously wasn't his own. The look on his face was blank and pale. He didn't even notice the presence of others in his room as he walked to the wetbar next to the bathroom and slid open the mirror to reveal the compartment behind it. They watched, unable to overcome their shock at the amount of blood, as he pulled out a bottle of V Special and drank.

Tsuna was in the middle of a large gulp when he turned and finally saw them. The bottle fell from his limp hands and rolled across the floor, spraying the carpet in alcohol. He bowed his head, unable to look any of them in the eye. As the silence continued and the others tried to drag their eyes away from the blood covering their friend, Tsuna's shoulders began to shake in silently insane laughter.

"Welcome to Italy," he mumbled. He turned and went into the bathroom silently, the door giving a sharp click as it closed behind him.

* * *

A hundred things rushed through Tsuna's mind as he let the hot water wash away the stench of blood and agony. First, why had they been in his room? Then his mind continued down that train asking a multitude of other questions. Why had they come to Italy? Why couldn't they just stay home? What had they thought when they'd seen the blood? Did they hate him because of what they'd seen? Could they ever understand why he did the things he did? Why he continued to do those things?

The shock and disgust he'd seen in their faces when he had turned around had stabbed him deeply. Deeper than any pain he'd felt since coming to Italy. Deeper than any pain he'd inflicted on others. It hurt. It hurt more than he could ever describe.

Had the information he'd gotten been worth the pain?

The image of Jack's face surfaced in his mind, making his heart clench. Yes. It had been worth it. The knowledge of why his dead friend had tried to kill him was worth a hundred looks of shock and disgust from his living Family. He sank to the shower floor when that knowledge hit him once again. The Wilde Family were all hitmen-for-hire. Every single last one of them. They were a Family that secretly swore new members into their inner ranks through a test of loyalty. Kill your best friend. It was their way of keeping 'weak blood' from the core of the Family. Their way of binding themselves closer together.

The idea sickened Tsuna and made him cold. The heat from the water seemed to disappear completely. He thought about what his friend had probably went through before he died. Being told he had to kill Tsuna or Cheri. Having to choose one or the other. Then after making the choice, he'd had to follow through, regardless of the pain it caused to himself. Tsuna knew he wouldn't have been able to do it. Would he? Could he have killed Jack or Cheri if that was what his Family required?

No, he told himself. Not in cold blood. Not as a mere test. Friendship made ties and boundaries that Tsuna refused to cross. He had to refuse. It was one of the few things left that made him human.

Was he still human?

The question rolled through his mind in an endless circle, making him shake from the strain. He'd caused so much agony and pain already. In order to protect his Family there were so many lines he'd already crossed. So many things he'd never thought himself capable of.

The image of the torture he'd just finished finally resurfaced in his mind. The look of pain on the man's face as his bones had been broken. As Tsuna had broken them. His screams when his flesh had been burned by the flame in Tsuna's gloves. His pleading as he told them everything he knew. The smell of the blood and burned skin that had filled Tsuna's nose and mouth while he had continued to hurt the man for information. The sound of silence as the man's throat became unable to emit sound. The smile on Xanxus' face when Tsuna realized the man was dead.

Tsuna fell forward on his knees and puked, unable to deal with the images now that the coldness he'd been fortifying himself with was gone. Now that he could feel again. He heaved again as the water from the shower washed his vomit down the drain. He continued to heave until everything he'd eaten and even the memory of food emptied out of his stomach.

Then he trembled and began to shake as mental images of the torture continued to overwhelm everything else in his mind, leaving him a mindless huddled wreck in the shower floor.

* * *

Gokudera, Yamamoto, Ryohei and Cress all stood like statues in the middle of Tsuna's room. The sound of the shower being turned on snapped them out of it. Cress immediately went to clean up the spilled alcohol on the floor and replace it, while the others looked at each other. The same thing was going through all their minds.

Was that Tsuna?

Finally it was Gokudera that broke the silence.

"Now we know why they call it the Bloody Gauntlet."

"Ah," Yamamoto agreed. Ryohei couldn't speak. He hadn't been present for the discussion with Dino and a second-hand description of Tsuna's words hadn't prepared him for something like this. He looked down at the bloody footprints that Tsuna had left behind.

"That's too extreme," he whispered to himself, his mind becoming blank. He tried to imagine what could cause that much bloodshed and failed. Ryohei was used to a bit of bloodshed from people. He was a boxer after all. But to be covered head-to-toe with so much that it left behind footprint when he walked was too much for him to handle.

"I want a drink," he said suddenly. He went to Tsuna's wet-bar in determination, knowing that Tsuna wouldn't mind. "Drinking is always good for extreme situations like these." The other two boys nodded as Cress reentered the room and walked over.

"My Lords, I'm sure Lord Tsuna wouldn't mind you drinking from his stock, but please do not drink this." He laid a replacement bottle of what Tsuna had spilled onto the bar. "Not only will he probably want it when he gets out, but I assure you it's stronger than you can handle." Ryohei's eyes flashed at the challenge, but he restrained himself.

"What is that stuff, anyway? The Tenth had it with him when he came home, but never let anyone try it." Gokudera poured himself a whiskey and waited expectantly for Cress' answer. He tried to hand one to Yamamoto as well, but the swordsman refused.

"This is Vongola's pride, V Special," Cress answered politely, "It's specifically made for the Vongola bloodline and I'm told only those with a flame can handle it." His eyes twinkled as he said, "I know from experience that a single drop can get a normal person pleasantly drunk." Ryohei smiled widely.

"Sounds like my kind of drink." He poured himself a shot before anyone could stop him and threw his head back. The liquid went down his throat before anyone could do more than gasp. He slammed the shot-glass down on the bar and grinned widely as the alcohol hit him. "Definitely extreme," he said. He began to waver but caught himself before he fell, to Cress' open surprise.

"You should be flat on your back after that much!"

"Nah," he said as he fought to keep his eyes focused. "'Ish--pardon. It's a bit extreme, but not too extreme for me." Yamamoto and Gokudera couldn't help but smile at the boxer as Cress' eyes became wider.

"There's more to you boys than it seems." He would have said more, but the sound of vomiting caught their attention. They put their glasses down as they heard it continue and Cress' eyes filled with sadness. "I'm surprised he lasted as long as he did," the manservant said softly. Silence filled the room several minutes later when the heaving finally stopped.

"Does he do this every time?" Yamamoto asked. Cress nodded sadly.

"It's either the vomiting or the blank stare first, but after that always comes the shaking."

"You mean he's--?" Yamamoto pointed to the bathroom. When Cress nodded, Yamamoto moved. He pushed the drunken Ryohei out of the way and opened the bathroom door. Inside he found Tsuna huddled and shaking in the shower, his eyes blankly staring into nothingness. As he turned off the shower heads, Gokudera brought a thick towel-robe and threw it over Tsuna's body before he could become chilled.

Tsuna didn't seem to notice. He didn't seem capable of noticing. Yamamoto pulled him up and guided him back into the main room. Gokudera got Ryohei out of the way in effort to help. Once they got him seated on the couch in the sitting room, Yamamoto wrapped his arms around his friend, trying to give him support in the only way he could. Again, Tsuna didn't respond or notice. Gokudera carried over the bottle Cress had brought in and set it down on the table, waiting for Tsuna to become responsive. He obviously wanted to do something to help, but didn't know what. Yamamoto couldn't blame him for his pacing while Tsuna's shaking continued.

It continued for nearly half an hour, during which time Ryohei became steadier on his feet and Gokudera silently continued pacing. When Tsuna finally stopped and pulled away, the blank stare was gone but the pain in his eyes wasn't. Tsuna kept his eyes turned away from them, once again unable to meet their eyes in shame. They gathered around worriedly.

Instead of facing them, he grabbed the bottle of V Special and drank, wanting something to soothe away the hurt and memories. He was a quarter of the way through the bottle when Yamamoto gently, but forcefully, took it away. Tsuna let him, not wanting to fight him over it. He pulled his knees up and hugged them, burying his head to keep from seeing the looks of disgust Tsuna knew must be on his friend's faces. The alcohol brought calm and fake warmth, but it couldn't erase the pain except through temporary oblivion. And Yamamoto hadn't allowed that.

"Was it something you felt you had to do?" Yamamoto finally asked into the silence. Tsuna kept his head buried and silently nodded. "Then it's okay," Yamamoto said as he pulled Tsuna back into a hug. "It's okay."

Tsuna tensed in shock at the words, then his shoulders began shaking again as he felt their acceptance. They didn't hate him. They weren't disgusted with him. They forgave him for what he was forced to do. This time Tsuna responded to the arms around him, latching onto his friend...his brother as he continued to shake with all the emotions and worry he'd suppressed.

And, finally, as Gokudera and Ryohei joined the embrace, also sending their caring and support silently, Tsuna cried.


	16. Chapter 16 Job II

The next morning Tsuna pretended that nothing had happened like usual. The only difference was that he had his friends along with him on his morning routine. After getting dressed and eating, he led the way to the sub-basement firing range. The attendant on duty chatted with them for a while as he inspected Tsuna's gun, then passed him through to practice.

The boys watched through a soundproof window in interest. Tsuna took his place in one of the many alcoves on the other side, his mind focused on completing his morning practice. The attendant on duty, having nothing better to do, watched with them. He nodded in approval when Tsuna squeezed the trigger time and time again, his body holding steady as he lined up his next shot.

"He's improved," the man said off-handedly. The boys looked at him in surprise, so he explained. "Before, he'd shake a bit after a shot and it would always make him miss the second one. But now," the man pointed at Tsuna's target which only had one hole in the center that was slowly becoming bigger. "Now, he's steady and focused. He won't be hitting anything but what he wants to hit anymore."

"Why does he do this?" Yamamoto asked, unable to understand why his friend was shooting a gun. Why he was shooting it well. Gokudera seemed unphased and Yamamoto guessed that it was the effect of being raised by the mafia. What was shocking for the others was an everyday occurrence where he was originally from. The man looked at the three of them in surprise.

"Isn't that obvious?" Seeing their blank looks, he gaped, "To prepare."

"Prepare for what?" Ryohei asked, also unable to grasp it. The attendant shook his head at their naivety and tried to explain.

"Preparation for an attack. The Tenth didn't have any ranged abilities before. This makes up for that lack."

"I still don't get it," Yamamoto repeated as he crossed his arms. Outside the window, they watched Tsuna reload for another set. His hands moved steadily from practice as he replaced his target and raised his weapon again. He never once flinched the whole time he sent round after round down the range.

"Idiots," Gokudera said, his irritation plain on his face. "The Tenth needs it so that he can protect himself and us better. This isn't a game, baseball-freak. This is preparing him to kill if needed."

"Tsuna wouldn't--" Ryohei started to say. He stopped in shock at the look in the other two boys' eyes.

"He already has," Yamamoto whispered. "He mentioned an accident before. Something to do with an assassin."

"It's kill or be killed," the attendant said into the following silence, patting Ryohei on the shoulder. "The situation is no different, regardless if it's with guns instead of knives or fists." Ryohei looked out at his friend who was finishing his third set. He'd been at it maybe only ten minutes, but had already unloaded a massive amount of bullets. The meaning behind what they were watching took on new shape.

"He practices this every day?" Ryohei asked. The attendant nodded. "Why?" Again the attendant looked surprised as he answered what should have been obvious.

"So he doesn't make mistakes. The Tenth doesn't want to accidentally hit innocent people if he has to actually use his gun, so he practices his aim." Light seemed to come into the boys' eyes.

"Even now, he's trying to protect others," Yamamoto whispered into the quiet room. Gokudera lit another cigarette while he refrained from smacking the two for their lack of faith in the Tenth. Before he could change his mind, Tsuna re-entered the room, his practice session complete.

"Starting tomorrow, I'm going all the way!" Ryohei yelled suddenly, making Tsuna jump in surprise.

"EH?"

"I'll practice with you, Sawada!" Ryohei continued excitedly. Tsuna's eyes looked like they were going to pop out of his head. What was Ryohei was saying? Before he managed to comprehend it, Yamamoto and Gokudera jumped in.

"I'll do target practice with Micro-Hammers," Yamamoto nodded, referring to the small baseball-bombs that Reborn had given to him years before.

"I'm sure they have something around here I can use to practice against, Tenth," Gokudera said, brandishing several sticks of his beloved dynamite.

"What the heck's gotten into all of you?" Tsuna yelled. He gave up on trying to understand on his own, instead wanting immediate answers. The other boys looked at each other and smiled, silently agreeing on something.

"It'll be too boring just standing here simply watching you, Tsuna," the swordsman finally explained. He patted Tsuna's tense shoulder. "Just accept it." Tsuna's eyes were wide, but he finally relaxed. He understood. It's not that it was too boring, it was that they felt they needed to help him. Even in something like target practice.

"I-I guess it couldn't hurt. It's only practice, after all." He hoped it stayed mere practice. His intuition told him it probably wouldn't, but he couldn't think of a way to talk them out of it. They were all pretty stubborn when they set their minds to something. They had to be, considering they were Tsuna's Family.

* * *

The day continued with the boys heading out for school, leaving Ryohei to explore the mansion on his own. Once again Tsuna found himself enjoying class instead of merely getting through it. The presence of his friends seemed to make a large difference in how people treated him. There was still fear, but no one saw him as an untouchable monster anymore. A few people had even found the courage to cheer openly during his spar after they finished their own. 

All in all, it was a pretty good day. Yet Tsuna's face still tinged green as they left the school grounds. They all knew what happened next. Tsuna stopped as the familiar black car pulled up. Instinctively, Gokudera and Yamamoto stepped in front of Tsuna as Xanxus got out of the vehicle. They refused to let Tsuna go, their body language silently said. Xanxus smiled cruelly and he leaned up against the car. He began to say something, but Tsuna's voice interrupted.

"Move," he ordered. The two boys looked behind them at their friend and boss, surprised at the coldness in his voice. Dark and determined eyes looked back, making them stand aside automatically. Tsuna walked forward to Xanxus. "Are we going?" Again Xanxus smiled, enjoying the look in his charge's eyes. The look he'd put there.

"No," he answered, surprising everyone. "You're to take your trash friends down to Mafia Row and get them jobs." Tsuna bristled until Xanxus continued, "Orders from the old fart. Since he's supporting you scum, I wouldn't argue." Tsuna nodded in resignation. Xanxus got back in the car and it pulled away. Within seconds, another vehicle pulled up for them and they got in. Once they were moving, Yamamoto asked the question on his mind.

"Jobs?"

"We'll find you guys something that's not too hard. Do either of you know how to mix drinks?" Tsuna replied.

"I do, Tenth!" Gokudera volunteered.

"We'll see if you can work with me at Pink's then," Tsuna replied with a smile at Gokudera's never ending enthusiasm, "I don't want either of you to have to fight, but maybe she'll let you work behind the bar."

"What's Pink's?" Yamamoto wanted to know. Tsuna blushed.

"It's where I work. You'll see when we get there."

* * *

Gokudera and Yamamoto both showed their amazement at the size of the cavern. The small city spread out below ground had been nothing they could have imagined. Tsuna wasn't surprised at their reactions. Mafia Row was one of a kind, after all. 

Leading the way, he noticed their discomfort as they began walking down the strip of clubs and bars. The lewd advertisements on several made both of his friends blush. A smile played on Tsuna's lips. He finally realized one of the many reasons he had the job he did. He'd been desensitized from seeing things like that without realizing it.

As they came to a stop in front of Pink's, Tsuna turned to warn them about what they were going to see. However, a loud yell and the crash of breaking glass from inside caught his attention before he got a single word out. Tsuna stopped. It had been more glass than could be accounted for by a mere bottle. A girl came running out, obviously panicked and looking for help. She seemed relieved when she saw Tsuna.

"Orange! Thank God! They need your help! Grey's been knocked out and--" Tsuna was already running inside before she'd gotten past the word 'need'. He stopped to assess the situation when he got into the main room. Grey was laying unconscious where he'd crashed into several tables. Looking up, Tsuna could see the glass busted out of one of the booth windows, apparently the location of where the fight was. The customers were all doing their best to leave the place, not wanting to get into the middle of a brawl. The waitresses were standing around looking up at the window in shock, having just seen Grey come flying through it.

Ignoring his friends that had run inside after him, Tsuna dashed for the stairs leading up to the booth. Rage overwhelmed him when he saw what was inside. Indigo and two other bouncers he didn't recognize were sprawled out on the ground with lumps forming on their heads. But what made Tsuna snap was when he saw Red lying on the ground, battered and beaten, bruises continuing to darken on her skin even as he watched.

Tsuna turned to the cause. The Dying Will Flame burst out on his head before the man even looked up. He didn't know what hit him when Tsuna poured all his anger into a single punch to the gut, knocking the man backward out the booth's broken window. He landed next to the injured Grey, smashing several more tables upon impact. In an instant, Tsuna jumped out after him, straddling him as he beat the man mercilessly. Coldly, Tsuna calculated his hits to leave the man conscious. He wanted the man to remember every impact of the punishment as well as still be conscious for the Judgment that would come next.

Pink slowly walked up next to him and he stopped, waiting for the order. Looking around, Pink watched as all the waitresses standing around gave a thumbs down in agreement. They didn't care what was done to the customer. He was scum and should be punished for what he'd done.

"Bouncer's Judgment," Pink called, giving a thumbs down as well. Tsuna nodded and moved. Grabbing the man's arm, he held it up. Before the man could react to defend himself, Tsuna flared the flames in his glove and chopped. His hand cut through the man's arm with precision and force, the intense heat of the flame encasing Tsuna's hand forcing the flesh to part before him. The man screamed as the flame cauterized the wound even as it was being made. Within two horrible seconds, Tsuna had forced his way completely through the man's bone and out the other side of his arm, detaching it completely from his victim's body. But Tsuna wasn't done. An arm and a leg is the price required for breaking Pink's rules to this extreme. That's what the club's security team had decided on long ago.

It wasn't until the man's leg was hanging from Tsuna's hand instead of the man's body that he remembered his friends were there with him. He looked over at them, horrified that he'd allowed them to witness his brutality. The Dying Will Flame receded as he looked into their eyes. Relief made him want to sag when instead of disgust, he saw them looking at him in sad understanding. They knew how much it hurt him to do things like this. They knew and that's what allowed them to be dispassionate about the bloodshed.

Dropping the bloody limb, Tsuna turned back to the business at hand. He grabbed the now-unconscious man's collar and dragged him outside. A crowd stopped to look at him when he tossed the man into the middle of the street.

"This is the punishment for beating a waitress," Tsuna said loudly, making sure everyone nearby heard him. "It costs an arm and a leg to break the rules at Pink's. Make sure you remember it." With that, he turned and went back inside, leaving the man to be cleaned up by someone else. Order was already starting to be restored as he reentered. Grey was back on his feet, heading for the bar to get a drink. Several of the girls were cleaning up the glass and shattered tables. Red had been taken to get help. Indigo and the other bouncers were still unconscious, but were being tended by several of the dancers. Pink caught his attention and waved him over to the bar. With a motion for his friends to follow, he went. She put a shot of V Special on the counter for him, which he took gratefully.

"Thanks, Orange," Pink said as they sat in front of the bar next to Grey. "Red will probably be okay after some rest. I had her sent to the hospital just in case though." Tsuna sagged with relief at the news.

"I'm sorry," Grey apologized, shamed at his failure. "I tried to pull him off but his strength caught me by surprise. He knocked me out of the window before--"

"It's okay," Tsuna interrupted. "We all mess up sometimes."

"Who's your friends, Orange?" Blue asked as she walked up, a replacement shirt for Tsuna in her hand.

"Ah!" Tsuna said, apologizing for his rudeness. He explained as he pulled off the bloody shirt he was wearing and pulled on the clean one, ignoring the appreciative looks of the waitresses and dancers. "I was actually going to see if one of my friend here could work behind the bar with you, Pink. Gokudera can mix drinks and Yamamoto could--" Pink held up her hand to forestall him.

"I'm the only one that mixes drinks around here, but if your friends need a job, I'll be happy to hire them. Any friend of yours must be a decent guy. One can fill the beer orders for me and the other can work as a bouncer."

"I don't want either of them working security..." he grimaced.

"It's okay, Tsuna," Yamamoto said, patting Tsuna on the back. "I'll leave this place to Gokudera. I'm sure there's somewhere else I can work." Pink looked him over as if trying to decide something.

"You're a swordsman, aren't you? You have that kind of feel to you," she said finally. Yamamoto nodded. "Try Benji's. Tell him I sent you and he might set you up with a job."

"Benji's?" Yamamoto asked. Tsuna's face lit up.

"It's a sword place," he explained. "They sharpen and repair damaged blades. I remember Cheri telling me that's where she takes hers once a week."

"We'll check it out then," Yamamoto agreed with a smile.

The dancers started taking their place back on stage and the music restarted. Customers began coming back in now that it had calmed down. Tsuna stayed until the rest of the bouncers were back on their feet, not wanting to leave the place unmanned. Occasionally when a judgment was made, the Family of the one judged took offense and tried to come back. He wasn't about to leave before he was sure that the girls would be protected.

It was only as he got up to leave that he noticed the looks on his friends' faces. They were both pretty flustered and obviously trying to keep from looking at the stage. And failing miserably. Tsuna chuckled to himself, bringing their attention to him. They turned a deeper shade when they realized he had caught them.

"I'm sorry, Ten--" Gokudera said, automatically trying to apologize for his indecent behavior. Tsuna interrupted before Gokudera could give his identity away.

"Orange. I'm called Orange here. You have to remember that." He smiled broadly at the hue still covering his friend's face. A mischievous thought flashed through Tsuna's head. "Hey, Pink," he called. "Is Scarlet taken yet?" She shook her head no. The color scarlet wasn't being used as anyone's codename yet. Tsuna's grin got wider. "My friend's Scarlet then." She looked at him curiously and then over to Gokudera's face. The hue turned a deeper shade as he realized what was going on. Pink laughed.

"Scarlet he is," she agreed.

* * *

As they continued through Mafia Row, heading for Benji's, the two boys got control of their red faces. Tsuna smiled to himself, wondering if he'd been the same way the first time he'd went in. Something told him he had. Although, as the redness in their faces disappeared, Tsuna noticed a faint green tinge in them that had been covered before. 

Tsuna grimaced to himself. They had been sickened by what they'd seen, after all. He couldn't blame them for wanting to get sick, but he was faintly glad that they were holding it together. If either of them gave in, he didn't think he'd be able to hold back his own reaction. As it was, all three of them were only still standing because they didn't want to see the other two fall. They didn't hate him for it, though. That look of understanding he'd seen in their eyes had been genuine. Between that and the shot that Pink had given him, he was able to manage. Was able to continue walking and talking normally. Was able to live.

Tsuna was suddenly glad that Pink was willing to put in a good word for Yamamoto. He didn't think the other boy would be able to slice much of anything for a while, so Tsuna's original idea of the Row's sushi resturaunt was out of the question. Benji's would be a bit easier. Dealing with knifes and swords instead of using them.

"Tsuna," Yamamoto said suddenly, making Tsuna look up from where he'd been going in mental circles again. The swordsman looked down as they continued walking. His next words brought Tsuna to a dead stop though. "Why do you do it?"

Tsuna's mouth parted in surprise as he saw the innocent curiousity in Yamamoto's face. The question had been more than just 'why did you do that at Pink's'. He wanted to know why Tsuna was willing to do acts like that in general. He really wanted to know, but Tsuna didn't know what to tell him.

Why _did _he do it, he asked himself. There had been a reason, he remembered. It had been a good reason, he was sure. Yet he couldn't think of it. His friends continued to look at him, their faces turning from looks of curiosity to worry when Tsuna remained silent. His eyes began to dialate in shock as he rummaged through his own mind in panic. He tried to find the answer to put his friends at ease and he still found his mind blank.

"It's okay, Tenth. You can tell him later," Gokudera interjected carefully, trying to put Tsuna at ease instead of the other way around. Tsuna nodded numbly and went back to leading them to Benji's. All through Yamamoto's self-introduction to the owner and the following interview, Tsuna only partially paid attention. His mind was too lost trying to remember the reason he went through all this pain and bloodshed.

There was a reason, wasn't there?


	17. Chapter 17 Missing

Gokudera resisted another urge to beat the living hell out of Yamamoto. The Tenth had been brutal, but that was the way of things in the mafia. Those that hesitate, die. Those that are weak, die. In the case of a boss, those that hesitate and are weak cause the death of hundreds instead of merely their own.

He made a mental note to talk to the idiot later. One way or another he'd get it through the jock's head that this wasn't a fucking game. Asking the Tenth something like "why" wasn't an option. The question had affected his boss, he could see. Even as they began the trek back through the sewer network, the Tenth was still quietly lost in his own thoughts.

A Family's survival relies on the strength of it's boss. The Tenth was already strong, Gokudera knew, but his kindness kept him from using it most of the time. He had to overcome that hesitation somehow. From what they'd seen at the bar, his hands-on training had been dealing with that. The Tenth hadn't stopped for a moment until what needed to be done had been done.

Gokudera lit another cigarette and grumbled when he stumbled a bit on the uneven ground. It hadn't been pretty. Even he, who had been raised in a Family, had been a bit nauseated at the sight of the man being dismembered. That kind of thing was normally done out of view, so he'd been sheltered in his own way. He'd heard about it being done before, but he'd never seen it first-hand. Gokudera hadn't known that blood could spray that far if you cut an artery. The most he'd ever seen was a bit of charring or slow leak that his dynamite would cause if the enemy was too weak.

But the enemy always survived, Gokudera remembered. They always got up and were able to walk away in the end. Either immediately after or a few days down the line from a hospital bed. His dynamite had never blown off limbs or done any permanent damage. He had always aimed to slightly injure instead of kill, whereas the Tenth was aiming to permanently maim or kill now. He didn't have the choice of injuring anymore. Too many lives depended on him for the Tenth to allow even a chance of failure.

"I'm still naive," he thought to himself as the realization sunk in.

Gokudera broke himself out of his mental morass as the empty sewer-line they were walking in opened up into the hotel's basement. The sight of Yamamoto dropping to his knees caught his attention. He began to walk forward to see what was wrong, but the smell of something caught his attention. Sniffing again to try and identify it, darkness swept over Gokudera.

* * *

Tsuna was forcefully broken out of his thought by the sound of something falling behind him. He turned and was shocked to see Gokudera laying sprawled on the ground, cigarette rolling quietly away. He began to dash forward to check on him, but the sound of Yamamoto collapsing made him pause.

A strange scent in the air caught his attention finally. He sniffed experimentally but that proved the incorrect thing to do. A wave of dizziness washed over him and he stumbled. Unable to rebalance himself, he fell to the ground. His inner flame spiked from his surprise. His head momentarily cleared as the flame increased, burning away whatever was affecting his body. Tsuna tried to stand and found he couldn't. It was as if his strength was forcefully being sapped away.

The smell got stronger and Tsuna increased his flame to it's limits, letting it flow out of his body in the form of the Dying Will Flame as he tried to locate the source. There was nothing. The room was empty except for his unconscious friends. As the smell continued to get stronger, Tsuna once again tried to stand. The urgency of helping his friends overwhelmed everything else. He managed to get up for a mere moment before dizziness knocked him back down. A dull ache started forming in his head the more he fought against the affects.

That's when he saw it. The gas canisters attached to the ceiling, previously hidden by the ductwork stored there. He pulled himself up on his elbows, intending to get rid of the canister. He tried to shake off the effects and stand, but fell flat on his back as the gas continued to eat the strength his flames gave him. The gas was too strong, he finally realized as his vision began to waver. The sound of footsteps caught his attention, but he didn't have the strength to move his head anymore. The Dying Will Flame on his head faded from view against his will. He continued trying to struggle against the invisible enemy attacking his body without it. His vision began to blur yet again from the gas still leaking into the room. He no longer had the strength to force himself to refocus.

"This is taking too long," a voice said, muffled by a gas mask. Tsuna could barely make him out. He tried to force himself to move, but his body wouldn't answer him. The person reached into their pocket and brought out another canister. Tsuna was unable to react as it was sprayed directly into his face, bringing oblivion immediately.

* * *

Yamamoto woke first. Clutching his head as a wave of vertigo hit, he sat up. He needed to assess the situation. One minute they'd been walking out of the sewer-network, the next he had been laying on the cold basement floor. He looked over to where Gokudera was starting to move, the effects of whatever had hit them having worn off.

"Oi," Reborn said, popping out of hiding spot. He, too, seemed to be wavering a bit on his feet, although he hid it pretty well. "Where's Tsuna?"

The swordsman looked around, realizing they were one person short. He shook his head absently, looking around harder as if his friend would suddenly appear if he did. Horror set in and he could see it reflected on Gokudera's face when the silence continued and Tsuna didn't appear.

"Did someone take the Tenth?" Gokudera asked from where he was sitting. He, too, was rubbing his head to try and get the vertigo to go away. Yamamoto got to his feet, not wanting to answer that question. Instead he started trying to look for clues as Reborn called for an investigation team.

"We were out three hours," Gokudera said into the silence. He checked his watch multiple times to verify. Reborn interrupted Yamamoto's reply as Leon transformed into a small, square device.

"I've got a tracking device on him. Leon put one in that charm we gave him for his birthday. There's also one in his shirt and another in his shoes."

"Why didn't you say so earlier! Let's go get the Tenth!" Reborn nodded at Gokudera's words as they took off. At first, the two boys were surprised when the didn't go up into the hotel, but instead began heading back down into the sewer network. He explained absently.

"The signal is coming from underground. Whoever took him probably didn't want to be seen, so it's likely they headed through here. This access point for Mafia Row is only open to the Vongola, but the network runs throughout the city. It's possible they plan to exit through a different point."

Yamamoto and Gokudera nodded, increasing their pace. Twice they came to a stop and Reborn overlayed their location with a map of the sewer-lines, trying to verify which way to go. This area was a maze and sometimes one had to go left to get to the right. Eventually, the lines got smaller. Where they could previously walk side-by-side, they now had to walk single file to get through. Finally, Reborn came to a halt outside a hatch door.

"It says he's in here," he warned. Gokudera made ready several sticks of dynamite and Yamamoto transformed Shigure Kintoki in answer. Reborn had Leon transform into a gun. There were likely enemies inside.

After checking a second time to see if they were ready, Reborn pushed the door open as quietly as he could instead of charging in. It would be better if he could catch any enemies by surprise instead of the other way around. Reborn acted quickly when the hatch door squeaked, changing the plan. He threw the door open and dived inside, prepared to take out anyone in the way.

The room was empty.

"Where is he?!" Gokudera yelled at Reborn. "You said the Tenth was here!" Only then did he notice the frown on the little hitman's face as he stared at something in the corner. Yamamoto was staring at it, as well.

Curious, the dynamite specialist went to inspect, keeping the dynamite in his hand as he went. The dynamite fell from his limp hands when he recognized what it was. The Tenth's clothes and jewelry were sitting in a tattered heap. He picked up his boss' shirt, knocking the ring and necklace loose. He held it up, growing pale at the blood that was marking it.

Reborn walked up behind him, picking up the Vongola ring and the Rebuke charm as he looked through the pile. His student's pants, shirt, even his gloves were there. Everything but Tsuna's boxers had been removed. From the tears rending the clothes and the blood staining it, Reborn assumed it had been done violently.

But where was Tsuna?

"This is bad," he muttered as Yamamoto and Gokudera continued to look at the pile in shock. "This is very bad."

* * *

"We want to help, too!" Ryohei yelled at Iemitsu in the Ninth's office. He'd been informed of the situation the moment they'd returned to Headquarters and he'd not been a happy boxer. Tsuna was like a brother to him and they didn't know where he was. Ryohei punched the wall in anger when Iemitsu shook his head no again. As debris went flying, the wall becoming a doorway, Iemitsu tried to get them to calm down.

"I know how you feel. But they'll find him. Just let our guys do their work. They are specialists in this--."

"Let them help," the Ninth interrupted, speaking for the first time since the three boys had barged into his meeting with Iemitsu and Xanxus. "Their determination shouldn't be ignored." He nodded with his chin for Iemitsu to look closely at the three. Ryohei was still seething. Yamamoto's shoulders were shaking from the strain to keep himself calm as he clutched his bamboo Shigure Kintoki. Gokudera was pulling on his hair, threatening to pull it out in effort to supress the urge to blow Iemitsu up. A very traitorous thought, he knew, but he wanted to go find the Tenth!

All three held a look of fierceness in their eyes saying they wouldn't stop until they did something to help find their friend. Iemitsu sighed, nodding agreement with the Ninth. These three not only shouldn't be ignored, they wouldn't allow themselves to be. Iemitsu couldn't fault them. He wanted to find his son just as badly, which was why he'd tried to get them to leave. The blond man wanted this meeting over so he could get to work himself. The Ninth gave his orders, making everyone happy.

"Xanxus, you take one of the boys and see what you can find out. Iemitsu, take another and ask around our informants. Someone should have a clue where Tsunayoshi is. Whichever one is left can go help the investigation team. They're still scouring the sewer lines for clues."

"I'll take the boxer trash," Xanxus said with a cruel gleam in his eye. "His fists could prove interesting in getting scum to talk." The Ninth nodded, his soft eyes momentarily growing hard when he accepted Xanxus' intentions.

"I'll go with the Tenth's father," Gokudera said and Yamamoto nodded in agreement. Yamamoto would rather be actually on Tsuna's trail than trying to get information. Gokudera, on the other hand, needed to do something more active. Questioning informants would be hands-on enough to keep him calm. Plus, Yamamoto had a feeling that Gokudera wouldn't be as good at looking for nearly-invisible clues. Patience wasn't one of his greater virtues.

"Go, find him and bring him back safely," the Ninth ordered, sending people flying onto the trail of the only blood heir he had left.

* * *

Tsuna woke with a moan, barely noticing the chill on his body. His head felt like he'd downed another bottle of V Special. But he didn't remember--

Memory of what had happened came rushing into his head in an instant, knocking away the pain in his head for a moment. He opened his eyes, trying to see where he was only to find he'd been blindfolded. He could feel a chill draft hit his body, telling him he was nearly naked. His arms were stretched up over his head and he could feel chains holding his wrists together from where he hanged. Worst of all, he couldn't feel the familiar presence of his gloves.

He had to get free. He tightened his muscles, pulling his wrists away from each other in an attempt to break free, but they didn't budge. Tsuna tried to pull himself up, to get better leverage, but the weight of chains binding his feet wouldn't allow it. There was only a few centimeters up or down that he could move, regardless of how much effort he used. He didn't give up. He tried pulling himself up over and over, hoping to break the links or even possibly pulling chains out of the ground.

They wouldn't move. He hung there panting while he thought. He hadn't even managed to get his blindfold off. Whoever had captured him had done so with knowledge of his strength. He smiled to himself. They had no clue who they were dealing with. He just had to increase his flame to unlock his inner limits and these chains would be nothing.

He began to increase his flame, ignoring the throb in his head. As his flame got stronger, the pain increased until he was seeing lights in the darkness. Still he pushed through, trying to hit the level where his physical limits would be unlocked instead of merely his mental ones. Before he could get it to the level of the Dying Will Flame, however, he blacked out, his body unable to handle the invisible force warning him to back down.

A blow to his stomach woke him, the sudden pain being totally unexpected. His gut felt like it had just been hit by a truck, sending spasms up and down his spine. His heart felt like it was lodged in his throat from the blow, sending him into a fit of hoarse coughs. Before he could fully overcome the effects of the sudden shock, a pinprick hit his neck.

He heard the sound of liquid being squeezed through a syringe. His skin felt like he'd just been covered in itching powder and his nerves were lit on fire from the drug. Trembling uncontrollably from the effects of the drug, he couldn't help the moan that escaped his lips. Tsuna had never felt this much pain at once before. This was a hundred times worse than a hangover. A thousand times worse than the worst beating Hibari had ever given him. Countless times worse than anything he could even imagine.

"There we go," a woman said. "That'll keep him from using his Flame anymore. It'll also keep him from passing out for a while. Call me when you need another dose."

He heard a man's grunt, followed by another blow to his gut that made his throat leap. He could feel his ribs straining as they cracked from the force of the impact. The effect of the drug didn't help at all. The spiking in his nerves centered around the blow and multiplied the pain caused by it. Tsuna tried to increase his flame again, but spasms began racking his body the more he flared it. It was much faster and sharper than had happened before, he realized. His nerves seemed to all be consumed by agony the more he tried to increase it, making him hiss through clenched teeth. His inner flame faltered back down to it's normal level. He was completely unable to control it through the pain anymore.

As he hung there panting and twitching, the first inklings of fear began to seep into him. He couldn't use his flames. He couldn't break the chains. He didn't have his gloves. He was completely vulnerable.

And they were hurting him.

"W-who are you?" He gasped. He was answered with a thick strap impacting his unprotected side. Tsuna gasped again from the pain and lights once again exploded into the darkness covering his eyes. His muscles tightened instinctively as he tried to control the sensation racking his body. Before he could manage, another blow hit him from the opposite side. And another.

"What do you want?!" He yelled at whoever was hitting him. Panic and fear gave him the temporary strength to yell. Why were they doing this? Did they want information? Revenge? What?! The man ignored his questions and continued to hurt him. Tsuna's muscles tensed outside his control and the strap continued to impact his body without mercy.

Ignoring the incredible pain surging through his body the best he could, he set his mind to breaking the chains again. If the man wasn't going to answer his questions, he wasn't going to just let the man continue to beat him. He had to get free. The man seemed to sense his intent and sent another powerful blow into his gut. While Tsuna grunted and instinctively tried to double over regardless of how the chains bound him, the man took advantage of his tightened stomach. He started aiming all his blows with the strap there, turning the muscles into a mass of compressed pain.

Tsuna couldn't stop himself from lurching at every blow. It _hurt_. By the time the man decided to change his focus to Tsuna's unprotected and exposed arms, he was incapable of loosening the muscles in his abs. Even attempting to move using those muscles sent a surge of pain through the rest of his body. Urgency built in Tsuna when he realized the man intended to do the same thing to the muscles in his arms. He was going to beat them until the muscles were useless. If that happened, Tsuna would be completely incapable of breaking free.

He began fighting against the chains with every ounce of his strength. The man beating him laughed at his futile attempts, sending blow after blow into his arms. Tsuna groaned, coming to the same realization. It was futile. The chains had been made to resist any force he used against it with his current strength. He was helpless. No...no, he couldn't give up. He attempted to increase his inner Flame again while the man continued to pound Tsuna's arms. Hope increased. He was able to increase it farther than before. The pain caused by the drug was subsiding.

To cover his hope, he allowed himself to moan in pain to satisfy the man beating him. He continued to mindlessly resist the chains and the strap, secretly conserving his energy the best he could. Until the effects totally wore off, he had to keep the man from noticing how fast the drug was being burned off. It still hurt him, but it was slowly subsiding to a controllable level. What worried him, however, was how systematically the man was beating him. He couldn't feel his arms anymore. He prayed that they'd answer him when he finally got use of his Flame. He'd only get one chance.

* * *

Gokudera inched into the small hotel room behind Iemitsu, closing the door after they were both safely inside. There was a small squat man looking worriedly out the window as he shut the blinds. Spying was dangerous work and he didn't want to be caught.

"You said you knew something over the phone?" Iemitsu asked, getting straight to the point. He wasn't going to waste any time if he could help it. The man nodded, twitching a bit as he sat down. He motioned the two to sit on the bed as he explained.

"I've been keeping track of the Wilde Family since that incident with the assassin. There's quite a few things that they're doing that the Ninth needs to know about."

"What about the Tenth?" Gokudera interjected grumpily. The man shook his head. He didn't know anything about the 10th. Gokudera and Iemitsu glared as they began to leave, but the man stopped them in panic.

"Wait, it has to do with Gola Mosca."

Iemitsu stopped.

"How do you know about that?"

"That's what I'm trying to tell you," the man said with wide eyes. "The Wilde Family was the one behind the continued attempts to redevelop the damn thing. They've been kidnapping every person they can get to test out their newest models." He began rummaging through some files on his table. After a moment, he began to talk excitedly, their attention and narrow focus on him making him sweat. "I've got the name of their next target. It's some bouncer from a club down in Mafia Row. They called him Orange. Apparently he's a special one that has flame and the Wildes seem to have a grudge--"

"Che," Gokudera said, grabbing the man's collar and pinning him to the wall. "That's the fucking Tenth, you dumbass! Where did they take him?" The man shook his head in fear.

"I-I don't know."

Iemitsu began rummaging through the man's files, finally he picked up one and asked, "What's this?"

The man recognized it at a glimpse and paled.

"That's previous victims we've identified." As Iemitsu looked through it, the blood drained from his face and he had to cover his mouth to keep from getting sick. The pictures of the victims weren't pretty. They all looked like they were wrung dry, their emancipated forms covered in bruises and wounds.

"What happened to them?" Iemitsu finally asked.

"T-they were broken." The man choked as Gokudera's fist clutched his collar tighter at the words. He still managed to continue, "Their latest test model doesn't have the restraining systems for the human component that the Vongola's once had. So to keep what is put inside from getting out, they break them. They don't need the power source to have a mind, as long as it has a flame."

Horror crossed Gokudera's face and he dropped the man in shock. Iemitsu felt the same. These people had captured his son. They were planning on hurting his son. The two nodded to each other as the sense of urgency increased. They had to find Tsuna..._FAST_. Without hesitating anymore, they rushed out the door, heading to report back in hopes that the others had found something.


	18. Chapter 18 Lost

With a scream of rage, Tsuna's flame finally burst free onto his head. In that moment, he used every muscle he could in an attempt to break free. He wanted to cry when his arms didn't answer him. He tried using his abs to pull down when he couldn't pull up with his arms. Those, too, wouldn't answer him. Before the man could react to the Dying Will Flame on Tsuna's head, he tried the last thing he could think of. He kicked his legs.

The chain burst loose from the concrete floor. Although it didn't help much in the overall scheme of things, he managed to kick the man away from him. He heard a crash when the man smacked into a door. That gave Tsuna enough time to once again attempt to use his arms. He screamed in pain as he forced them answer him whether they wanted to or not. Tears began to run down his face as he slowly pulled his wrists apart. While he worked, he continued to kick blindly in case the man returned to stop him.

He tried to swing around and kick behind him when he heard the man's laughter from that direction. He landed hard on his back when his wrists finally broke free in the middle of that swing. Trying to sit up, he found he couldn't. He couldn't even lower his arms from over his head. Having used so much energy in getting free, he didn't have the energy for the most important part.

Escaping was impossible.

Silent tears poured down his face while he attempted to roll over and failed. Laughter once again filled the room, sending a surge of determination and strength through Tsuna. He _would _get free! Using that surge, he managed to roll over and get to his knees. His arms fell useless to his sides. That was fine. Tsuna could still use his legs. He started to attempt to get to his feet, but his keeper wasn't going to allow it.

Tsuna gasped as a pinprick hit his exposed back and something was injected into him yet again. Instead of pain, this time there was only oblivion.

* * *

Hibari looked out the window of his luxuriously appointed room in Dino's mansion. He'd chosen not to join the herbivores in their home, instead taking the blond man's hospitality while he continued to look for his own place. Although he wasn't the type to like owing someone for a favor, he wasn't one to sleep on the street either. Doing such a thing would be too undisciplined. 

A smile played on his lips as he thought over today's spar once again. His toy had become quite thrilling. Sawada had increased in not only speed, but he had lost his hestitation. The boy had been interesting before, but there had always been that moment where Hibari could tell that Sawada was trying to simply defeat him. As if he could be defeated without killing intent. The knowledge that his opponent finally had killing intent excited Hibari to no end.

A knock from the door interrupted his train of thoughts. His eyes narrowed as the door opened before he could call to permit entry. He'd have to bite the man to death if there wasn't a good reason. Hibari relaxed as he saw it was the little man known as Reborn.

"Baby," he greeted, playing with the thought of another spar. "What brings you here?"

"Your toy has been stolen," he replied, calmly sitting down on one of the room's many leather chairs. Hibari's eyes narrowed.

"Stolen, you say? How undisciplined." Hibari frowned deeply, making Reborn restrain a grin. Hibari wasn't that hard to deal with if you used the proper phrasing. He could almost see the thoughts running through the Cloud Guardian's head as his fingers instinctively twitched toward his sheathed tonfas.

Hibari had come to Italy solely to be able to fight Tsuna on a daily basis. He claimed it was to spread the Discipline of Namimori, but Reborn knew the truth. Several weeks without having anyone strong to play with after being Tsuna's constant sparring partner had been quite a disappointment to the boy. He had missed the rush and excitement that Tsuna gave him, although he'd never admit it.

And now he had been told that his 'toy' had been taken away from him after a mere two days. Worse, had been stolen. Someone had dared to steal from Hibari. Anger built in the boy and was quickly controlled. That's alright, he was thinking.

"All I have to do is bite them to death," Hibari muttered as he walked out the door, leaving a smiling Reborn in his wake.

* * *

Tsuna gasped awake from the effects of being drenched in freezing water. He instantly tried to increase his Flame in defense and found he couldn't. They had used that drug on him again. The one that sent spasms through Tsuna any time he tried to use his flame. The one that lit his skin and nerves with agony. 

He was hanging once again from the ceiling. They'd resecured him while he was unconscious. He couldn't tell if he was still in the same room, but it didn't really matter. As if he'd never gotten free, he was completely at the mercy of his captors again. This time, without even the hope of getting free. They wouldn't make the same mistake with him twice.

He tried to control the shaking in his body while listening for clues as to what was going on around him. The silence was scarier than anything else. Fearing what he couldn't see. Not knowing where and when a blow would hit him in the darkness blinding him. His keeper seemed to know this. A sudden poke into his ribs made him lurch and the man laughed in pleasure.

Then the lash began to fall again. The thick strap bit into him harder than before. Weak from his escape attempt and the beating that he'd already been through, Tsuna couldn't fortify himself against it. He moaned with every blow, tears of pain soaking the blindfold around his face.

Between the pain from the drug and the pain from the strap, Tsuna's was oblivious to all else. His entire world became encompassed with agony. He gritted his teeth in effort to control himself. Moaning would only give his torturer the satisfaction of knowing how much he hurt. He couldn't stop the tears, however.

His keeper chuckled softly at Tsuna's attempt to control himself. The lash continued to hit against his bare flesh, sending crack after crack into the air. Again and again Tsuna lurched from the incredible force of the blows sent into his body. It was almost as if the man had started trying to send the strap _through_ Tsuna instead of against his flesh.

Indeed the man had learned from his previous mistake. The moment the effects of the drug began to lessen, the lash stopped long enough for another pinprick to hit his neck and another dose be ruthlessly injected. The man didn't even give Tsuna a moment to adjust before he began striking again.

The man started from the beginning again, hitting Tsuna in the stomach to force him to tighten his muscles. After that, the strap alternated across his back and stomach, systematically going up and down. Each time the strap hit his chest, he found himself breathless from the pain. Then it hit across his shoulder blades, forcing him to lurch in the opposite direction. When it hit his stomach, he had the irresistable urge to double over. Across his back and front, systematically altering sides the strap hit. Each blow seemed to land on top of the previous one yet somehow slowly make it's way up and down on it's systematic path.

When Tsuna became limp, unable to feel the blows anymore, his invisible assailant changed focus. Tsuna gritted his teeth again from the pain, not wanting to give in and cry out. Refusing to give in and cry out. The man continued his assault knowing how much pain he was causing regardless. He knew how the injections set Tsuna's nerves on fire and how the blows turned his muscles into cramped lumps of useless flesh. The unending tears that Tsuna couldn't stop from flowing told the man what his lack of audible sound didn't. Yet still Tsuna refused to give in. He had to resist in this at the very least.

Over and over the man beat him, the thick strap hurting him without drawing blood. Up and down his sides the continued, each blow laying next to the previous one systematically as they altered sides. When he thought they were finally going to stop and the man might take a break, he began hitting Tsuna's arms again. Then his legs. Then his chest and his back once more. The blows started coming more and more frequent when the man still didn't get the satisfaction of his moans.

When that didn't work, blows started to come more furiously and erratically, leaving him unable to predict where the next one was going to hit. Tsuna began to thrash uncontrollably from the blows. His nerves and skin felt like they were on fire, making his body spasm and twitch even as he tried to ignore it. Then a strike hit his face, causing all the built up tension to explode into his brain.

He began to scream.

* * *

Yamamoto continued down the sewer-lines. Most of the investigation team had given up, but he refused to yet. There had to be a clue somewhere in this maze. He looked around the intersection with his flashlight, hoping that something would tell him what direction to go in. 

The scurry of a rat rushing down the sewer-line caught his attention. While looking curiously for the source of the sound, he found the clue he needed. It was barely noticeable, but there was a slight impression in the accumulated dust and hardened dirt on this section of underground tubing. Yamamoto examined it closely, trying to determine if it was recent. A single drop of blood to the side, already soaked into the ground, told him it was. He marked the spot with a beacon that the investigation team had given him. They'd follow up as soon as they got the signal.

"I'm coming, Tsuna," he whispered into the darkness as he began to run forward.

* * *

Had it been hours? Had it been days? Weeks? Tsuna couldn't tell anymore. His body was a solid lump of pain, forever hanging in agony. He'd passed out a few times, but they'd forced him back awake by dousing him in freezing water. The shock had forcefully contracted his already painfully constricted muscles, causing another moan to pass through his raw throat from the pain. 

Why? Why were they doing this? They never asked him any questions. They didn't even say a word except to each other. Their whole goal seemed merely to make Tsuna hurt.

He was limp from exhaustion, the strain it took to keep his mind from breaking nearly overcoming the strain his body was going through. Tsuna could feel it. Even as his screams had echoed into the room, his mind had begged for release. It wanted to break so that it couldn't feel the pain anymore. So it couldn't feel anything anymore.

But Tsuna refused. He'd forced his mind to accept the pain. To accept the hurt. He had to.

He couldn't break.

The words became a litany he kept repeating to himself. Even after they injected him again and his raw nerves caused tears to run down his face. Even as the lashes began again, ever more forcefully, he repeated it to himself.

I won't break.

He didn't even have the strength to react to the blows that continually pounded into him, putting everything he had into forcing his mind to stay in one piece. Forced himself to stay sane. He knew that his Family was looking for him. They wouldn't abandon him. He had to stay in one piece. He couldn't fail his Family. He couldn't break. No matter what.

"I WON'T BREAK!" Tsuna screamed, his raw throat spraying blood onto his lips. His attacker began to laugh mercilessly as he continued torturing his captive, sending strike after strike systematically onto Tsuna's already beaten body.

The cracking sound suddenly took on a wet tone as Tsuna's skin finally broke under the ministrations of his assailant. Tsuna had thought he was incapable of feeling any of it anymore, but that proved him wrong. Whether it was the effect of the drug they kept injecting him with or something embedded into the strap, he didn't know. But every break of his flesh proved to him that he could indeed still feel pain.

Tears mixed with blood and the strap continued to fall. Whenever he fell silent in exhaustion, unable to even moan, the man would began pounding eratically instead of systematically again. The tension once again sent Tsuna thrashing uncontrollably until a strike to his face jarred his brain into a blinding spasm of agony. When that happened, Tsuna found that no matter how exhausted he was...no matter how incapable he thought himself to be...he could still scream.

* * *

Ryohei threw another man against a building. How many had Xanxus have him question now? A dozen? Two? Ryohei had lost track. He didn't care. He wanted answers and he wanted them now. If the guy talks, no problem. If not, they're sandbags until they do. 

Xanxus had broken through all of Ryohei's qualms. It hadn't been difficult.

"The longer you take to get these fucks to talk," he had said, "the longer until your shitty friend is found. How long do you think that scum can last in the enemies' hands? You've seen how the trash looks when I bring him back. Someone's probably going to be going home looking like that with the kid's blood if you take too fucking long."

That easy. The thought of Tsuna's blood on someone else made Ryohei rampage while Xanxus watched in near glee.

As for Xanxus, he actually wanted to find the kid, too. Although he still considered Tsuna a brat, it was a brat he had spilled blood with. He had an inkling of respect for the kid that he wouldn't admit to. No matter how much Xanxus had made him do things that would break a lesser man, the kid had stepped up to the challenge.

If anyone was going to break the piece of trash, it was going to be Xanxus.

"The pieces of shit will pay for their insult to Vongola," Xanxus smiled cruelly as Ryohei commenced knocking every piece of information he could out of his target. Xanxus stepped forward, grabbing another target as his hand was consumed with the Flame of Wrath. Ryohei barely raised an eyebrow at his assistance. He wasn't going to look a gift-horse in the mouth. Although, the truth was that Xanxus' hyper-intuition was kicking in instead of any desire to make it easier for Ryohei.

Xanxus had a bad feeling that time was running out.

* * *

Tsuna hardly noticed as the door to his prison slammed open then shut. The only reason he noticed at all was because of the way the blood on his body turned cold from the draft. Then again, there wasn't much of his body not bloodied or at least wet. The dripping sensation covering what he could still feel of his body was everywhere, driving a strange corner of his mind insane. 

His attacker had finally decided to take an actual break. Tsuna hung limply in the air, grateful for the rest no matter what the reason. The pain had overwhelmed everything and Tsuna had been forced to mentally retreat in order to stay sane. He fortified his mind with barrier after barrier, trying to keep it in one piece. He was holding on, but only just. Something told him to stay conscious even though his body wanted nothing more than to give out completely.

"What the hell happened to you?" His attacker said to the newcomer. Tsuna heard the scrape of a chair as someone sat down.

"The Vongola are all riled up. They're taking out everyone they can find. Apparently someone took Vongola the Tenth."

"Heh, that's nothing to worry about then. They'll calm down once they find him. Just have our guys stay out of their hair until they do. We don't want them to find the factory. Actually," the man paused, thinking, "To be on the safe side, after I'm done here we'll push the schedule up and move the factory out of Italy for a while."

"Who's the latest lab rat?"

"This is that piece of shit I was telling you about. He goes by Orange down at the club. He's the one that did the judgement on my brother a while back. I pulled some strings and they let me take over breaking him."

"Bouncer's Judgement? You must be talking about Pink's then. They're pretty strict with their rules. So he lost an arm and--"

He stopped as the sound of Tsuna's quiet and hoarse laughter finally reached their ears. Tsuna couldn't help it. These idiots knew he had an orange flame and they knew Vongola was looking for the Family's Boss-Apparent, but they hadn't put the two together. Had they not looked at the ring they'd taken off his hand?

He'd been shocked at first, but incredulity had taken over. He didn't care how much it hurt, he had to laugh. So he did, tears streaming down his face from the pain and the stupidity. He continued to laugh even as the strap hit him across the face again. He felt his lip split from the force of the blow, adding more blood to what was already slowly dripping out of it from an unknown source.

"What the fuck are you laughing for? I'm going to beat the hell out of you until you're nothing but a quivering pile of shit." His attacker was furious, he could tell from the sound of the man's voice. Tsuna tried to tell him 'I'm Vongola the 10th', but he couldn't get his mouth to work right. His throat was raw and bloody from his screams and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get anything coherent to come out.

"Piece of shit..." The man said as Tsuna felt another injection hit his neck. Tsuna wanted to scream, but he couldn't. The moan he let out was the last sound he could make. As pain and agony once again consumed his body, Tsuna silently pleaded to the heavens in hopes his Family would hear him: Hurry.


	19. Chapter 19 Found

"So this is the building that he's probably being stashed in," Iemitsu said after compiling what everyone knew. There were nearly seventy men gathered around, listening to his brief as he outlined the area on the map pinned down to his car's hood.

Yamamoto had lost their trail after nearly ten miles of following their trail, but it had helped. The information Ryohei and Xanxus had brought back was the location of several of the Wilde's houses of operation throughout Italy. By combining the two, there was several warehouses at the edge of 'No-Man's Land' that they could have taken him to. Adding in what Gokudera and Iemitsu knew, the likeliest location was that of an abandoned automotive factory.

"We'll split up and search," Iemitsu continued as everyone checked their weapons of choice. He pulled out his Glock, clearing the chamber as he began to move. "Guardians with me," he ordered. Chrome had joined the group en route to the factory, for which Iemitsu was glad. If there were any illusionists inside, she might be needed.

Iemitsu sent a silent prayer up as he continued his orders. First, sending three squads to the back of the building and another three to either side of the building with a wave of his hand. A final squad he sent to the roof. He already knew that a squad was covering all underground exits.

The same look could be seen in everyone's eyes as they silently charged forward toward the building.

No one was getting out alive if anything had happened to Tsuna.

The first floor was clear. No sign of anything out of the ordinary. It was pretty much how Iemitsu expected, considering it was a front for research and experiments that violated human rights. As they followed down into the sub-basement, each squad taking a different route through the massive building, signs of recent use started appearing.

The lack of dust on the stairs. Exit signs that shouldn't be working were lit up in the darkness. Then, actual lights brightening the area. Finally, as they came to the bottom of the stair and onto a landing, they found the lab. It was a cavernous space, easily covering several football fields. Along the walls, multiple Gola Mosca suits were lined across the walls in different states of completion. All across the lab, however, the scientists and guards were already unconscious. Several were bleeding from head wounds. Iemitsu held his gun up when he caught movement next to one of the suits.

"Would you like me to bite you to death, as well?" Hibari asked as he stood up from the scientist he'd just 'disciplined'. He eyes narrowed on Iemitsu's gun. Iemitsu lowered it, but kept it held at the ready.

"Have you seen the Tenth?" Gokudera yelled. He ran forward and began searching the suits one by one. They were all thankfully empty.

"No," Hibari simply said, glaring at the crowd. "This bores me now. I'll leave disciplining the rest to you." Before anyone could say anything, Hibari left, going up the stairs they'd just came down from.

"I'm going," Yamamoto warned. He ignored Hibari and made a dash for one of the side corridors. The rest nodded, splitting down separate corridors as they searched for Tsuna. Occassionally they came upon scientists or guards, which were quickly taken down.

He could hear the sound of dynamite going off as Gokudera also made contact with the enemy. Gunfire sounded behind him, proving Iemitsu was also at work. Door after door, Yamamoto checked down the corridor, trying to find his missing brother. Door after door proved fruitless. As he came to the end of the corridor, he noticed how the sounds of battle hardly penetrated this far back into the complex.

He stiffened when someone flew down intersecting hall, but he relaxed when he recognized Ryohei. The other boy stopped, noticing Yamamoto's presence as well. With a glance, the two realized there was only one door left down this hall. They looked at each other before moving, silently agreeing to go together. Ryohei kicked the door in and Yamamoto rushed through, sword at the ready. They cursed.

It was empty.

The two boys quickly backtracked to the main lab. From the angry and frustrated looks he found on the others' faces, they'd had no luck either.

"WHERE THE FUCK IS HE?!" Gokudera yelled on the top of his lungs. No one could blame him for the urge.

"Kufufufu," Mukuro laughed from Chrome. "Lets see if my little pets can help." While everyone was still scratching their heads over Mukuro's voice coming from Chrome, she summoned a swarm of rats to begin a search. The small, dark brown rodents ran around sniffing and clawing at every crack in the room, bringing momentary looks of disgust from Gokudera, Yamamoto, and Iemitsu. For several minutes, the group had hope. Then as the number of rats slowly decreased, flooding into other parts of the facility in search of secret doors, they became disheatened. Finally, Chrome shook her head and unsummoned them.

"He's not here," she said, her voice once again her own. Then her voice changed once again as Mukuro took control.

"Not yet, my dear Chrome, I still have one more trick up my sleeve." With that, he summoned a hellhound, it's black form appearing out of air. "Take me to the place of bloodletting," Mukuro asked it with another chuckle. The hellhound howled in answer, causing everyone to cover their ears at the hideous screech. Mukuro followed the hound as it began walking down one of the corridors and the rest of the group followed after. This was their last hope.

The hound finally stopped with another hideous screech in front of a seemingly plain door. Gokudera raised an eyebrow.

"I checked this room," Gokudera said as he opened the door. Indeed, inside was a plain empty room, no larger than a bathroom. There was a table and chair sitting inside, but otherwise it seemed a nondescript enough room. Probably a break room for the scientists. The hellhound entered and immediately began pawing at the back wall. Iemitsu signaled back down the hall toward where one of the search squads had caught up with them. As they ran forward to regroup with Iemitsu's team, Ryohei stepped forward.

"If the puppy says there's blood back here, I'm going to go all the way!" Instead of wasting time to find a hidden trigger, Ryohei unleashed his Extreme Right, blowing the wall away to reveal a hidden corridor lined with doors.

Without waiting on anyone else, Iemitsu flung the door open to the first room. A woman's scream of pain cut through the air the moment the soundproof seal around the cell was broken. That scream told him this wasn't the room he wanted, but he didn't leave yet. He had no hesitation as he shot the torturer in the head before the man could react. He motioned for someone from the support squad to pull the victim down from where she hung.

Room by room, the group went deeper into the hidden prison, taking out the painbringers as they went. At some point, Iemitsu noticed blood on Yamamoto's sword, the first he ever remembered. The look in the boy's eyes said that he'd seen too much, but Iemitsu didn't stop him as he walked forward to another door. At some point, Mukuro had fully exchanged places with Chrome. He, too, helped clean out the rooms in Chrome's place. A small explosion came from yet another room where Gokudera was using mini-bombs to take out the filth torturing innocent people without causing more pain to the victims.

Door after door the group opened, cleaning out the filth and leaving the victims in the hands of the support squads.

While he wanted to find his son, part of him hoped and prayed that he wasn't here.

* * *

I...won't...break... 

Tsuna was beyond feeling. The same litany had been going through his mind for an eternity now, the only thing that kept him from mental oblivion. He nearly fallen a few times already when hallucinations had taken over temporarily. He couldn't feel his body anymore. He couldn't smell or taste anything other than blood. His sense of sound was the only thing left that connected him with the outside world.

He wished he could shut that off, too. His attacker's laughter still rang in his ears as did the sound of the lash cracking wetly against his body. Then the hallucinations began again and the laughter turned into Kyoko's sweet giggle and the lash became the sound of Haru smacking her lips over the latest new cake. He pulled himself back, pushing the hallucination away with everything he could muster. It wasn't real.

I...won't...

The hallucinations began again even as he finished pushing the last one away. This time he thought he heard the sound of Gokudera's voice over the snap of the lash. Then Yamamoto's. Then Ryohei's. Even his father seemed to join in. It made him want to cry, but his body wouldn't allow him to anymore.

Once again he fell unconscious from pain and exhaustion with the knowledge that a cold bath awaited him.

* * *

"HERE!" Gokudera yelled as he charged forward into the room. The sight of the 10th made him snap. Instead of pulling out his mini-bombs for this type of enclosed situation, he pulled out his fist. The man had been reaching down for a bucket of water when he'd entered, obviously intending to throw it on his beloved boss. As he turned in reaction to Gokudera's yell, Gokudera plowed into him, putting all his rage and anger into every punch. The man struggled at first, but a blow to his temple knocked him out while Gokudera unleashed a storm of strikes. 

His fists were joined by others as Ryohei helped him in turning the man into a bloody mass of flesh and broken bone. It had only taken one look at Tsuna's body for Ryohei to snap. He unleashed his Extreme Right without mercy into the man's body, not caring if the man lived or died.

Yamamoto paused at the door, shock overwhelming rage. He rushed forward, focusing only on Tsuna's unconscious form which still hung chained and in place. In the middle of trying to unbind his feet, Iemitsu entered. Tears were in Iemitsu's eyes as he climbed up onto a chair to unbind Tsuna's wrists. Ryohei still seemed intent on pulverizing the remains of the man who'd hurt Tsuna, but Gokudera broke away and carefully pulled off Tsuna's blindfold, revealing a pain-filled expression.

Tsuna's body was covered in welts, lacerations, and ugly black and blue bruises. No place on his body seemed to be untouched. Blood was steadily pouring out of his mouth and down his chest from internal injuries as well as from where he'd screamed his throat bloody. His face was swollen and hardly recognizable from the massive amount of hits he'd taken. There was blood everywhere from where the attacker's blows had beaten the flesh to the point of breaking.

As Iemitsu lowered his unconscious son to the ground and into Yamamoto's waiting arms, he could hear the sickening scrape of bone from Tsuna's broken ribs. The sound made everyone's stomach clench. It was only after he was on the ground with his arms still hanging over his head that Iemitsu realized the boy's shoulders were dislocated from hanging in place so long. Gokudera held him on his side, trying to keep the blood streaming out of his mouth from pooling and drowning him. He tried to be careful, but every shift in his boss' body seemed to cause his beaten skin to break open even more.

As the medics rushed in to take over, Iemitsu pulled out his radio, the main line to the rest of the assault force. With a click, he turned it on, bringing silence to the line.

"Take no prisoners," he said calmly. With a click, he turned it off. Only then did he allow himself to begin weeping while he and the other Guardians followed Tsuna's broken body outside to the waiting ambulance.

* * *

Eight hours had been all it took. From the time Tsuna had been captured until the time he'd been rescued had only been eight hours. That had been long enough to break his body. In the end, they had taken him back to his own room, that being more secure than a hospital. Within minutes it had been covered with the medical equipment needed to heal him. Vongola doctors rushed back and forth, trying to fix all the damage that had been done. They wouldn't let anyone near at all. Even the Ninth had been respectfully refused entry.

Finally one of the doctors stopped, noticing for the first time the line of people waiting against the wall outside Tsuna's room. He bowed his head and walked past silently, telling them without words how bad it was. Finally a doctor came out that made everyone's hearts jump into their throats. If it was bad enough for Dr. Shamal to be willing to help, it had to be bad.

"Lets go see the Ninth," Shamal said as he stopped in front of Iemitsu, Reborn, and the three resident Guardians. Iemitsu nodded, accepting the request. He quickly led the way with the Guardians following behind. He didn't have the heart to refuse them. Within minutes, they'd all found themselves seated in the Ninth's office, drinks in hand all around. No one had taken the time out to change out of their bloodstained clothes or to allow themselves to feel yet. That would come later, after they knew what Tsuna's condition was.

"It's bad," Dr. Shamal said with a sigh. "We're still finding out how bad. I can tell you the bastard only used a single weapon. Something blunt."

"Leather strap," Iemitsu supplied, his stomach churning at the thought. Dr. Shamal nodded.

"That fits. It looks like it was used with varying force. The attacker probably started out easy and applied more force when Tsuna became unable to feel lighter blows. That's the only way we can explain how the ribs were broken." Several people looked like they were going to be sick, but it was Dr. Shamal's job to inform them. "We also found the presence of Flare in his body."

Iemitsu jumped up in shock then sat back down. His eyes were wide and his hands began to tremble at the thought of that being in his son's body. Gokudera, Yamamoto, and Ryohei just looked at him until he calmed down enough to tell them what exactly Flare was. Iemitsu opened his mouth to tell them, then closed it again, the words getting caught in his throat.

"Flare is a drug that is specifically made for torturing those special people that have the use of Flames," Dr. Shamal explained for him. "The person injected with the stuff will find themselves in extreme pain and any variation in their flame will multiply that." He paused, then decided to give them the hard truth. "Imagine cutting all your skin off and then pouring rubbing alcohol on what's left and you'll have an idea of the amount of pain Tsuna was probably in." The three boys paled at the description.

"Considering the place was breaking people for use inside a Gola Mosca, it's not surprising they had it. The canister of gas we retrieved from the hotel basement's ceiling was also laced with a small dosage." The doctor grimaced as he looked at the Ninth. "What _is _surprising is that Tsuna had marks from no less than six injections, possibly more." Even the Ninth began to tremble at the thought and found himself reaching for his own glass of V Special. Iemitsu was in a state of numb shock, horror masking his face.

"Is he going to be okay?" Yamamoto asked, wanting to know the basics. Unfortunately, Dr. Shamal shook his head. He just didn't know.

"We can keep him asleep while his body heals. But after going through that much pain, I can't tell you about his mind. I've known greater men broken by less." The look in his eyes told them how much it hurt to admit that.

"How long will Tsunayoshi need?" The Ninth asked.

"For his body, I'd like to keep him under for a few weeks, until he's completely healed. For his mind..." Dr. Shamal shrugged.

"Do it," the Ninth said, his eyes reflecting his anguish. "Lets get his body fixed. We can worry about his mind when he can be woken without hurting." Dr. Shamal nodded and left, urgent to get back to his charge. Silence reigned in the room as everyone became lost in their own thoughts. It was Gokudera that finally broke the silence.

"I need to get stronger. My failure allowed the Tenth to get like this," he said. Yamamoto looked at him, his eyes reflecting the same shame and heartache.

"Ah," Yamamoto agreed, "We both do."

"All of us," Ryohei said. "We need to get stronger so that when little-brother wakes up, we'll be ready." The three of them looked at each other and nodded in agreement. Simultaneously, they then looked over to the shocked Ninth.

"Make us stronger," they said together, asking for the same training that Tsuna had been undergoing.

The Ninth could only put his face in his hands as he agreed.


	20. Chapter 20 Resolution

"Where's Tsuna?" The teachers wanted to know, their classmates wanted to know, everyone wanted to know.

"He took a trip back to Japan for a few weeks," Yamamoto lied. "Don't worry, he'll be back in no time."

The teachers were suspicious, their classmates were relieved, and the others didn't fall for it. Everyone knew that yesterday after school, the Vongola had declared open war on the Wilde Family. Several people even knew the reason why: Tsuna had been kidnapped. When Yamamoto and Gokudera walked up to the sparring grounds during gym, they were instantly pounced upon by Cheri.

"Where is he, really?" She asked with her hands on her hips.

"He went to Japan for a few weeks. Didn't you hear?" Gokudera answered with a wide, fake smile planted on his face. Cheri immediately attacked, planting a knee firmly between his legs.

"Like _Hell_!" She yelled, bringing curious looks from others. Gokudera fell to the ground, clutching his offended extremities. Yamamoto grabbed her arm and dragged her out of sight around the building before she could make any bigger of a scene.

"He's hurt," he said quickly before anyone could come near. "He's hurt real bad. The Ninth asked us to continue coming to school to make everything seem like it's okay, but if you act like that it's going to be hard for us to do our jobs."

"The herbivore is injured?" Hibari asked, having slipped into hearing range without Yamamoto noticing. Yamamoto turned to him while Cheri worked to overcome her shock.

"Ah," Yamamoto replied sadly.

"Pity," Hibari mumbled. "This place is sadly devoid of anything of interest but I believe I can find some way to pass the time for a few days."

"It'll be longer than a few days, Hibari," Yamamoto growled through clenched teeth. "If you don't believe me, go see for yourself. You have access to the mansion although you don't use it."

"I see," Hibari replied with narrowed eyes. "I might do that, but for now," he reached down and grabbed Cheri's wrist. Yamamoto's eyes flashed in surprise when he began to drag her away. "I'll need a new toy."

Cheri looked like she was about to complain, but Hibari gave her a look that silenced her. It was more than just playing, she saw. He had understood Yamamoto's words instantly. That Tsuna would take more than a few days to recover meant his condition was serious. This was his way of helping to protect that condition from the public, so that he could heal without interference. His reasons for wanting Tsuna better were his own, but seeing the barely restrained blood lust in his eyes gave her an idea. Her eyes seemed to swirl in response.

"Alright, I'll play with you," she agreed softly. A small smile tugged the corner of Hibari's lips and he released her wrist.

"I'll bite you to death," he warned, unsheathing his tonfas in a swift motion. She unsheathed her twin daggers in response.

"You can try," she responded seriously.

Yamamoto watched them walk back toward the sparring grounds, shaking his head at their unintentionally cocky posing and barely restrained lust for battle. Tsuna had been right. They really were two of a kind. They might be polar opposites when it came to everyday life, but when it came to battle...Yamamoto shook his head again as he headed for where Gokudera was still lying on the ground. She hadn't held back on the strike and Gokudera was turning blue from the effort to get his lungs working again.

Cheri really was a Demon.

* * *

Ryohei looked down at his 'little-brother' with tears in his eyes. The swelling on Tsuna's face hadn't went down and it was still a hideous sight. It reminded him of the last time he'd had a match and his opponent had taken no less than three Extreme Rushes straight to his head. Ryohei had won, but the outcome had looked something like what was laying on the bed in front of him.

But Tsuna hadn't been able to counter. It hadn't been a match, it had been an execution. From what Dr. Shamal had told him in private, the attacker couldn't have been actually planning on using Tsuna afterward. They'd went too far with the torture for Tsuna to have survived much longer without care. Normally, the process of breaking would have been spread out over the course of days or weeks so that the person didn't die. Yet Tsuna had been tortured continuously until he'd been catatonic. They hadn't stopped once in order to check his condition.

They had hurt him simply to hurt him.

The knowledge made the boxer turn cold with rage. His friend...his brother had been hurt. He gritted his teeth while Tsuna's face continued to clenched in agony in his sleep. He leaned down, careful not to touch Tsuna's broken body and cause more pain, and whispered.

"Don't worry. I'll get them all, little-brother."

As the doctors began to come forward to try and ease Tsuna's pain once again, Ryohei turned and left. He walked out of the building and to where Xanxus was waiting outside with a car. Ryohei had already been briefed on his assignment. They were going to find and wipe out every single of the Wilde Family as warning to the other Families to never touch Tsuna again.

Ryohei's eyes darkened. If this was what it took to keep this from ever happening again. So. Be. It.

* * *

As they walked off the school grounds, the two boys stopped. Two separate cars were waiting on them. They nodded at each other before each taking a car. It was time.

Yamamoto was a bit reluctant to get into his car, but the memory of Tsuna's torn and battered body overcame it. He had to become stronger so that Tsuna's trust in him wouldn't be misplaced. For his brother, who meant more to him than even baseball, he would do anything. Hadn't Tsuna been willing to do anything for Yamamoto? Hadn't he even jumped off a roof to save him?

Gokudera had explained to him why the bloodshed was needed. Had helped him understand why Tsuna was willing to hurt others. It was because by hurting others, he was protecting them. It was a preemptive strike to keep those same people from hurting people that Tsuna cared about. That he was responsible for.

Yamamoto's resolution could be no less. He'd decided that a long time ago, when Tsuna had jumped into the middle of his fight with Ken. Yamamoto smiled to himself as he opened the car door. Back then, Tsuna couldn't have harmed a tomato, let alone be useful in the middle of a fight. But still, he had jumped down to protect Yamamoto at the risk of his own safety. That's when Yamamoto had decided that he would never again let his love for baseball overwhelm his resolution to do what was needed. Never again let something else get in the way of protecting his friends.

His resolution had been too weak. He knew that now, just like he had realized then. Even after he'd made that resolution, he'd allowed his sportsman side take over in fights. Had allowed his own fear of hurting others get in the way of protecting his friends. It had been only luck that he'd been able to win against Squalo with only the back of his sword.

His failure had caused Tsuna to become like that. He couldn't allow even the chance of failure anymore. He had to overcome the weaknesses in his own heart so that his resolution could be stronger. So his ability to protect his friends would be without flaw.

His Family needed him to hit a home run and he'd always been scared of hitting the ball. No more. He'd swing and knock the hell out of anything that's thrown at him. There was no way he could settle for less.

With a nod to himself, Yamamoto got into his car.

* * *

Gokudera nodded to himself as he got into his car. Yamamoto had hesitated for a moment, but the jock was finally starting to get it. They had talked long into the night, Yamamoto's simplistic questions driving Gokudera nearly insane. "Why?" Over and over again, the same freaking question. But Gokudera gritted his teeth and had answered over and over again.

He wasn't going to be naive anymore, he swore to himself. Just like the Tenth was only one man, so was he. He would do what he could, but he wasn't stupid enough to think he could protect the Tenth alone anymore. How many times had he failed already? His pride was hurt, but he wasn't going to let that overwhelm the need for the Tenth's safety. Just like Tsuna relied on him, he needed to rely on others more. So he had made an effort to get the jock to understand and accept what the Tenth did. What they, too, needed to be capable of doing.

Gokudera was the Tenth's right hand man. He had to become stronger so that he was worthy of that position. Pride and lack of trust had been Gokudera's downfall. He had figured that out on his own after seeing the state that his boss had been in. A Family wasn't made up of only a boss and a right hand man. The search for the Tenth yesterday had drove that into Gokudera's head harder and faster than anything else. He could only imagine what it would have been like if he had tried to find the boss without the help of others. The thought made him shiver as he turned to see who his 'tutor' was.

"Sis?" His mouth dropped in shock. Thankfully Bianchi was wearing goggles, but the surprise of seeing her still overwhelmed him for a moment. "W-What are you doing here?"

"The Ninth has laid out a special curriculum for you, since Tsuna has claimed you as his right hand." Gokudera's eyes shone even as they filled with dread. What was his sister going to do with him? He didn't have to wait long for an answer. "Along with the Gauntlet, you will be undergoing training to withstand poisons and gases. I'm sure you understand why there's a need?"

Gokudera thought for a moment then nodded. The knock-out gas had been a bit too effective in knocking out the Tenth's Guardians. She handed him a box of small creme puffs. The outer crust seemed normal but a fluffy purple substance oozed out when he broke one in half.

"P-poison cooking?" He asked, his face turning green. The memory of his sister's cookies was still deeply ingrained in his mind. She smiled.

"Eat one of these after every meal. It's a multi-poison I helped the Vongola to design. It'll allow your body to get used to the basic poisons without killing you. I'll warn you, Hayato, that it'll be painful at first." He nodded again, still green, but clutched the box with determination.

"I'll do it. The Tenth needs me to do it."

"You'll be wearing this during the Gauntlet tasks," Bianchi continued, handing Gokudera a gas mask. "It's laced with a common knock-out gas. Every day we'll increase the amount inside until you can withstand it completely. Once you get used to this one, we will be switching it out for a different gas until you're completely invulnerable." He put in on to test it out. Immediately a peppery scent burned his eyes and he had to fight a wave of dizziness. He began coughing and choking as he automatically pulled it off and looked at his sister.

"Don't be so weak, Hayato. There's not enough in there to knock you out," Bianchi replied with a bored look on her face. Her eyes said she was anything but bored, however. They told him that she didn't like seeing him go through this, but she understood why he was anyway. "Keep it on," she ordered.

For once, he didn't argue. This would help him better protect his beloved boss. Protect the one that had accepted him without qualms. The one that hadn't cared about his past. Hadn't cared that he was a simple pianist that no other Family wanted. The Tenth had saw past all that and had treated him as a friend and brother. Had given him a Family.

Gokudera put on the mask as the car pulled to a stop. He didn't care how much pain he had to go through. As long as it would allow him to keep the Tenth safe.

* * *

"Pathetic," Hibari mumbled to himself. He scowled down at Sawada's broken body. Most of his face and body had been wrapped carefully in bandages, but what Hibari could see around that was enough.

After much thought, Hibari decided that he couldn't believe merely Yamamoto's words. Not that he believed the man was lying, since no one dared lie to Hibari. It was because it was too hard to believe that the man Hibari had silently acknowledged had been defeated. Having sparred with Sawada so often, Hibari knew his strength better than anyone. So, he had come to see the proof for himself.

It was disgusting and irritating at the same time. Disgust that Sawada had lost. Irritating that Hibari hadn't been the one to defeat him. Whoever had done this must be strong. It had to be so. Nothing less could have brought down Sawada's hidden strength. For Sawada to be in this state, he had to have been overwhelmed completely.

The very though made him want to shake with desire. Not bothering to hide his pleasure at the knowledge that there was an opponent out there greater than Sawada, Hibari let a slow grin spread across his face. Hibari wanted to fight him and break him, whoever he was. Not in revenge for Sawada, but to satisfy the blood-lust raging inside him. Whoever had done this would be bitten to death as soon as Hibari found him.

"Pull it back, please" A gentle voice warned from the door.

Hibari wanted to ask why, but he didn't. Looking back down at Sawada, Hibari could see why. The look of agony on Sawada's face had clenched tighter in reaction to Hibari's aura. Silently, Hibari controlled it and pushed it to the back of his mind to rest. Sawada's face didn't lose it's pained expression, but it did seem to ease.

"And who might you be?" He asked, turning to the newcomer. It was actually a group of three, Hibari saw with dislike. An older man and a young man he faintly recognized, and one man Hibari definitely recognized. The one he definitely recognized was none other than Sawada's father. Yet, it hadn't been Sawada's father that had spoken. Instead, it had been the older man that Iemitsu was silently giving untold deference to.

"Thou shalt give the Ninth proper respect, Hibari!"

Hibari raised an eyebrow at the one who had admonished him. Basil, he remembered now. He had been around Namimori during the Ring Battles several years ago, during the time that Sawada had first started to show his hidden strength. Coincidence aside, Hibari could care less if this was the Ninth. The title held no meaning to him. He was in Italy under his own will and his own power. Respect went only to those that Hibari deemed deserved it and the Ninth had done nothing as of yet.

"Indeed, you truly are fitting for the Cloud ring," the Ninth said with a gentle smile. The man looked at Hibari with eyes so reminiscent of Sawada's that it was unnerving. There were just like the ones Sawada always had when Hibari got the sense he'd been immediately seen through. It was unpleasant when Sawada had that look and it was just as unpleasant when this old man had it. It made Hibari bristle silently.

He resisted the urge to leave. Not only was he not one to back down, but he wanted the information behind the one who had defeated Sawada. This man might have the very information he wanted. He refused to ask for the information, however, since that might lead to desires of repayment. So, instead of replying to the man's statement, Hibari stepped aside to allow the group access to Sawada's bedside. Only if they didn't give the information away unwittingly would Hibari rethink whether the information was worth a trade.

Once again, Hibari got that unsettling feeling when the Ninth looked at him before stepping forward to Sawada's bedside. In order to ignore it better, he walked over to Sawada's private balcony and looked out. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see a small smile on the Ninth's face, immediately gone when he looked down at his heir.

"Have you talked to Dr. Shamal recently, Basil?" The Ninth asked softly. He merely stood at Sawada's feet, staring at his battered heir with a mournful expression on his face. The reason he didn't ask Iemitsu was obvious. The man was barely restraining tears as he softly brushing back his son's hair.

"Yes, Ninth," Basil replied respectfully. Hibari listened closely while still looking out the glass doors of the second story balcony. This might give him the very information he wanted. "Dr. Shamal reported that Sawada-dono still has large amounts of Flare within thine. It shall take at least three more days henceforth before Sawada-dono's body has completely eliminated all traces."

"Flare?" Hibari asked despite himself. He turned to the group, wanting an answer regardless of his unintentional question. Iemitsu looked up mournfully and answered.

"I guess you don't really know, since you left not far into the assault," he replied with no hint of accusation. He looked back down at his son while he gave Hibari everything he wanted and more. "Tsuna was drugged with Flare. It makes the victim unable to use their Flame while also sending tremendous pain through their systems. It's a drug that popped up over fifty years ago by a rival Family. Even after Vongola destroyed that Family, the recipe for the drug has still somehow made it's way back onto the black market several times. This time, it made it's way from there into the hands of the Wilde Family."

"So Sawada was muzzled," Hibari summarized. He wanted to bite his lip in frustration but refrained. So, Sawada hadn't been defeated by a person. He'd been defeated by something like a drug. It was absolutely pathetic. Yet that still didn't explain the seriousness of his condition.

"He couldn't fight back," Iemitsu confirmed with a sad sigh, not noticing Hibari's introspection. "Even if he had tried, it's likely they had other counter-measures ready for him. When we finally found him, he'd been t-t-" Tears welled up in Iemitsu's eyes while he tried to get the word out. He continued to stutter but found it was useless. The word for what was done to his son seemed lodged in his throat, unwilling to come out at all.

"Tortured, Master," Basil supplied painfully. Iemitsu's shoulders sagged at the word and he seemed to be unable to continue for a moment. He closed his eyes to collect himself before picking back up the explanation.

"Tortured," Iemitsu confirmed softly. "They had planned to insert him into a Gola Mosca suit as a power source. Since they had only managed to get hold of a partial of the blueprints, they didn't have the necessary restraining system for the human component. Instead of trying to research and fabricate one, they decided on the alternate method of breaking. Once their victims' minds were broken through pain, they could be used inside Gola Mosca without having the will to fight or escape."

"I see," Hibari replied simply with narrowed eyes. He once again glanced at the beaten and bandaged face of his chosen adversary. Since Sawada survived such disgusting intentions, even after receiving such wounds, maybe he hadn't become pathetic after all. He'd made a mistake and had paid the price, but no doubt he was still the only opponent that Hibari could find satisfaction with.

"Whether or not he'll make it out of this in one piece is still to be seen," the Ninth said suddenly. Iemitsu looked at him for a moment before bowing his head. Hibari looked at the older man with a faint hint of surprise in his eyes.

"He's alive and the medical staff you have here is treating him," Hibari objected logically.

"He was barely alive when he was found. The doctors can treat his body but not his mind," the Ninth corrected solemnly. "Whether or not he makes it out of this in one piece is still to be seen. If nothing else, I wouldn't be surprised if his fighting spirit was destroyed."

"And if it was?" Hibari asked passively.

"We'll deal with that when the time comes," the Ninth replied softly. Hibari suppressed a surge of irritation. He would have preferred an answer resolved to beat the fighting spirit back into Sawada if needed. Then again, this man had the same pathetically caring eyes Sawada had. Not to mention his age. It was likely he was incapable of cornering someone until they were forced to fight back. It would be up to Hibari to bring back his rival if that time came. Either that or try to find satisfaction in once again forcing lower species into submission. Could Hibari go back to that after tasting the forbidden fruit of Sawada's hidden strength?

The answer was simple.

Hibari would bite him to death before it came to that.


	21. Chapter 21 Shared Pain

"So what are we going to be doing, little guy?" Yamamoto asked Reborn. Reborn frowned. The Ninth had asked him to personally oversee Yamamoto's Gauntlet run. Reborn had a feeling it was to keep him busy instead of hovering over Tsuna, but the little hitman hadn't argued. Yamamoto was probably going to be the hardest one to get used to the bloodshed that was so commonplace in mafia dealings.

It's better to start him off slow, Reborn thought to himself. They weren't allowed to let the boys handle warnings right off the bat, since that required a killing intent to be effective. The only other choice Reborn had been given was either a punishment or an execution.

"I'll let you decide," Reborn said finally. "We can either beat a guy up or kill a guy." He assumed that Yamamoto would choose the beating to avoid having a death on his conscience, but even so, making him decide for himself would strengthen the swordsman's resolution to do what needed to be done.

"What are the reasons?" Yamamoto was looking out the window at the passing terrain, although Reborn could tell he wasn't actually watching what passed.

"The guy we have to punish is a request from an allied Family," Reborn answered. "He's a guy that doesn't want to leave the Boss' daughter alone and didn't take her or the Family's warning. The execution is tied to the Gola Mosca lab. It's the sales broker for the Wilde Family. He was the guy that was trying to collect offers for when they completed Gola Mosca suits."

"Gola Mosca," Yamamoto said, still lost in thought. "That's that thing they were going to put Tsuna in, wasn't it?"

"Ah," Reborn affirmed.

"I'll do the execution," Yamamoto said after a few silent moments. Reborn twitched in surprise at his charge's choice. The swordsman turned to him, a look of queasiness glazed with determination in his eyes. "He's rigging the game so that he can gamble on a player's injury. Since we can't turn him into the committee, killing him is the only way to keep it from happening again, right?"

Reborn nodded and gave the driver directions. The rest of the car ride was done in silence.

* * *

"You're joking," Gokudera told Bianchi. She shook her head no. She was completely serious. 

He looked over at the man huddled weeping in the corner of the room. His guards had already been knocked out by Bianchi's poison buffet. Tears were streaming down his face as he begged for forgiveness. Gokudera could barely see him through his watery eyes. For a knock-out gas, the sensations from prolonged contact was painful. He felt like ants were crawling in and out of his pores and across his face. The more he sweat, the worse it got.

"It's a warning, Hayato. This man wanted to put a lot of the Family in jail. If we don't punish him now, we'll have to execute him later after he talks." She tossed him one of her favorite fillet knives. "So, to keep that from happening, you have to cut his tongue out."

"B-but--" he said, his breathe short and ragged from more than the stifling gas-mask.

"Would you do it if he was going to send Tsuna to prison?" She asked, leaning on the door frame in boredom. Gokudera's eyes hardened. He'd do it in a heartbeat for the Tenth and she knew it. He gritted his teeth as he stepped forward, ignoring the burning sensation on his face. If he'd do it to protect the Tenth, he should be capable of doing it for the Family as a whole...his Family now.

"I'll do it," was all he said as he grabbed the man's head. The man struggled, knowing what was going to happen. What was going to be done to him. Finally, Gokudera knocked him out. It was bad enough he was going to hurt this guy. The fool didn't need to be awake for it, too.

Holding the man's mouth open, Gokudera pulled out his tongue and cut.

* * *

Ryohei answered the knock at his door. He figured it was either Yamamoto or Gokudera, considering today had been their first day of training. He wasn't disappointed. Both boys stood outside. Gokudera had blood on his sleeves and his face was covered in a painful-looking red rash. Yamamoto had a red streak across his shirt and was clutching Shigure Kintoki absently. Both looked like they were completely wrung dry. 

"Mind if we borrow your wet-bar, lawn-head? They didn't put one in our rooms," Gokudera nearly begged with a pitiful look. Ryohei nodded, waving the two inside. He had them both sit while he choose a strong whiskey for the two. He couldn't blame them for wanting to drown their sorrows. He'd done it himself when he'd returned less than an hour ago. That had been the only reason he could force himself to eat.

Out of the three, Ryohei had probably done the worst. Not only did he cause pain and suffering, but he'd helped commit mass murder. Xanxus had taken him to another of the Wilde's Italian facilities. He'd been told to gather up as many of the men inside and pile their unconscious bodies in the lab. He'd done so, mercilessly knocking man after man out and dragging their bodies into the biggest room of the building. Then Xanxus had decimated all the men in an instant, turning the pile into ash with a single 'Farewell Strike' from his X-Guns.

Yet he didn't regret it. After the annihilation of the facility's crew, they'd found another prison. This one had seemed to be holding area before the victims were sent to be broken. Seeing the look on those people's faces when they realized they were going to be rescued had made the bloodshed and pain worth it. His two friends didn't look like the bloodshed had been worth it, though. As he handed them both their drinks, he saw looks of pain and lament in their faces.

"Extreme job?" He prompted. They both nodded wordlessly. After a bit of silence and a bit of alcohol, they finally started talking.

"I had to cut out someone's tongue," Gokudera said, shamefully looking down into his glass. "If I hadn't, a lot of the Family would have been in trouble."

"I had to cut off a guy's head," Yamamoto countered, his eyes wide at the memory. "I was able to do it so quickly that it made me realize Shigure Souen Ryuu really is a sword of murder like pops said."

Gokudera's heart clenched at Yamamoto's words. Cutting a man down and merely cutting out a tongue were on two different levels. How had the baseball jock been able to do it? Having to cut out a tongue had been bad enough. It had taken nearly an hour to clear the vomit out of his mask afterward. Not that the blood itself had bothered him, but the act had. The ease with which the sharp knife had cut through the wet, limp flesh had been sickening. Could he go to the next level where Yamamoto had dared to brave first? Was Gokudera actually capable of killing someone? Was the Family worth it?

"Was it worth it?" Gokudera asked, thumbing the rim of his glass. He still couldn't look up, but the hesitation in his voice told them how hard it had been for him to ask. Yamamoto's eyes grew cold and serious at the question.

"Ah," he replied, "No one's going to be buying any Gola Mosca suits for a long while, I'd say."

They continued to talk through the night, expunging their memories of the deeds they'd done. As alcohol began to flow faster, they eventually cried into their cups, releasing their pain and heartache. They didn't regret what they'd done, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt. At some point, Cress brought in food for them all with admonishments to eat whether they wanted to or not. No one argued, knowing they'd need their strength for the next day.

After eating, Gokudera pulled out his creme puffs that Bianchi had given him. He was exhausted in every way possible and partially inebriated, but he remembered his other task. He continued to stare at the box. Memories of his sister's cookies began surfacing in his mind and he hesitated for several minutes. Finally, Yamamoto asked him what it was.

"P-poison cooking," he nearly whimpered in reply. "I'm supposed to eat one after every meal."

"Part of your assignment?" Ryohei asked. When Gokudera nodded, Ryohei cheered, "Go all the way, man!"

"Don't worry, we'll be here with you, Gokudera," Yamamoto encouraged at Gokudera's continued hesitation. "You don't have to do it alone anymore. You know your team is here with you, right?" Gokudera looked at him, stunned for a moment by the insinuation. Yamamoto considered Gokudera to be Family.

"Of course I know that, baseball-freak!" He replied, flustered by the warm feeling Yamamoto's words had caused. Without another moment of hesitation, he popped one of Bianchi's creme puffs into his mouth. For a moment, Gokudera thought he'd be alright. Then he clutched his stomach as he fell forward off of Ryohei's couch. It was worse than his sister's cookies. Worse than all of the cookies he'd ever eaten combined. His body began to tremble outside his control and sweat began pouring from his face as his temperature rose drastically.

Yamamoto and Ryohei both immediately jumped to his aid, asking if he was okay. He wanted to say, "What do you think, dumb-ass," but only a low moan of pain came out. He could feel one of their hands rubbing soothingly across his back, trying to ease his shaking. As he was carried to his bed and tucked in with a cold rag on his head, he could hear Yamamoto mumbling words of encouragement. And finally, as he passed out, he realized that the two were helping him like they would a brother.

His Family was worth it, he secretly decided as darkness took him.

The were worth any pain he had to go through.

* * *

"Are you okay?" 

Yamamoto paused in the doorway and looked at his boss in surprise. Benji seemed like a type of older wise man who used few words. For him to waste any on Yamamoto told the boy how pathetic he probably looked. Only the Ninth's orders, sent via Basil, had forced Yamamoto to actually show up for his first day of work.

It was hard to believe how much had happened in the single week they'd been in Italy. If this kind of hectic life was what Tsuna had been living, it was no wonder he hadn't called home more than once during his lonely stay. The swordsman had only gotten a single day to taste the Gauntlet before being sent to Mafia Row to pick up the job he'd gotten, but that was enough.

"Come join me for some tea," Benji ordered, bringing yet another surprised look from Yamamoto. When he continued to hesitate in the doorway, the man walked over and gave him a little shove to get him moving. Yamamoto didn't know what to think when the man closed the shop and led him into a back room where tea was already waiting on a low kotatsu. It was surprising the man even had a kotatsu!

Yamamoto tried not to look around the room in curiosity. It was modeled after in a traditional Japanese style. From the mats on the floor to Shoji screens covering the walls, the design was undoubtedly themed Japanese. The suit of armor ceremonially centered on one wall of the room only seemed to reinforce that feeling.

Sitting where Benji pointed, Yamamoto tried to keep his nervousness from showing. He failed miserably. He had no clue how to deal with a boss, having only ever worked for his father. Even more, his nerves were completely fried from everything that had happened in the past week. They'd had a few days of bliss when they arrived, followed by panic, heartache, and bloodshed. Within a few hours, Yamamoto's world had gotten completely turned upside down. He still hadn't regained his balance and now he had to deal with a total stranger who also happened to be his new part-time employer.

"You seemed much more at peace when you last came in here," Benji prompted. Yamamoto clenched his hands in his lap, unsure of how to respond. Was his lack of balance that obvious? Unbalance was death to a swordsman, Yamamoto knew. He had done his best to stand firm for everyone else, but even he was beginning to waver.

"A...A lot has happened," Yamamoto replied finally.

"I see," Benji responded. "You're a little sparrow that has left it's nest only to find the nest can never be returned to."

"Um...No," Yamamoto asserted, "I'm not homesick." The man chucked softly and motioned for Yamamoto to drink his tea. An eyebrow flew up at the soothing taste he found when he sipped it. It wasn't chamomile, but it was just as calming.

"I'm not speaking of homes, young sparrow. It's a metaphor for when a person makes a life-altering choice. There is no turning back on those types of things," Benji corrected with a reassuring smile. "You had a more innocent aura when you first came in here. Now, I sense great unease and pain in you. May I ask what has happened?"

"I once thought I could be a swordsman without ever having to use the blade of my sword," Yamamoto answered in shame. "But now my sword is red." He didn't know where the feeling came from, but it made him bow his head. For some reason, he felt incredibly ignorant and naive. His vision blurred at those feelings of ignorance and shame. For some reason, he felt the inexplicable urge to cry. Yet another symptom of how unbalanced he was.

"What's wrong with that?" Benji asked. Yamamoto's head snapped up in surprise and the man continued. "I've known great swordsmen who never even used a blade to fight. The way of the sword is more than simply cutting down one's enemies." Benji gazed into Yamamoto's eyes with a hint of sadness. "A sword is a reflection of the swordsman. If your sword is red, you need only to wash it clean."

"How?" Yamamoto nearly begged.

"Care, effort, and practice," Benji replied solemnly. "Care for your sword as if it were your own soul. While following your chosen path, put effort into not denying the enemies' pain nor your own. And finally, practice, to honor that path you walk and reaffirm your own choices. Do that and your blade can shine no matter how red it might get at times."

"Sensei..." Yamamoto replied in awe. The words seemed to light some place inside him. It felt like there was a hint of truth in the man's words.

"Don't call me Sensei," Benji laughed. "I don't know what all you've been through in the past week, but I hope the advice helps. It was what my Master, a true man of the blade, once told me."

"Thank you," Yamamoto said. He suddenly realized his face was wet with tears and wiped them away with his sleeve. It took another two cups of tea, silently drunk together, before Yamamoto finally regained his normal composure. Benji smiled, sensing the calm that Yamamoto found.

"Well, lets get to work, my young sparrow. I've still got to teach you the ropes."

With a smile, Yamamoto followed his new employer back into the main store. Something told him that his new job would be better for him than he'd ever expected.

* * *

Gokudera hesitantly took his place behind the bar with Pink. Something was wrong with the woman, though. She hadn't seemed surprised when Gokudera had told her that Orange had taken a trip home, but she hadn't looked at him directly since then. It was more than that though. Whenever Gokudera got within a few feet of her, she seemed like she really wanted to say something, but would lock her jaw and turn away. There were also moments that he caught her staring at him out of the corner of her eye and would start shaking. 

Had he done something to offend her? Was she mad that the Tenth, a.k.a. 'Orange', had disappeared without warning back to his hometown? Did she just not like him and wanted to tell him that? What the hell was the woman's problem?! For several hours, Gokudera tried to ignore it. He didn't want to screw up and get kicked out of working here. When the Tenth returned, Gokudera wanted to be able to work here with him. That knowledge was the only thing that had allowed him to accept the Ninth's request to go to his new job instead of staying at the Tenth's bedside during the weekend.

Too bad Gokudera wasn't one to let sleeping dogs lie. The woman had a problem with Gokudera or some other issue. He couldn't just let it continue like this. He took his chance when she approached him with a beer-only drink order in hand.

"Did I do something wrong?" He hissed. She paused while he began grabbing beers out of the under-counter fridge for the order.

"Is Tsuna really okay?" She whispered in return. His surprise at her answer caused him to fumble with the beers in his hands and one went crashing to the ground. Trying to cover his reaction, he bent down and started picking up the glass, unintentionally dropping the other beers in his hand at the same time.

"W-Wh-What makes you think something's wrong with--" He paused, realizing she had called the Tenth by his name instead of his codename. She knew that Orange was the Tenth. He looked at her with a gaping mouth and tear-filled eyes. "You know...?"

"Shit," she replied, seeing his reaction. With a sharp yell, she called Gold and Green over to take over the bar. Within moments, Gokudera found himself forcibly escorted to a booth by not only Pink, but Red and Blue. Inside, Pink popped the cork on a bottle she'd brought and started pouring drinks.

"I'm sorry," Gokudera said. "I didn't know you knew who he was."

"Understandable," Blue replied coarsely. "Identities are supposed to be confidential around here. The only reason we know is because he told us when the big scary creep brought him in." She collapsed into a chair and Red wasn't far behind her. Gokudera found himself a seat and wrapped his hands around the full glass Pink silently handed him.

"Big scary creep?" Gokudera asked.

"Xanxus," Pink supplied with a small, sad smile. The other two girls jumped a bit at the name, but otherwise seemed to compose themselves pretty quickly.

"That bastard," Gokudera found himself saying. "If he hadn't have brought the Tenth here, none of this might have happened."

"So what did happen?" Pink asked hesitantly. "All the rumors have said was that he was kidnapped by the Wilde Family. In return, Vongola have set to completely wiping them out."

"I'm not sure I should say anything," Gokudera replied suspiciously. "The Tenth might trust you guys but--"

"Please tell us," Red said, jumping to her feet. "I swear I won't tell anyone. You can kill me if you think I'm lying! I just want to know how Tsuna is!" Tears began to fall down her face unheeded. Gokudera gritted his teeth and tried to ignore them. He had never been good with girls. Especially the weepy kinds. "He was always so kind to us," she continued despite his discomfort. "He even saved me from that bad man! Then when they let me out of the hospital, I heard he'd been kidnapped! At least tell us if he's okay!"

Gokudera jumped out of his seat to dodge when she tried to throw herself into his arms. Mafioso might be required to respect women, but that didn't mean he wanted to hold a weeping one. He sighed when Blue jumped over and held Red for him.

"Fine!" He growled. "Just stop crying. I'll tell you. If I find out that it went past this room, though, I will personally collect your head. Got it?" All three women nodded in acceptance. With a sigh, he shut the curtains on the booth to ensure no lip-readers could listen in to the conversation.

"Don't worry," Pink assured him. "More people come here to trade information under the cover of partying than you think. Every room has been fortified against listening devices."

"Fine," he repeated in resignation. He didn't turn away from the curtained window, trying to prepare himself in order to tell them about the Tenth's condition.

"So," Blue prompted. "Orange didn't take a trip home, obviously. The rumors were true and he was kidnapped."

"Ah," Gokudera replied softly with his back still turned to them. "He was kidnapped at the Vongola exit point for Mafia Row. The Wildes took him and tortured him. They had beaten him for several hours straight when we found him. They hadn't even known who he was. We got to him before they could kill him, but he's still in critical care." He finally looked at them with tears threatening to break free. "I can barely recognize him," he said softly. With those words, the tears that he'd been holding back finally began to fall.

They weren't alone. His tears were met with more as the three girls also began to cry at the news. It was no surprise when Gokudera spent the rest of the night drinking in their company instead of working.


	22. Chapter 22 Agony

"We need to wake him and see how he's doing," Dr. Shamal told Iemitsu and the three resident Guardians. They were standing next to Tsuna's bed where he'd been in near-isolation for more than a week now. "There's could be things wrong with him that we won't know about unless we talk to him."

Yamamoto looked down at Tsuna's still-sleeping form. Even now, his face was contorted in pain. Should they wake him up yet, he asked himself. The bruising on Tsuna had finally started to fade from black and blue to a lighter brown and green, but his body was still covered in lacerations. The Flare had worked its way out of his system after four days, leaving everyone sighing in relief. Yet Tsuna still seemed to be in a great deal of agony.

"He's still stuck on third and doesn't know he's already hit home," Yamamoto said as the realization hit him. Dr. Shamal looked at him with eyes that said he'd already known while Iemitsu and the other two boys looked at him in curiosity. "That's why his face is always showing pain, no matter how much painkillers the doctors give him," he explained. "He thinks he's still captive." Iemitsu's eyes widened and he immediately turned to Dr. Shamal.

"Wake him up," he ordered. Dr. Shamal sighed with relief and went to get a stimulant. The three boys and Iemitsu gathered around, waiting for it to take affect. They leaned forward simultaneously as Tsuna's eyes slowly began to open. They snapped open suddenly and his body lurched in response to a blow that would never come. Iemitsu automatically grabbed for his son, which proved to be the wrong thing to do. He began screaming the moment Iemitsu touched him. Everyone's hearts clenched at the fear, pain, and panic in the endless cry.

Instead of fighting them directly, his bandaged hands clumsily went directly for the IV needles in his arms. Before anyone could stop him, he'd roughly yanked them out. Dr. Shamal rushed forward and grabbed his arms. Without a pause at how much more panic and pain it caused Tsuna, the doctor tied off a pressure bandage in case the vein had been ripped. Ryohei and Yamamoto helped to carefully pin his arms for the time it took for the doctor to work. Tsuna clenched his eyes shut and continued to scream and thrash in response to their actions. When Dr. Shamal backed away, Ryohei and Yamamoto let him go once again. They backed away, too, clutching their chests in pain. It hurt knowing that they had hurt Tsuna in order to help him.

"Tsuna!" Iemitsu yelled over the screams. "You're home." He carefully pulled his screaming and thrashing son into his arms, trying to calm him while repeating over and over, "It's over. You're home. It's okay." Iemitsu began to cry around his encouragements, making them nearly incoherent. Even now, Tsuna was trying to fight him off, but he'd already expended so much energy in his initial panic that he could barely lift his arms. Yamamoto, Gokudera, and Ryohei picked up the thread for him and he fell silent. Instead, he began softly rocking his son in effort to soothe him. Nearly ten minutes passed before Tsuna stopped screaming and started crying instead.

"You're not real," Tsuna sobbed, weakly trying to pull out of his father's arms while also simultaneously resting his head on Iemitsu's chest. Iemitsu held him carefully, ignoring Tsuna's feeble attempts. "I won't give in. You're not real," he repeatedly continued to cry. Yamamoto laid his hand on the back of Tsuna's head, trying to comfort him. His friend gasped and stiffened at the touch, thinking it to be yet another torturous blow. Once again, everyone's hearts clenched at Tsuna's reaction.

"We're real, Tsuna," Yamamoto said firmly. He gently removed his hand. Tsuna turned in Iemitsu's arms, looking at Yamamoto and the other two boys with wide and fear-filled eyes. "We're real," Yamamoto repeated firmly, his eyes begging Tsuna to believe him. Beside him, Gokudera and Ryohei both nodded in agreement.

"You're home, Tenth," Gokudera said, repeating Iemitsu's words.

"It's over, little-brother," Ryohei added.

All three boys had the same look in their eyes. Believe us. It's okay. It's real. It's over. Tsuna's eyes welled up with tears and the tenseness ran out of his body. He finally realized and accepted it wasn't another hallucination. The tears broke free and fell down his face, following the path of his panicked ones. Once again he began softly sobbing into his father's arms. This time he accepted the embrace, however, and buried his head into his father's chest.

"I knew you'd come for me," he cried softly.

"Tsuna," Dr. Shamal said gently when his charge finally ran out of tears, "I need to ask you some questions, okay?" Tsuna nodded numbly, his body only staying upright with his father's support. With Iemitsu's help, they checked over Tsuna's body while he asked basic questions. He made sure to keep the questions clinical and simple. It was almost as if he was pretending Tsuna was a small child. He also made sure not to say anything that might pull up a memory of the torture.

With the Guardian's and Iemitsu's help, they changed a tremendous amount of Tsuna's bandages. Dozens of his wounds had broke open during his initial panic. It was heartbreaking how numb Tsuna seemed to be to it. He'd fallen into a daze, staring into space while they carefully pulled off the bloody bandages and replaced them. No one other than Tsuna himself seemed unaffected by the painful tears in Tsuna's skin.

"Alright," Dr. Shamal said when they'd finished. "It doesn't look like there's anything we didn't already know about. But you're still pretty badly hurt, Tsuna. We're going to put you back to sleep for a while, okay?"

Tsuna nodded, his head buried back in his father's chest. Tsuna turned as Dr. Shamal brought a syringe of tranquilizer over to him. As the doctor started to bring the syringe down to Tsuna's arm, a small whimper could be heard, making Shamal pause. Everyone looked at Tsuna, the source of the sound. He was staring at the needle with eyes once again full of fear.

"This isn't going to hurt like that stuff they put in you, Tsuna. It's just going to make you sleep for a while," Iemitsu said. Again Tsuna could only give a small whimper and continued to stare at the needle as if it was the source of all evil. Iemitsu forcefully turned Tsuna's face away, hiding it in his arms. He nodded for Dr. Shamal to continue while Tsuna began shaking. His son let out a loud scream and lurched again as the needle touched his arm, but Iemitsu held him firmly. Silent tears betrayed how painful it was to do so.

As the tranquilizer started to kick in and Tsuna's tense shoulders sagged, Iemitsu and the boys continued to repeat firmly that he was home and that it was over. Finally Tsuna collapsed back into the bed, sending a wave of relieved sighs through the room. Although it hadn't been pretty, it had been worth it. Tsuna's face no longer held the expression of agony while he rested.

They carefully tucked him under several light sheets to keep him warm without adding inessential weight and pressure to his wounds. After a few minutes of watching him sleep, Iemitsu got up. The Guardians got up with him, leaving Tsuna in Dr. Shamal's care once again. Turning to Tsuna's three Guardians, Iemitsu could see streaks of tears on their faces that matched his own.

"Let's go get a drink," he said simply, waving them to follow.

No one refused.

* * *

"I'm starting to wish we hadn't been so clean in wiping them all out," Ryohei said as he took another shot. Iemitsu merely nodded his head in agreement.

"Tsuna wouldn't want that and you know it," Yamamoto told him, setting down his glass of whiskey and cola. The others just looked at him like he was crazy before bowing their heads and accepting the truth. Tsuna wouldn't want it. He would do what was needed and no more.

Gokudera was pacing again, unable to control the urge to get up and do something. He didn't know what to do, so he continued pacing, slamming back another shot every few times he passed Ryohei's wet-bar. Ryohei just continued to fill everyone's drinks from where he sat, occasionally pouring himself another, as well. Eventually, Gokudera drank enough to calm himself and sit back down.

"Is the Tenth going to be okay?" He asked, voicing the question on everyone's mind.

"He's not beyond repair," Iemitsu said finally, breaking the silence that had met the question. "He eventually recognized us and responded to us. Some people can't even do that much after being hurt that badly." He looked up, meeting each of the boy's eyes in turn. "When he wakes, it's going to be up to you three to protect him while he mends."

Three sets of determined eyes looked back at him, telling him silently of their resolution. Iemitsu nodded. He accepted not only their determination, but the fact that this was something a father couldn't fix alone.

But together, these three could.

* * *

Dreams came and went, leaving traces on Tsuna's mind. They were endless nightmares full of pain and bloodshed.

_Yamamoto appeared in the darkness and Tsuna ran forward smiling at the sight of his friend. Then the swordsman's eyes grew cold and slashed at Tsuna, causing blood to flow like a river from his chest. In the middle of the river of blood, Gokudera appeared. He was sitting in front of a piano, playing a death march as it was slowly pushed downstream. Along the bank, Ryohei was boxing against a tree and the tree suddenly swung back, slicing the boxer in two. While Ryohei lay on the ground, the tree turned into Hibari brandishing his favorite steel tonfas. Before Tsuna could wrap his mind around it all, Hibari turned into Sakura petals and was blown away by a giant Mukuro. Then Mukuro turned and reached up, snatching the sun that had suddenly appeared in the sky. As the sun turned into Kyoko, it shattered like a mirror, sending shards and shrapnel back down into the endless river of blood flowing out of Tsuna's chest._

That was only one of the many disconcerting and disjointed dreams Tsuna had. It was an endless circle only broken by a few moments of complete darkness. There were also nightmares about what he'd went through.

_Tsuna was held stretched out on his back in the darkness. He could see his body, but not what held his hands and feet tied. Then a man in a gas-mask appeared, looming over Tsuna like a giant. The man began hitting him again and Tsuna glimpsed the face behind the mask. Laughter began to fill the air when Tsuna saw himself. Then Tsuna's face was suddenly covered in a mask and his hands were free. Stretched out before him, beaten and bloody, was himself. His hands moved on their own accord, continuing the torture of the Tsuna that was tied down in front of him while he continued to laugh insanely. He ignored how his battered half lurched while he continued the blows. Ignored how the tortured fool screamed, "I won't break." His mind was only filled with one thought as he continued doing his job as torturer: "I can't fail my Family." Then he was stretched out again, screaming while he watched himself raise the lash again._

Although the worst was the nightmare where he thought he was already home.

_He woke in his own bed, soaked from sweating. He looked around, relieved it had all been a bad dream. Then he looked down and found that he wasn't covered in sweat, he was covered in blood. As his mind panicked, he threw off the blood-drenched covers and saw the cause. Kyoko was to his left and Haru was to his right, the glazed look of death filled both of their open eyes. Their faces seemed to be a mask of pain. _

_Then they moved. Kyoko began clawing at her neck where a large partially-cauterized hole had destroyed her throat. Haru began clutching her stomach, trying to push her intestines back in. They both looked at him in accusation while he watched on in horror. Laughter began to fill the room as Xanxus chuckled from the corner of the room, staring gleefully at the Vongola ring on his finger. _

_Tsuna's screams were answered by no one._

Then there was darkness for a moment as Tsuna waited for the next dream to take over. There was nothing he could do to fight it. So many times he'd already tried to force himself awake, but he was trapped. Trapped by an invisible force that wouldn't let him go. Finally, Tsuna reached for the only thing he could think of to end the agony. He reached for his flame and began to smother it, wanting nothing more than for it to end.

A laugh echoing in the darkness made him pause in fear.

"Kufufufu," Mukuro chucked as he walked within view. "So my little ugly duckling wants to rip off his wings?" Tsuna didn't look up from where he was huddled in the darkness.

"It's not real," he whispered to himself.

"I am real," Mukuro said with another chuckle at Tsuna's naivety. "Illusion means to take over one's perception. The perception of a dream is no different than that of waking." Mukuro looked around in the darkness as Tsuna continued to huddle on the ground. His eyes narrowed in response to the nightmares he sensed trying to come close again. "I can't have you broken by a simple nightmare, Sawada Tsunayoshi."

He swung his trident, emitting a new dream into Tsuna's mind. Finally Tsuna looked up, wondering what new horror would await him this time. He began to weep when he saw the familiar lakeside with it's horizon-less sky. Mukuro had brought him here, to the one place he could rest without the burdens of life. The place between cycles.

Even if it was only a dream, Tsuna sagged in relief. Mukuro slowly walked away, leaving the tattered and exhausted boy on the grassy shore. Leaving him alone to try to mend his cracked and fragile mind before it broke.

Time passed and still Tsuna sat on the bank, forcing his mind to calm and his body to stop shaking. There was an overwhelming sense of fear and horror he couldn't get rid of, no matter how hard he tried. Fear of the dreams and fear of waking. Horror at the knowledge he had. The knowledge that what had been done to him, he had done to others.

Why?

What had been the reason he'd willingly went through all the pain and bloodshed?

What was the reason?

Regret stabbed deep into Tsuna's heart when he finally let himself believe there was no answer. There was no reason. He'd lied to himself this whole time, thinking there was something worth the exchange of pain. Nothing was worth the torment he'd been through. Nothing was worth tormenting others this way.

Nothing.

* * *

"Thank you, Chrome," Reborn said, helping Dr. Shamal wipe the sweat from Tsuna's face. Two weeks had passed since the one time they'd allowed him to wake. The boy had started convulsing again in his sleep when his body began to adapt to the tranquilizers they'd been using. They couldn't raise the dosage anymore than they already had and Tsuna had begun to burn them off faster than they could safely re-medicate him. While it was a good thing under normal terms, it was unfortunate in this type of situation. Where he'd previously been in sweet oblivion while his body healed, his mind now was capable of dreaming again.

The screams and tears Tsuna let out in his sleep had been enough for Reborn to ask for the assistance of the Mist Guardian. He had asked her to hide Tsuna from his own dreams. She had willingly come after a silent conference with Mukuro.

"Boss..." she muttered sadly as she opened her eyes. Although Mukuro-sama had done the work for her, she'd seen Tsuna's mental state through him. He had wanted to die. Had been trying to die. "Can I stay here for a while?" She asked, bringing surprised looks from Reborn and Dr. Shamal. "He'll start having nightmares again if the illusion wears off because I'm too far away." Her earnest eyes stared at Reborn, begging for permission.

"How bad is he?" Dr. Shamal interjected before Reborn could reply. She didn't answer as she looked away. The sadness and pain in her eyes said enough.

Chrome wanted to help Tsuna. Not only for Mukuro-sama's wishes, but for her own. Tsuna had always taken the time out to check on her. He had never held her connection with Mukuro-sama against her. He had protected Ken and Chikusa the best he could while hardly ever asking for anything in return. For her, he was the only person in the mafia worth working for. Worth protecting in return.

"One week. Can you keep his nightmares at bay for one week?" Reborn asked. He was relieved when she nodded. "He's already been asleep for two weeks, one more should be enough for him to move around without serious pain."

Chrome tucked her feet up into her chair, making herself comfortable for her long stay. She would be vigilant, she swore to herself. She heard Mukuro-sama's pleased mumbles in the back of her head for a moment before he faded away, his energy temporarily depleted. Oblivious to all else, she took over holding the illusion inside Tsuna's mind, waiting patiently for Mukuro-sama's signal that he'd take it back. Whether it was hours, days, or the whole week, she'd wait. Either until her duty was done or Mukuro-sama returned.

And she was happy to do it.


	23. Chapter 23 Brothers

Gokudera released another gas bomb into the already clouded room. It was his final test for withstanding his third gas. This one was a form of sleeping gas instead of the tear gas he'd built immunity to during the previous week. His sister, Bianchi, held her oxygen mask firmly in place while Gokudera ran forward into the smoke to complete his assignment.

The first three days of the week, he slowly got used to a gas by completing the Gauntlet tasks while breathing through a laced mask. The fourth and final day of the week, his Gauntlet task was now done with Bianchi masked and him breathing normally. He would gas the area with smoke bombs full of the agent he'd been getting used to. Then he had to complete his assignment without fail.

This week, he was assigned an execution. Gokudera gritted his teeth. He didn't like executions. They were messy since Bianchi required him to use his bombs, but he didn't argue. He had chosen to do this. Had chosen this as his path to get stronger for the Tenth. He couldn't be weak.

He stopped in front of his unconscious target. The sleeping gas had been effective, but Gokudera didn't even feel dizziness from it anymore. Several hours a day with an increased dosage every day had done it's work. He reached down, cramming a mini-bomb into the man's mouth. He lit it as he stepped back. Gokudera didn't go far. Bianchi required him to stay close to verify the target's death.

The man's head exploded, his skull being the only thing keeping Gokudera's clothes intact. Gokudera was grateful. The first time he'd been forced to do this, he'd used a regular size bomb and the man's skull hadn't been able to withstand the force. At least this time, by using a mini, the blood and carnage had been restrained within the man instead of splattering outward in the moment of explosion.

It was still messy, but not as messy as it could have been.

Gokudera turned to his sister, part of his assignment complete. She nodded and motioned for him to continue before someone noticed the smoke. The fire alarms had been turned off before they came in, but this particular gas wasn't invisible. It could easily been mistaken for a fire by passerby.

This particular assignment had a clean-up phase. They had to cover their tracks so that no one knew who did the hit. It was a requested operation from an allied Family against a man that another allied Family had thrown out. The Ninth hadn't wanted to take it at first, but he'd eventually given in. It was a man that had been stalking the daughter of an allied Family's Boss. He hadn't taken the warning. He had ignored the punishment that Ryohei had given him last week. Instead of taking the punishment to heart, the man had violently murdered the daughter in anger. So now Gokudera had been sent in.

But even if the man had been thrown out of his Family, he still had connections and friends on the inside. It was better to cover their trail instead of allowing the man's friends to have any clues. So Gokudera walked forward, pulling out his lighter as he went. Within seconds, the curtains and bedding in the room started blazing, adding true smoke to the gas already in the room.

With a nod to his sister, they ran out, leaving the corpse and the evidence to burn.

* * *

Ryohei ran. Ran as fast as he could.

Xanxus had asked Levi to be his escort for this, his third week, since Ryohei didn't seem to be one that needed 'positive reinforcement' to get the job done. Ryohei could go to any extremes after a mere two weeks under Xanxus' tutulage. So now, he simply had Levi to walk him through the process.

But things had went bad. First, a simple information exchange in a bar had went bad. The guy had refused to talk when he wasn't met with the Ninth's son. So they'd taken him out back. Ryohei had beat the man for the information they'd came for while Levi watched to ensure it was done well.

Then things had turned worse. A patrol car had wandered on the scene before they could do cleanup. He continued running. Levi had taken a different route so that it would be harder for the cops to follow, but the cops hadn't fallen for it. The driver had followed Levi while someone on foot tried to catch up with Ryohei.

He ran faster, darting down alleyways in an attempt to lose his pursuer. Along the way, he pulled off his bloody gloves and carefully tucked them into his pocket instead of ditching it. He couldn't leave evidence of himself for the cops to find.

No one thought this was a game anymore. Three weeks of continued bloodshed had gotten that through everyone's minds. But they were still willing to do this, because this is the world Tsuna was forced to be in. If Tsuna couldn't be free, then none of them chose to be. This had been their choice instead of abandoning their important friend to the darkness and bloodshed alone.

They had all decided it together. Yamamoto, Gokudera, and Ryohei. They would stand by that choice. It was too late to turn back now, even if they wanted to. They could only keep moving forward, protecting their Family as they went. Protecting the people they loved.

No matter how much it hurt.

Ryohei ducked into one of the many safe-holes hidden throughout the city and waited quietly for the cop to pass. In his mind, he prayed over and over for the cop to not find him even as he commenced destroying the blood evidence on his shirt and gloves in a small furnace already lit and prepared for this kind of emergency. The safe-holes that the Family had prepared were no larger than a small hotel room with extra soundproofing on the inner walls. Instead of an air-conditioning or heating unit, it had a furnace for destruction of evidence, a small one-man shower, and a closet of clothes in varying sizes.

After a quick shower and tossing on a spare set of clothes, Ryohei left the safe-hole, confident that even if he was caught, he'd be let off.

It's what had to be done.

* * *

Yamamoto looked at the corpse at his feet with a mixture of disgust and sadness. For the past three weeks, Yamamoto had chosen to do little but executions. At first, Reborn hadn't understood why, until Yamamoto finally told him.

"Someone has to do it, right? Might as well be the pinch hitter."

The look in his eyes showed how much doing this still hurt, but he didn't want to be stopped. He didn't want someone else to have this blood on their hands instead of on his. He had become the hard downpour that washed away the blood before it had to be seen by anyone else in the Family. Before anyone else had to spill such blood. Reborn only hoped that he could stay sane with being constantly surrounded by death. Deaths he'd willingly caused.

Yamamoto seemed to sense Reborn's thoughts.

"Don't worry, little guy," he said as he marked the man as Judged, carving a V into the man's forehead with a small knife. For some executions, evidence like that was specifically left behind as a warning to the other members of the target's family. "I'll do what's needed and no more. Just like Tsuna, I refuse to fail when my Family needs me, but I'm not one to choose this sort of thing for fun. Even so, I'd rather it be me than someone who _would_ find it fun. Death shouldn't be cheap."

Reborn nodded at the look of determination and sadness in Yamamoto's eyes. He really didn't like doing this, but for that simple fact he would continue to do it. If the day ever came when Yamamoto stopped feeling anything when he killed, that would be the day he put down his sword. Until then, he would continue to strengthen his resolve to do what was needed.

For the Family. For Tsuna.

* * *

Hibari was bored. The girl called Cheri had proved useful in breaking up the tedious interlude, but he was itching for a real challenge. A challenge equal to that of Sawada. He was therefore grateful when Reborn paid him a visit one Friday afternoon.

"Discipline has gotten bad lately, Hibari," Reborn informed him. "There's a lot of people trying to interfere with Tsuna's recovery."

"How so, baby?" Hibari asked absently. He leaned back into his chair and fiddled with the corner of the page he had been reading. Hibird shifted on his shoulder with him. Reborn noticed how he'd been re-reading that same page since he'd come in and smiled to himself.

"We've gotten word that there's a large raid planned by the Hennesse Family. If they manage to get into Headquarters, Tsuna might be affected."

"And that's my problem, why?" Hibari's eyes flashed, disliking Reborn's tone. He didn't like the idea of someone playing with him and he had a distinct feeling that Reborn was trying.

"I never said it was your problem. I just thought you might want an update since it might take longer for Tsuna to recover if any of the raid gets near his wing. I know how much you want to play with your toy again." Reborn leaned back where he was sitting, hiding a smile as he sipped his coffee. "Although, from what I hear, our men might not be prepared to discipline the intruders and we don't have the force needed to make a preemptive strike, so you might want to consider Tsuna's delayed recovery a fact instead of only a mere possibility."

"Very well," Hibari agreed as he turned the page finally. "It's a disappointment, but I'm sure there's other things I can do to pass the time." Reborn frowned, but got up to leave anyway. Hibari wasn't hard to understand, but he was hard to even attempt to control. Some things he was more than willing to do, others he had no desire. Reborn slowed, a small smile spreading back on his face.

"Makes me wish Tsuna wasn't hurt," he said without stopping. "Although, even he would probably have trouble taking down enemy Headquarters on his own. It would probably end up being too challenging." He left before Hibari could react.

He waited outside Hibari's home, out of sight. Whether or not Hibari willingly takes the obvious bait would be up to him. Reborn could only hope he'd said the right things to make it tempting.

Reborn smiled when two hours later, Hibari left with directions to the Hennesse Headquarters in hand.

* * *

"Tomorrow we're going to allow Tsunayoshi to finally wake up," the Ninth told the assembled crowd. Yamamoto, Gokudera and Ryohei looked at each other with relief tinged with joy. The Ninth immediately pulled their attention back to him with a warning. "He's still mending. How well he mends will be up to you three."

The three boys nodded respectfully as the Ninth continued. "All three of you have proved your resolution and strength not only to me, but to yourselves. Do any of you still feel the need to continue the Gauntlet?" He looked at Gokudera, "You can always complete your agent-desensitization with you sister without having to complete the tasks."

"I think Tsuna should come first. For the time-being, it might be best if all three of us stayed by his side," Yamamoto interjected.

"N-No," Gokudera interrupted as he looked at the Ninth. "As the Tenth's right hand, I still have more I need to do to get stronger, but at the same time I can't leave the Tenth's side." He paused, thinking, before he finally bowed formally to the Ninth, "I'd like to respectfully request that my tasks continue, Ninth, during the Tenth's sleep."

"Very well, Gokudera," the Ninth agreed as Gokudera rose back up. He looked at Yamamoto and Ryohei's surprised faces.

"I'm trusting you two to take care of him while I'm away at night," he said softly, his eyes reflecting how hard it was for him to have them do this.

"I'll stay with Tsuna," Yamamoto said firmly.

"Same here," Ryohei agreed.

"So be it," the Ninth said. "Only Gokudera will continue the tasks until Tsunayoshi has been mended. After that, whether you three decide to continue filling in for our hitmen or not will be up to you. Although, as Tsunayoshi's Guardians, you'll likely be overseeing hitmen in the future instead of filling the role of one."

The three boy's eyes widened for a moment before they nodded. It was the chain of command in Vongola. Tsuna would send the orders to them and they in turn would eventually hand those out to others. The Ninth pulled their attention back once more.

"Don't worry. There will still be a while longer before any of you have to worry about that sort of thing. Before that time, I'll be overseeing your training once again. For now, just focus on helping Tsunayoshi."

The three nodded agreement and respectfully bowed their way out. As soon as they were out the door, wide smiles were on all three of their faces.

They were getting their brother back.


	24. Chapter 24 Regret

Tsuna sat up in his bed in a rush, his dreams and nightmares forgotten in an instant. The last thing he remembered was being overwhelmed with fear as a needle had been stuck into his arm. He looked around the room, his eyes darting every direction to find any possible attackers. He didn't want to let them touch him again. Didn't want to let them hurt him again.

He hugged his knees when he realize he was alone in his own room without a needle in sight. It hadn't been another hallucination. They really had came and saved him. His heart kept wanting to pound its way out of his chest when the thought cycled one again through his head. He was home.

He was home.

Tsuna began sobbing into his knees, unable to control the surge of emotions. Relief that it was over. Fear that it might not really be. Disgust that he'd been too weak to get free on his own. Shame that he'd almost given in to his mind's desire to give up toward the end. Sadness at the knowledge that he'd caused this much pain to others in the past. Terror at the memory of what he'd went through. And all of it was over-ladened with a feeling of pain still lingering in his body.

He tensed and went silent in an instant when someone touch his back. He hadn't noticed the sound of anyone walking in. Tsuna was too scared to look up. Too afraid that he'd see the masked face of his torturer and find out that being home was all just another hallucination after all. He began crying again, whimpering as the fear overwhelmed him again before he could control it. He heard his father's voice finally as the man continued to rub Tsuna's back.

"It's okay, it's over," he whispered while making soothing shushing noises to his son.

Tsuna looked up finally and turned to his father when relief overcame the fear. Without hesitation, he latched his arms around his father's waist as he continued to cry, weeping from all the pain, hurt, and terror he'd been forced through. He could feel wetness on the back of his neck as his father cried with him and continued to repeat his litany.

It's okay. It's over.

Iemitsu held Tsuna until he finally ran out of tears several hours later. Until they both did. He could still see pain and fear in his son's eyes, but it was nothing compared to that first waking over a week ago. 

Tsuna rubbed his tired and red eyes, wiping away the last of his tears. His father helped him carefully to his feet and guided him toward the bathroom. He hadn't had a real bath in three weeks and his body said it wanted one. As he stood, he realized exactly how weak and in pain he still was in. Without his father's aide, he would have collapsed to the ground in an instant from weakness. His shoulders and neck felt achy, but he assumed it was just because he might have slept awkwardly. His ribs hurt whenever he shifted the wrong way, which seemed to be every way. It seemed to take an extraordinary amount of time to simply cross his bedroom. All of his muscles protested as he moved, this being the first time he'd used them since he had initially been hurt. Even bones that hadn't been broken felt like they were going to crack and break with every step he took. Overall, he felt fragile. Incredibly fragile.

"Where is everyone?" He asked while Iemitsu helped fill the enormous bathtub for him.

"Still in school," he replied, testing the water's warmth. Tsuna sat quietly while he continued adjusting the water's temperature for him. "None of them wanted to go today when they found out we were going to let you wake up, but the Ninth ordered them to. We both figured you might find it easier to get up and around without a crowd."

Tsuna nodded. He was grateful. It had been hard enough to get his mind calm with only his father present. He doubted he could have managed with more people around.

"It hurts," Tsuna mumbled numbly, holding his sides to keep the tears from flowing again. Tsuna wasn't sure why he felt the need to say it, but he wanted someone to know. He hurt. His father looked up, sadness in his eyes at the words.

"I know, Tsuna," his father whispered, understanding what Tsuna was really trying to get across. Not only his body, but his mind and spirit hurt. The parts of him that Dr. Shamal hadn't been able to heal while Tsuna slept. "Here, lets see how you feel after soaking a bit," he said. Carefully, he helped his son undress and got him settled into the chest-deep water.

It was only after Tsuna was settled and the rippling water had calmed that he saw how badly he'd been hurt. While the bruising was gone and the wounds closed thanks to advanced mafia medical techniques, small scars had been left behind from where the lash had broken through his skin. All across his chest, his sides, his arms, and his legs he saw the white marks vividly marring his otherwise smooth skin. Some were no larger than his pinky, while others seemed as thick and long as one of Gokudera's sticks of dynamite. He had a feeling his back was no different.

"What...?" He asked wordlessly. Iemitsu grimaced.

"They had problems stitching you up. Your skin kept breaking, so they couldn't close a lot of the cuts so that it wouldn't scar." As Tsuna turned pale, Iemitsu tried to reassure him. "Don't worry though, we can get the scars removed after you're completely healed up." At his words, Tsuna sank down in the water until it covered his chin.

"Would there be needles?" He asked quietly, his eyes filled with fear once again. Iemitsu stopped, unsure of how to answer. "I'll keep them," Tsuna whispered, dunking his head under the water so that he wouldn't have to hear his father trying to talk him out of it.

When he came back up, he was relieved to see his father had went back into the main bedroom. Tsuna laid back in the tub, letting the hot water soak into his still aching muscles. He relaxed and let his mind wander aimlessly in effort to keep it calm. After nearly twenty minutes, a sudden realization made him sit up straight, splashing water across the floor by his sudden shift. The sound brought his father back in.

"What's wrong?" He asked, looking at his son's wide and shocked expression. Tsuna tried to get his mouth working, but no words came out. Iemitsu tried to control his panic as Tsuna continued to look at him in shock.

"I-I-I-" he stuttered. Finally he blurted it out in a rush, "I can't feel my flame." Iemitsu stared at him, not comprehending what his son had just said.

"What do you mean you can't feel it?"

"I just can't feel it! It's not there!" Tsuna yelled with eyes wide in panic. Tears were welling up in his eyes uncontrollably while he continued to search within himself in vain. Tsuna searched every corner within himself and he couldn't sense his inner flame. Couldn't find that faucet that he'd created so long ago.

Iemitsu helped his son out of the tub and wrapped him in a robe. As he sat on the couch in his room's sitting area, Iemitsu handed him a drink to help calm his mind. Tsuna just held it, still searching within himself over and over again in hopes he had just overlooked it. As if he _could_ overlook it.

His father went to the room's control panel and flipped the green-covered switch; the direct line to the Ninth that Tsuna had never before used. After a moment, he could hear a surprised Ninth answering.

"Is something wrong, Tsunayoshi?"

"It's Iemistu, Ninth. You might want to come down here."

"What's wrong?" The Ninth asked, his voice laced with worry.

"Tsuna's lost his flame."

* * *

"What's with you guys?" Cheri asked at lunch. While she normally ate separate from the group of Vongola, today was an exception. Both Yamamoto and Gokudera had been acting suspiciously happy today and she wanted to know the reason. Ever since Tsuna had been injured, the two had been strangely solemn and quiet. Each day that passed seem to weigh them down more and more, but today was so totally different. It was as if nothing had happened and it was their first day of school again. The innocent joy they had shown around Tsuna had returned. That thought made Cheri pause in realization.

"He's coming back?!" She gasped loudly. Several nearby tables fell silent and obviously began listening in, but fortunately it wasn't the whole cafeteria. In answer, Yamamoto and Gokudera let wide grins spread across their faces.

"His plane should be landing any time now," Yamamoto confirmed smoothly. He couldn't help how his grin widened at the thought. After three weeks, Tsuna was finally going to wake. His face fell when the last three people he expected walked into the cafeteria. Gokudera face fell when he saw them too. Only one thing could bring those three together. Something had to have happened.

Cheri glanced over curiously at where Yamamoto and Gokudera were staring. She started to ask who the two people with Hibari were, but was interrupted when both the boys silently stood. A tense silence fell over the cafeteria while the two groups stared at each other. It was Gokudera who finally got the nerve to walk forward and start a whispered conference with the muscle-bound man in the center. Cheri raised an eyebrown when the small girl of the group walked over to Yamamoto.

"Why are you here, Chrome? Shouldn't you be..." He paused, realizing where he was and how many people were listening.

"All of the Guardians have been summoned," she said softly. Yamamoto narrowed his eyes at her. Something smelled fishy.

"Kufufufu," Mukuro laughed. Yamamoto jerked a bit in surprise. Across the room, Gokudera jerked as well. Chrome's mouth hadn't moved at all. Only they two were percieving Mukuro's voice among the crowded room. "Actually, the Vongola Boss asked me to pass on a message before I return. Tsunayoshi has awakened, but there is a problem. Return to Headquarters immediately."

"I see," Yamamoto replied. "In that case, lets go." He glanced at Gokudera on his way out the door, seeing the same surprise and worry in his eyes. Silently, the group of five walked out of the silent cafeteria.

Cheri stared at their backs until they disappeared. It was the first time she'd ever seen the Vongola Guardians gathered and rather than bloodlust, she felt fear. Never in her life had she ever seen such a powerful group gathered. They might not look like much to most people, but she could sense the hidden aura of strength surrounding them as they walked.

She couldn't help but wonder if Tsuna really was a monster for being able to control a gathering of such people.

* * *

Gokudera, Yamamoto, Ryohei, and Hibari were pulled into the Ninth's office the moment they returned from the school. They were miffed at not being allowed to go directly to see Tsuna and a bit surprised to see the typically invisible Reborn. That is, until the Ninth explained his reason.

"Tsunayoshi has been hurt more than we first thought," the Ninth told them. Everyone's eyes narrowed at his words. "Although I'm honestly not surprised. I half-expected this to happen."

"What's wrong, Ninth?" Gokudera asked respectfully.

"Tsunayoshi's lost sight of his flame," he told them. Everyone but Hibari paled. The Ninth motioned for Reborn to explain.

"We think it's either one of two things," Reborn said, sitting on the edge of the Ninth's desk. "First, it could be the affect of the drug they used on him. He might have pushed his flame out of reach so that it wouldn't hurt him anymore. Kind of like a self-defense response."

"And the other?" Yamamoto asked. Reborn looked up at the Ninth for a moment before answering.

"Regret." The three boys looked at him in confusion until he explained. "The Dying Will Bullet works off of the regret one has in the moment of death. The Rebuke Bullet also works off of regret, but by making one want to not regret their actions. When Tsuna got control of his inner flame, he made a resolution not to do things he would regret anymore. The only thing we can think of is that being tortured made him regret coming here and therefore made him lose control of his flame."

"But everyone regrets something sometime," Ryohei interjected, trying to understand how someone could do the impossible. The Ninth shook his head in correction.

"It's different for those of the Vongola bloodline. As long as every action has a reason more important than any other, then there can be remorse without regret."

"The lesser of two Hells," Reborn agreed.

"So you're saying Tsuna needs a reason for the things he does and if he doesn't, he could feel regret? And regret means he loses his flame?!" Yamamoto's eyes were wide and his face was pale. The Ninth and Reborn nodded. "It's my fault," he said, sinking to the floor in shock. "I asked him why and he didn't know. I started him on the path to loosing his flame. I made him regret--"

"Shut up, baseball-freak," Gokudera yelled. "You didn't do it alone. The Tenth still had it after he was taken, remember? Otherwise the drug wouldn't have worked." He looked at Reborn for confirmation and was relieved when the little hitman nodded. "It's probably the combination of the two, then."

"Oi," Reborn said, "What exactly did you ask him? Not just in words, I mean."

"I-I asked him why he did the things he did. Why he went through the pain and bloodshed that he's went through. Why he had chosen to come up here." Yamamoto put his face in his hands. "That was before, though. Before I really understood. The question had just slipped out and--"

Gokudera and Ryohei both put a hand of support on his shoulders. Yamamoto looked up.

"Don't worry," Ryohei began.

"We'll fix it together," Gokudera finished.

The two looked up at the Ninth, telling him wordlessly that regardless of the reason, they would find a way to help Tsuna. Looking at the two, Yamamoto felt relief. His mistake wasn't beyond repair. He wasn't alone in trying to undo his mistake. Yamamoto looked at the Ninth, as well, as he stood back up. He would fix his mistake, he swore silently. No matter what. The Ninth nodded at the look of determination in their eyes, giving them the right to try.

"I'll leave Tsunayoshi in your hands," he said quietly to the three.

In the corner of the room where he had quietly watched, Hibari narrowed his eyes like a hawk targeting his prey.

* * *

Yamamoto knocked on Tsuna's door again, waiting for an answer. Hibari had already left Headquarters, but behind Yamamoto, Ryohei and Gokudera both waited anxiously. They all knew how easily startled Tsuna could be. His reactions two weeks ago had shown that to them. None of them wanted to barge in and scare Tsuna, so they swallowed their impatience. Barely.

They all sighed in relief when Iemitsu opened the door for them, waving them inside. Tsuna was sitting in the doorway of his private balcony, his arms folded on his knees and staring at the sky. He'd already gotten up and dressed, the three saw. The scars that had been so visible why he slept were now all hidden from sight beneath a long sleeve shirt and pants. The only visible remnants of the torture were now a small line on Tsuna's lip where it'd been split and another scoring along his upper cheekbone.

That, and the look in Tsuna's eyes. The look in Tsuna's eyes said he was barely hanging on. It was heart-rending for the three to see that look in Tsuna's eyes. It left them frozen, unsure of what to do. They were saved by Iemitsu.

"Tsuna," Iemitsu carefully called as he walked up to his son. Tsuna cringed when Iemitsu laid a hand on his shoulder, but otherwise reacted normally.

"Dad?" He answered hesitantly. Iemitsu nodded in the direction of the three boys still standing silently in the middle of the room. When Tsuna looked over and finally saw them, he smiled brightly. "Thank you," he said as he got up, "I knew you guys would save me." The three boys were speechless at the amount of trust that Tsuna implied.

"Of course, Tenth," Gokudera said, his voice laced with sadness. Ryohei and Yamamoto could understand why. They had almost came to late to save him. Tsuna didn't seem to notice. He waved them over to the sitting area and Iemitsu handed out tea instead of alcohol. Finally Ryohei asked about Tsuna's flame.

"Don't worry," Tsuna told them as he sat down with them. "The Ninth said I could get it back. It's just hiding from me right now." He gave a small laugh while he rubbed his eyes. The three looked at him worriedly as he continued to try and keep himself together. Tried very hard and failed. Tears began streaking down his face as he said, "It's just that I can't remember. I can't remember the answer, Yamamoto. At first, it was okay, but the more and more I thought about it and couldn't find it, the worse it got. And then I-I got t-taken and h-h-hurt and--"

Yamamoto pulled him into a hug as he continued to sob, his words becoming incoherent through the tears. The swordsman wanted to cry too, for his part in hurting his brother. Tsuna had already started to regret his decision to come to Italy before he'd been taken since he couldn't remember a good reason for all the bloodshed and pain. Being beaten and tortured had driven his regret into his heart deeper than anything else could have.

"It's okay, Tenth. We know the reasons," Gokudera said quietly, lending his support how he could. "You wanted to become stronger so that you could be a good leader. So that you could protect us better. We understand, Tenth."

Tsuna stifled his sobs as he began to calm down. That sounded like the right answer, but Tsuna couldn't feel it in his heart yet. He still could only feel the regret toward his actions. Regret that he'd wanted to get stronger as the next boss of Vongola. Regret for his desire to protect them. He still couldn't remember the reason that made it all worth it. The memory of the pain and fear he'd went through at the hands of his captor blocked the memory of why his Family was worth the sacrifices.

"Just give it some time, son," Iemitsu said from his perch on the end of the couch. Yamamoto could tell he wanted to grab his son and hold him, but restrained himself. Just like he'd silently told them before. This wasn't something a father could fix. The fear in Tsuna would only be able to be wiped away by the trust he could give his brothers.

In time.


	25. Chapter 25 Back to School

Tsuna knew how pathetic he'd become. Half the time he tripped on his own feet and it wasn't due to the frail condition of his body. No-Good Tsuna was back with a vengence since Tsuna had lost sight of his flame. On top of that, there were still the after affects of the torture. Last night, he'd become so afraid when Cress had shut off the lights for him that he'd found himself screaming. Then, in the morning, he woke up to find himself huddled under a blanket in his closet. He couldn't remember how he'd gotten there, but he was sure it was fear that had driven him into hiding.

Trying to brush it off, he'd went to target practice in an attempt to pick back up his normal routine. Even that had been pathetic, however. After hearing the sharp crack of the gunshot, his hands had started shaking incredibly hard. Even using both hands, he couldn't hold his Glock steady enough to hit the target, let alone the bullseye.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Yamamoto said as they entered the school grounds. "I know that you want to try and pick up your routine again, but you don't have to do this, Tsuna."

"It's okay," Tsuna predictably replied with a smile. "I'm fine. Reborn said that maybe if things get back to normal, I'll get back to normal with it."

The two boys gave Tsuna another worried look before escorting him to their classroom. Escort was the proper word for it considering they didn't let anyone near him. Several people had overcome their fear of 'Hellfire Tsuna' during the time he'd been away. Mostly due to the curiosity that the rumors of his kidnapping caused.

Tsuna didn't notice. He seemed to become introverted as they continued down the hallways to Mr. Purdy's room and found their seats. The truth was that being around this many people was rubbing his nerves raw. Without the use of his flame, he didn't have the hyper-intuition at the level he was used to anymore. It was like he was suddenly walking blind through a pit of vipers, unable to tell if one was about to bite. It wasn't a good feeling.

Mr. Purdy's entrance into the room as he called the class to order didn't seem to break into Tsuna's introspection. Even as the two boys continued to watch their friend in dismay, he continued to be lost in his own thoughts. Gokudera tried to send a look to the teacher that said, "Pretend he's not here," but the teacher instead read it as "Look, he's here."

"Tsuna," Mr. Purdy called. When Tsuna didn't look up, the teacher walked down the isle to get his attention. Yamamoto and Gokudera both jumped up to stop him when he reached down toward Tsuna's shoulder to gently shake his shoulder. The movement of the three finally caught Tsuna's attention and he cringed away from the teacher's hand before he could control his reaction. The teacher, Yamamoto, and Gokudera held their respective breathes while Tsuna looked at the hand in momentary fear. He looked up at his teacher, finally recognizing him after a very long minute.

"Mr. Purdy?" He asked hesitantly.

Mr. Purdy couldn't move his hand as he looked at the two small scars on Tsuna's face. Having taught in a mafia-based school for so many years, he recognized the reaction Tsuna had. Combining it with the scars, he knew instantly what had happened. The knowledge was heart-breaking. The teacher cursed silently, glad that no one else in the room could see due to the three bodies surrounding the boy.

"Class is dismissed for today," he announced, lowering his hand. "Feel free to go check out the library." He looked at Tsuna's two friends, silently ordering the three to stay here before turning to the class and getting them moving out with a sharp, "Go."

While the class filed out, Reborn entered the room and jumped on a desk nearby to where Tsuna was still sitting. He had planned on warning the teacher, but had decided to see if the boy could overcome it on his own instead. By the look on his student's face, it had been the wrong decision. Cold sweat was covering his face and he seemed pale from the effort it took to make himself seem perfectly healthy.

There was a long silence as Mr. Purdy shut the room's doors to give them privacy. He sat on the edge of his own desk, giving plenty of space to the three sitting toward the back of the room.

"Do you want to talk about what happened?" He asked. Tsuna shook his head no, unable to actually voice anything at the moment. Mr. Purdy turned to the two boys instead. "How did this happen?" Gokudera answered, for which Yamamoto was grateful.

"We didn't find out until later, but the Wildes didn't know he was the Tenth. They only knew his alias down in Mafia Row when they took him." Tsuna looked up, horror overwriting the shame that had been on his face.

"Wildes?" He mumbled. No one had wanted to talk about details around him, afraid that it might bring up a memory of the torture. So he only knew what he'd overheard while imprisoned. The connection with Jack's Family was surprising and at the same time, sickening. This was the second time they'd tried to kill him.

"Don't worry, Tenth. They won't be bothering you again," Gokudera said soothingly. Yamamoto was grateful at Gokudera's tact. No need for Tsuna to know that there were no Wildes left after the Vongola had finished. Tsuna nodded numbly and looked back down, not wanting to meet the teacher's gaze.

"So the rumor of his kidnapping was true," Mr. Purdy said quietly.

"Ah," Reborn confirmed. "You'll need to call a teacher's code 004 on Tsuna. They don't need to know the details, just call the code." Mr. Purdy looked down at Reborn, a mixture of sadness and mourning in his expression. He nodded silently.

"What's code 004?" Yamamoto asked while Tsuna continued to silently listen. The swordsman noticed how the other boy's shoulders were twitching as he tried to stay calm. Having noticed Tsuna's efforts, Mr. Purdy explained to give Tsuna time to get control of himself.

"It's a code that tells the teachers something has happened. Something bad. They'll ignore any irregularities where Tsuna is concerned and won't push for information or anything else. They'll give him as much time as he needs to get back to normal." Mr. Purdy looked at Tsuna, wanting to do more for him. "Is there anything else you need for me to do?" He asked in hope. Tsuna finally looked up, a faltering smile not overcoming the sadness in his eyes.

"Can you get me out of gym class?"

* * *

As the day wore on, their classmates learned to fear not Tsuna, but his companions.

Twice while Tsuna walked along lost in thought, Gokudera cleared the area behind them full of whispering students. The first time, he used a silent smoke-bomb full of sleeping gas. The second time he used one full of a particularly cruel gas that made everyone break out in hives. Both times he judged his timing and distance so his boss would be safely out of range as he turned a corner in the halls.

Gokudera left those that actually tried to come near them to Yamamoto. No few shirts had all their buttons cut off before they got within a couple of yards. No few students backed away in fear at the look of warning in Yamamoto's eyes.

As for Tsuna, he was blissfully unaware of it all. He trusted the presence of his two friends at his back more than even he realized. If he hadn't, there would have been no way he could have allowed himself to continue obliviously in mental circles while he tried to overcome the regret blinding him to his flame. While he also tried to come to terms with how he was without his flame.

The loss of his flame had affected him more than he'd realized. While he still had some intuition, the lack of his hyper-intuition and potential the flame unlocked was a large blow. He hadn't really thought about it until he'd been handed a worksheet in his math class. Tsuna had been clueless where to even start figuring out the problems on the paper. Had no idea if his answers were even close to being correct when he'd turned it in. The look of sadness and worry his teacher had given him while he graded the papers had told him everything though. "No-Good Tsuna" was back whether he wanted it or not. The thought made his heart clench like it hadn't in years. It had been one thing to come into Don Girarde pretending to be No-Good, but finding himself unable to break himself out of that role again was painful.

During lunch, the two boys cleared out a corner table for Tsuna, knowing he wouldn't be able to relax with his back exposed. Tsuna continued to be lost in thought. Quietly, they ushered him into the corner of the long table. The three ate in silence, Gokudera and Yamamoto giving each other worried looks as they watched Tsuna eat without tasting anything.

Gokudera continued giving warning looks to anyone that thought to come near while Yamamoto tried to quickly finish his meal. When he finished, Gokudera ate while the swordsman kept watch. Yamamoto spared a moment of gratitude that Gokudera had kept Tsuna from absently picking out blood sausage to eat. That probably would have snapped him out of his daze in a particularly bad way after he had already started chewing on it.

In the end, what did bring Tsuna out of his daze was the weight of a fourth member sitting down to join them. The click of a tray hitting the table and the scrape of steel being laid down beside it left the three gaping in surprise.

"H-Hibari?" Tsuna asked, his fork hanging midair.

"I see the herbivore has returned," Hibari replied in a bored tone as he sat down.

"W-what are you doing here?" Tsuna mumbled, stunned. "I thought you hate crowds." He looked around at the crowd obviously filling up the cafeteria. Of all the people that had joined Tsuna in Italy, Hibari had been the only one to keep to the traditional bento instead of eating in the crowded lunch room.

"I thought I'd ensure Discipline," Hibari smiled, giving a warning look to a table full of boys that had been looking at them a bit too obviously. Everyone at that table suddenly decided they were finished eating and left quickly. None of them wanted to be bitten to death. Tsuna looked down at his tray as he put his fork down.

"Thank you," Tsuna mumbled. Once again, Hibari's will was his own, but Tsuna couldn't help but feel a bit of relief at his presence instead of the normal fear.

"Don't misunderstand me, Sawada," Hibari said as Hibird bounced on his shoulder. Tsuna looked up at his Cloud Guardian. "I'm not here to help you. I simply desired to confirm my sparring partner today."

Even without his hyper-intuition, Tsuna could see the lie. But he didn't challenge it. He was currently no match for Hibari should the black-haired boy decide to be offended. Tsuna looked around at the tables full of people pointedly _not_ looking at them, then he looked down at his uselessly gloved hands.

"You'll have to spar with someone else today, Hibari," he said softly so his voice wouldn't carry.

"Very well," Hibari replied in his bored voice again. The meal continued in silence when Tsuna once again fell into his own thoughts. Gokudera and Yamamoto shot him a worried look while Hibari fed Hibird a piece of corn from his tray. No one commented on Hibari's continued presence as Tsuna absently began picking at his meal again. Nor did they comment on the overly-aggressive warning looks Hibari gave to those that dared glance toward their table.

They all knew what the other boy wanted. Hibari wanted his toy back. He wanted the one person that could give him that rush that came with a satisfactory near-death bout. Wanted that feeling that came from fighting someone who wasn't afraid of his blood lust. The feeling that came from fighting someone who was strong. If it meant he had to bite a few people to death so that his toy could mend faster, so be it.

The silence was broken once more by the arrival of someone else Tsuna didn't expect.

"Here, Hayato," Bianchi sat as she handed Gokudera a box. "A fresh box of Poison Puffs." Gokudera took the proferred box gratefully. After a double-take, Tsuna's eyes widened in surprise.

"You're not getting sick!" He blurted at Gokudera.

Gokudera smiled as Bianchi tossed her hair around her back. Sure enough, Gokudera was sitting beside an unmasked Bianchi, able to interact without fainting or clutching his normally upset stomach. As the silver-haired boy opened the box and popped one of the creme puffs within into his mouth, he explained. Tsuna's jaw dropped and his eyes widened even more from watching his friend willingly eat some of Bianchi's Poison-Cooking.

"I've been doing some training so that I can't be affected by poisons and gases, Tenth," he explained. His face turned a bit green as the Poison Puff hit his stomach but otherwise seemed okay. "It wasn't this easy at first, but over the past three weeks I've gotten used to it."

"But--your sister--how--?" Tsuna spluttered.

"Oh, that. My stomach is upset pretty much all the time now, Tenth," he smiled brightly, not noticing how crazy he sounded. "I've gotten so used to it that I don't notice it when my sister is around."

Tsuna looked at him like he had went insane and Yamamoto hid a smile. For the first week and a half, the swordsman had been the one taking care of him in secret after the lunch and dinner dosages. Ryohei had been the one to watch over him after breakfast so that Yamamoto could still go to some of his morning classes. All three of them had breathed a sigh of relief when Gokudera finally managed to stay standing after eating one instead of finding himself flat on his back for an hour.

"I'm proud of you, Hayato," Bianchi said as she stood to leave. "Maybe I should make them stronger?" She mused. Gokudera instantly turned a darker shade of green as he assured her adamantly that it wasn't needed. Yamamoto smiled openly while Tsuna continued to try and wrap his mind around it all. Hibari looked like he wanted to bite something until Bianchi left and quiet order was restored to their table.

"I guess," Tsuna said quietly, still trying to get over his shock. "I guess I know how you two must have felt when I came back to Namimori. A lot can change in only a few weeks."

"Tenth..." Gokudera breathed, his earlier worry resurfacing.

"It's okay, Tsuna," Yamamoto said. "We all change a little to do what we have to, but we're still on the same team."

Tsuna looked at him for a moment before bowing his head in agreement. The rest of the meal was eaten in silence, to Hibari's satisfaction.

* * *

Claims from the first day of school aside, Mr. Purdy got Tsuna out of gym class. They used the pretense that Cheri needed Hibari as a sparring partner to bring out her full potential. No one dared ask why Tsuna didn't have to run the training course instead. The looks in Yamamoto and Gokudera's eyes warned not to.

Gokudera's familiar and reassuring presence stayed next to him while he stood on the sparring area's sidelines. His mind started wandering when Yamamoto took his place across from another strong swordsman. Since it wasn't Squalo, Tsuna didn't feel the need to focus on the match.

Instead, he continued trying to figure out why he regretted his decisions. He had chosen to come to Italy to get stronger, like Gokudera had said.

Had the bloodshed been worth the strength he'd achieved? He didn't feel stronger because of it. He just felt sick and tired.

Had the pain he went through been worth it? His still aching ribs and his memory of the torture said no. Nothing could be worth that pain.

He regretted it. Regretted even coming to Italy. Regretted being born into the Vongola bloodline. Regretted everything he'd done. The hell of his torture overwhelmed everything else. It wasn't a case of "this is better than the alternative". There had been no choices. He had been hurt because he'd come to Italy. Because he was strong, someone had hurt him. Because he'd hurt others, he'd been hurt in return.

Tsuna's regret drove deeper into his heart.

Even after finally recognizing and remembering his reasons for coming to Italy, his reasons for accepting his role as the next boss of Vongola, for wanting to get stronger and to loose his hesitation. For wanting to be able to do what needed to be done.

He couldn't get rid of the regret.

Nothing was worth the pain he had went through.

But he still couldn't fail his Family. They needed him. He might regret it, but he couldn't abandon them. They hadn't abandoned him when he'd been taken captive. Hadn't abandoned him while he recovered.

Regret or no, he could only move forward.

The sound of a yell as Yamamoto's match came to an end broke him out of his thoughts. He looked up and was immediately stunned by what he saw. The opponent was clutching his shoulder where Yamamoto had struck the winning blow. There was blood. Blood on the opponent's shoulder and blood on Yamamoto's sword.

He had used the blade instead of the back.

Tsuna's eyes widened as Yamamoto flicked the blood off his sword with a snap of his wrist. He laid Shigure Kintoki across his shoulders as he walked up to where Gokudera and Tsuna waited. Tsuna's eyes were filled with the question he wanted to ask but was unable to voice.

"Why?"

The very question Yamamoto has asked Tsuna. The very question that had started him on the path to regretting his actions and choices. Yamamoto smiled sadly at the wordless question and answered.

"You're not the only one that's allowed to take one for the team, Tsuna."

Tsuna could only stand there, stunned.


	26. Chapter 26 Pieces

Tsuna left the school grounds with his two friends in tow. When they reached the gates, they found Ryohei sitting and waiting for them. Tsuna felt a moment of relief that it hadn't been a black car or, even worse, Xanxus. He had barely been able to make it through the day without cracking. Being sent on an assignment would have been the last straw.

"What are you doing here, lawn-head?" Gokudera asked.

"Not much, octopus-head," he replied with a smile. He smoothed down the front of his black suit as he stood. "I just thought Tsuna might not want to go home right after school, so I figured I'd tag along."

"Thank you, big-brother," Tsuna mumbled as he began walking. The three boys followed in his wake faithfully. Tsuna didn't know where he wanted to walk to, but it was true he didn't want to go home yet. He felt too restless to go home.

"Tsuna," Yamamoto said carefully after three hours of walking in silent circles. "If you want to go in, we'll go with you." Tsuna looked up, only then realizing that he'd been circling the hotel where he'd initially been kidnapped. The blood rushed out of his face and collapsed on a nearby bench.

"I--" he started to say. He stopped, at a loss for words. Tsuna didn't know why he'd been drawn to the place. He'd walked here without thinking.

"It's okay, Tenth," Gokudera soothed. "Reborn told us you might want to come back here."

"You went through something extreme, little-bro," Ryohei smiled sadly. "It's only natural."

Tsuna nodded, putting his thoughts in order. He did want to go in and face it. It was something he felt he had to do. But more than that, he felt an urgent need to go check up on Red. She had been hurt the day he got kidnapped, but he hadn't been able to see if she was alright. Yet to get to Mafia Row, he'd have to go through the basement of the hotel again.

He was scared, he finally admitted to himself. He knew it was silly, but he was deathly afraid. Afraid that if he went in that basement, he'd be taken again. He'd be hurt again. Tsuna started to tremble, but a steady hand on each of his shoulders calmed him even as he cringed from the touch. He wasn't alone, he reminded himself. Unlike last time, these three were prepared to protect him. To keep him safe.

"Lets go," he said quietly. He wanted to get rid of this fear that he had. If only this one fear. Gokudera led the way while Yamamoto and Ryohei kept a steady presence at his back.

He could feel their support pushing him forward even as his mind started yelling for him to run away.

His hands began shaking when Gokudera handed out the key-cards from the front desk.

His legs felt like jelly and he began sweating as the elevator descended.

He could feel his breathing become ragged and panic begin to take over as the doors opened onto the basement floor.

And finally, the moment he inched out of the elevator and got to the place where he'd been taken, he passed out into Yamamoto's waiting arms.

Yamamoto lowered Tsuna to the ground carefully as Ryohei and Gokudera watched over in silence. They'd all noticed as Tsuna had slowly been overwhelmed with fear. Had been forced to watch while he tried to push through his panic and face it. It had been heart-wrenching to see the cold sweat and the wide eyes get worse the closer they got to the sewer-entrance.

And then, finally, Tsuna had blacked out. Yamamoto sent a silent thanks to where ever Reborn was hiding. If they hadn't been warned this would probably happen, they wouldn't have been prepared for their brother's reaction. It had happened in an instant and only the fact that the three had been watching him closely had saved Tsuna from a cracked skull when he fell.

"Should we take the Tenth home?" Gokudera asked the others, pained by seeing his boss this way.

"No," Ryohei replied, matching pain in his eyes, "Reborn said to keep him here if he did pass out. That way he can finish what he started by coming here. Otherwise, he'll always be too scared to come back."

Yamamoto nodded, agreeing wordlessly even as Tsuna started to wake again. He lurched and opened his eyes, making the three boys' hearts clench. They knew what he'd been expecting upon waking, even now. Instead of screaming, though, Tsuna put a hand to his head, trying to clear his disorientation.

"Yamamoto...?" He asked quietly, looking up at the swordsman hovering anxiously over him.

"You passed out, Tsuna," he explained soothingly. Panic once again filled Tsuna's eyes when he looked around and saw where he was. "It's okay," Yamamoto said, putting a comforting hand on the other's shoulder. Yamamoto could see tears welling up despite Tsuna's effort to get control and calm himself.

For several minutes the silent battle raged within Tsuna. Trying to overcome the fear and panic of his surroundings while trying to keep himself from breaking down. Ryohei, Gokudera, and Yamamoto all breathed silent sighs of relief when slowly Tsuna won. His chest stopped heaving and the fear slowly ran out of his eyes as time passed an no masked men came to take him away.

"I'm really No-Good again, aren't I?" Tsuna said finally, putting his face into his hands in shame. "Here I am, scared of a basement. An empty room."

"Tenth..."

"It's okay," Tsuna repeated to himself. "I'm fine. It's over. I didn't break. I--"

"Tsuna," Yamamoto said, pulling Tsuna into another hug for support. "Don't ignore the fact that you're hurting." Tsuna's shoulders started shaking in Yamamoto's arms.

"We're all here with you, Tenth," Gokudera encouraged.

"You're not alone, little-bro," Ryohei cheered.

They continued to lend words of support as he gave in to Yamamoto's comforting embrace and finally cried. He wept silently, trying to release the pain he still felt over what had happened. What had been done to him. What he'd lost because of it.

The tears and words helped.

* * *

Being unable to tell the time in the windowless basement, none of them knew what time it was when they finally made it to Mafia Row. Despite that, they sighed in relief when they got to Pink's Club. It had to still be early if there wasn't a line yet. Inside, the club was dead. Not even a single customer was present. Although, that wasn't too surprising. Most mafioso were probably out still completing their boss' assignments. Tsuna was grateful for the emptiness. He wasn't very good with large crowds anymore.

"Orange!" One of the waitresses called out in surprise and joy. Within seconds he was surrounded by a crowd of lace and leather. His nerves twitched but he tried to smile. Before he could do more than say a panicked hello to all the girls, he found himself extricated by his three protectors. Ryohei shoo'ed them away, making the waitresses and dancers go back to work in disappointment. Tsuna was their favorite bouncer, after all. Though he didn't know it, Tsuna had stolen no few of their hearts with his gentleness toward them.

Tsuna walked up to the bar, giving a reassuring smile to the overly-relieved Pink behind it. He thought he heard her say, "Thank God, you're okay," before she put a drink up on the counter for him, but it might have just been his imagination. Tsuna leaned up against the bar and wrapped his hand around the glass, not wanting to act any different than he used to. He was too scared to drink, but he didn't want to let her see how high his guard was raised. He could feel Yamamoto sit to his left and Gokudera to his right. Ryohei was somewhere behind him, Tsuna was sure. Probably sitting at one of the many tables filling the room.

"So you're back," Pink said, smiling. "I'm glad your rec--err--trip to Japan went well." Tsuna nodded, agreeing with what she'd wanted to say instead of the cover story.

"I'm fine. There was a few...issues...that need to be taken care of, so I can't come back to work just yet. I only wanted to see how Red was doing. She was hurt the day I left, remember?" Pink tossed down a shot of her own whiskey as she nodded. With a wave of her hand, she called one of the waitresses over and sent for Red.

Within seconds, a flurry of Red lace came bouncing happily forward. As he chatted calmly with her, he felt himself relax and his friends relaxed with him. As he ascertained that Red was perfectly fine and had recovered, out of the corner of his eye he saw Grey come up to say hello. The man's beefy hand came down to pat Tsuna's shoulder in a friendly greeting, but Tsuna flinched away from it. He couldn't control the reaction, no matter how much he tried.

The hand never landed. Tsuna looked over at it, trying to overcome the fear pounding in his heart. The flat of Yamamoto's blade laid across the bottom of Grey's forearm and Gokudera's hand restrained him at the elbow. The two were looking at the man like he'd just signed a death warrant. For his part, Grey didn't even notice, too focused on the flash of fear that had been in Tsuna's eyes. The flash of fear that had been in the incredibly strong Orange's eyes.

"I-It's okay, guys," Tsuna said into the tense silence. Tsuna turned back to his drink, nursing it while the two boys released Grey's arm. He was ashamed that they'd had to protect him from a greeting. Horribly ashamed. He couldn't look Grey or anyone else in the eyes, knowing how visible his fear had been.

The sudden sound of a skin being smacked followed by the sound of shattering glass made everyone turn to look at the newcomer standing several feet away. Everyone but Tsuna. He immediately tensed, his muscles contracting as his eyes dilated from the sound he'd heard. It had been the sound of the lash hitting his skin, he was sure. The newcomer looked at Tsuna's back sadly while he tried to control himself. When he finally turned to see who it was, his shoulders sagged with relief.

"It's only you, White," he mumbled quietly. In his mind, Tsuna kept repeating to himself: It's not the man in the gas-mask. White put her hands down from where she'd clapped, causing the sound that Tsuna had heard. Her eyes filled with sadness again as she walked forward to Tsuna.

"We need to talk," she said quietly.

"Why do we need to talk?" Tsuna said, his panic rising. White only talked to those that were broken. But he wasn't broken. He'd kept himself from breaking.

"You're hurting," she told him quietly.

"Everyone hurts sometimes," he replied, backing away from her. She continued to walk determinedly toward him and he continued to back away unconsciously. As he started to sweat, part of his mind wondered why everyone was staring at him. Why wasn't his friends coming to his aid? He suddenly found his back against a wall and she came to a stop in front of him.

"You need my help," White informed him.

"No," Tsuna said, trying to stay calm, "Only people that are broken need your help. I'm not broken. I'm fine." He tried to give a faltering smile, but she wasn't buying it.

"The glass in your hand disagrees," she said softly. Only then did Tsuna look down and see the shattered remains of his drink still being clutched tightly in his hand. Blood and alcohol mixed as it dripped silently to the ground. His hand had convulsed around it when White had clapped her hands and he nor anyone else had noticed. Tsuna raised his fist up and opened his hand. His eyes filled with apology as he let the shattered glass fall to the floor and he leaned against the wall behind him for support.

Broken. Shattered.

He was broken. He couldn't control his fears anymore. He couldn't feel why his Family was so important. He couldn't see his flame.

Tsuna couldn't control the tears that welled up in his eyes even as he cringed from the comforting hand White laid on his shoulder. He put his fists to his temples as he tried to get his mind to silence itself. Tried to regain control. But he was beyond that. He had failed. He had kept his mind from breaking, but by allowing other parts of himself break. He was a lattice-work of half-healed scars and open wounds. In body, mind, and spirit.

He was broken. He had failed.

And it _hurt_.

He sank to the ground and covered his face to hide his tears.

"Let me help you," she begged. She continued to softly mumble encouragements to him until he gained enough control to nod wordlessly and stand. He ignored everyone else while she led him to one of the soundproof booths with Yamamoto following close behind. Behind them, silence reigned through the rest of the club while they watched the one person they thought invulnerable continue to shatter. At the bar, Ryohei and Gokudera began to drown their sorrows while the waitresses, dancers, and bouncers all tried to overcome their shock.

"He's only human," Reborn said as he jumped into sight on the bar.

The bartender and the two Guardians nodded, tossing back another shot to hide the tears in their eyes.

No matter how strong he was, he was only human.

* * *

Tsuna collapsed into one of the booth's many assorted chairs, daring White to do her worst. He barely even noticed the presence of Yamamoto standing in the corner of the room, worriedly watching over his friend.

Yamamoto had been told of this woman during one of the long late-night talks he had with Gokudera after the other boy's Gauntlet run. Gokudera had said she was some kind of special councillor for people pushed past their limits. If Tsuna needed anything, it was that. So he had quietly allowed the woman to take charge, resisting his own urge to protect his friend and brother. But he wasn't going to leave Tsuna to her mercy, either. Having been the one to comfort and care for Tsuna as he cried, he wasn't about to let this woman cause more tears.

"It's alright," White said, not only to Tsuna, but to Yamamoto. She turned to Yamamoto, temporarily ignoring the blank-eyed boy sitting before her. "You're going to have to trust me. It's my job to put him back together, but I can't do that if you interfere."

Yamamoto gritted his teeth. By confronting him like this, she was forcing him to either allow Tsuna to stay in his current state or to allow her to do whatever she wanted in order to put Tsuna back together. She smiled as she saw Yamamoto's decision reflected in his eyes. He wanted his brother back, whole and happy.

She turned back to her charge, trying to decide how to approach him as tears continued to silently fall down his cheeks. Finally, she pulled up a chair and tied her long silver hair back into a pony-tail. As she sat in front of Tsuna, she looked into his eyes, making him focus on her by the sheer force of her presence.

"Tsuna," she said carefully, "You've been hurt. For me to fix it, I'm going to need to go inside your head to do my work." He nodded, unable to formulate any coherent words through the tumult in his mind. "The first thing we're going to have to do, though, is I need you to take off your shirt."

Both Yamamoto and Tsuna stiffened at the request. Then Tsuna nodded again and began unbuttoning it before Yamamoto could protest. Tsuna didn't care what she did anymore. He had already failed.

Yamamoto grimaced as Tsuna let his shirt fall to the ground. The amount of scars on Tsuna's body was heartbreaking. While he'd been healing, he'd been covered in bandages and covers. This was the first time that Yamamoto had seen the aftermath of Tsuna's torture in the light of day. He could tell how systematically his friend had been hurt due to the precise placement of the white lines scoring his body. The image of Tsuna's beaten and bleeding body hanging from the ceiling of the Gola Mosca facility surfaced in his mind, bringing anger and sadness.

White didn't seem to notice as she prepared to do her work. The two boys looked at her in surprise as Blue Delving Flames flickered into life on her forefingers. One she place in the center of Tsuna's chest and the other touched the middle of his forehead before he could react to stop her. Yamamoto started to move to interfere when Tsuna's eyes flickered shut.

"Don't worry," White told the swordsman before he could panic and actually stop her, "The one on his chest is to put him in a trance and keep him from convulsing. The other is where I'm going to be trying to fix him." She looked up and smiled sadly at Yamamoto. "This isn't the first time I've had to fix something that's broken."

Yamamoto nodded in acceptance and settled into a corner of the room. White returned to what she was doing, closing out everything else in the room. This is where the real fight began.

* * *

Tsuna could feel White touching his mind. He wanted to hide when her hands reached for the sensitive corner of his mind where he'd pushed all the memories of his pain and suffering. All the heartache he'd recieved since coming to Italy. His mind screamed in pain as she ruthlessly reached into the bloody pile and pulled out a memory of his torture. She let the memory surface into his mind while he was paralyzed with horror.

_A blow to his stomach woke him, the sudden pain being totally unexpected. His gut felt like it had just been hit by a truck, sending spasms up and down his spine. Before he could react, a sudden pinprick hit his neck. He heard the sound of liquid being squeezed through a syringe as his nerves were lit on fire from the drug._

Even as he relived the painful ordeal in his mind, he could feel White's flame beginning to wrap around it and soften the memory. The pain began to subside as she set the memory aside and reached for another.

_Over and over they beat him, the thick strap hurting him without drawing blood. Up and down his sides the continued, each blow laying next to the previous one systematically as they altered sides. When he thought they were finally going to stop, they began hitting his arms and legs. Then his chest and his back. Tsuna's gasps and moans of pain didn't seem to stop the person hurting him. The person ignored his questions and instead, the blows starting becoming more frequent as his attacker seemed to become pleased with his pain._

Once again White acted before he was overwhelmed by the sensations of his memory. Like a warm gauze, she allowed him to see it, but put a barrier around it so that he couldn't feel it. Over and over she reached in, pulling out another memory of the pain and suffering of his torture. Over and over she protected him from it without destroying it.

By the time she had completely softened the memories of the eight hours of hell he'd went through, he felt wrung out and dry. His mind was completely exhausted from the ordeal. But he felt a bit better, he realized with hope. The walls of his mind felt raw, but the presence of the invisible monster it had been trying to keep leashed was gone. He couldn't sense the pressure rubbing against his inner barriers, trying to be break free.

He could sense her pause when she realized how raw his mind was. For a moment, Tsuna thought she was going to reach back into the bloody pile again and pull out another torturous memory. He was surprised when she went to a different corner of his mind. One that seemed dark and out of his own reach. He knew it was there, he just couldn't touch it himself.

Her hand was steady as she reached in for him. She pulled out a memory and layered it on the walls of his mind, soothing it as if it was an ointment. The moment it touched the walls of his mind, he could see which memory she'd used.

_It felt like it took him an hour to make his faltering way down the stairs and into the kitchen. Giving a tired "Good Morning," he sat down at the table. His mother put his plate in front of him and got him a bowl of rice from the cooker. Tsuna could barely lift his chopsticks to his mouth, but somehow, bite by bite, he did._

_Less than a minute later, he found himself looking at an empty plate, still feeling empty inside. Before he could ask for more, the empty plate was silently replaced with a new, full one. He continued eating. Three more times, his plate and rice bowl were filled. Three more times, he still couldn't find the energy to look up. When a sixth plate appeared before him but wasn't set down, he made himself raise his head. Lambo was standing on the table, holding the new plate of food. _

_"Lambo will help make Tsuna feel better, too," he said. That's when Tsuna realized that after he'd finished his own, one by one, everyone had given him their breakfast. Looking around at his mother, Bianchi, Fuuta, I-pin, and Lambo, he felt tears welling up._

Had he been in control of his body, he would have wept at the caring he remember from his Family. The love they'd given him freely. White sensed the moment when he'd finished accepting the memory. The moment he did, she reached back in and pulled out another.

_Salmon had come to save him._

_Warmth began to leech back into his heart and soul as the orange flame purified the darkness within his body. He could sense the memories and feelings that his Family had given to Salmon. They wrapped around him and flowed through him, pushing away the black filth that held him hostage. Then Salmon began to fade into him as the sea around him began to lighten and the cold disappeared._

_"What--" Tsuna began to ask as his voice returned. But he could sense it, Salmon's choice. The eel had chosen to return to Tsuna instead of allowing the darkness to take him. He was giving his life in trade for his partner's freedom. And he was happy he could do it. Tsuna began to cry as he felt that last thought of happiness from his friend._

Tsuna's mind wept at the memory. It was a sad memory full of loss and pain. But it was a different kind of pain than the suffering he'd went through since coming to Italy. It was a pain he had because he hadn't been strong enough at that time. It reminded him of one of the reasons why he'd wanted to become stronger. Reminded him so that his heart could actually feel it. He had wanted to become stronger so that he was the only one that had to ever feel this kind of loss again. He had never again wanted to feel the pain of loosing an important friend.

White reached for another. And another. Over and over she pulled out the memories from the corner of his mind, releasing them so that they floated into his heart and mind's eye. Memories of happy times that he'd unintentionally repressed in order to deal with his suffering. Gokudera's devotion. Ryohei's challenges. Yamamoto's support. Lambo's craziness. Fuuta's quiet happiness. Kyoko's smile. Haru's laughter.

_He felt Haru's arms wrap around his waist as she hugged his back, surprising him. "It'll be okay, Tsuna," she said softly, making his heart leap before it finally calmed down. She let go as Iemitsu stepped out of the way so that he could go and greet his Family. They looked a little hesitant due to how long Iemitsu had been standing in front of him, but he put them at ease with a smile._

_"Thank you," he told them as he went to join the celebration._

The raw walls of his mind eased as the warmth and caring memories of his Family washed against them like a salve. He wanted to cry for another reason this time. He'd forgotten why he'd wanted to protect his Family so badly. Had forgotten why he was willing to pay any price to keep them safe and happy.

This was why he'd been willing to go through such pain. This had been the reason he'd accepted his role and came to Italy. It had been one thing to have Gokudera tell him the reasons, but it was another to actually feel it again. White seemed to sense the change in him as the corner was finally emptied and light filled it once more. But she wasn't done. She reached into the bloody pile again, pulling out one of the memories of a Gauntlet run.

_"I'll do it," Tsuna said, his heart leaping into his throat as he said it. He wanted to puke. He wanted to be anywhere but here. He wanted to run and hide in a closet where no one could find him._

_But he didn't. He stepped forward, his heart pounding. Tsuna couldn't let the man die because he'd failed to do one of the Ninth's tasks. This was the lesser of two Hells, he tried to tell himself._

_He knelt, a dead look in his eyes, and began reaching for the man's hand._

Painfully, one by one she pulled out the memories of pain and suffering he'd caused others. Each one she allowed him to see, making him focus on the reasons for them more than the acts. The moment of decision that Tsuna had went through before committing to the bloodshed.

It was required.

It was the lesser of two evils.

Every single one had been to fulfill his obligations as the next boss of Vongola. Protecting the people he was responsible for protecting. Every single one had been to keep something worse from happening. Whether a warning to keep someone from being punished or a punishment to keep someone from being executed.

Then White pulled up the memories of Jack. And of Jack's death. Then she pulled out the memory of the man Tsuna had tortured for answers. Something inside him hardened as he rewatched the torture. He had decided a long time ago not to regret that. It had been worth the pain and bloodshed to find out why Jack had did what he did. Tsuna only felt remorse toward the poor fool that had been the target.

Tsuna would have jerked in surprise as he realized he didn't regret any of his actions, he only felt remorse that he'd had to do it. Yet, he would do it again if needed. Because that was what was required to protect his Family.

He didn't regret it.

A flicker of flame caught his attention as White pulled away from his mind in satisfaction. He wanted to cry when the flicker proved not to be White's blue flame, but his own orange one. It was small and barely hanging on, but it was there.

He could see it again; feel it again.

He reached out to it, flaring it back to life in joy and relief.

* * *

"How much longer?" Gokudera muttered in frustration and irritation. White and Tsuna had been in their trance for nearly three days. She had stopped responding completely as she delved deeper into Tsuna's mind to fix what was broken.

"I don't know," Red replied. Red, Pink, Ryohei, and Gokudera had all joined Yamamoto up in the booth after several hours had passed. Reborn had left to report in and let them know they wouldn't be home for a while when the trance had went into the first night. By the second night, everyone was anxious and afraid.

"White's never taken this long," Pink said quietly. "There must be more wrong than just what was caused by the torture."

The three boys looked at each other, all coming to the same conclusion. Tsuna's flame. Both women had been shocked and dismayed when they'd first entered the room and seen the scars. In the end, no one had told them about the other problem afflicting their friend.

Ryohei opened his mouth to explain when a sudden movement from Tsuna stopped him. Silent tears began running down his face when White pulled her hand back. Yamamoto moved to catch her as she collapsed and Gokudera ran forward to grab Tsuna. Gokudera held him steady in his chair and his eyes began to open. Before they'd done more than crack open, the Dying Will Flame burst out onto his head sending a wave of surprise through the onlookers. Tsuna's eyes opened wide and the worried gathering could see relief and joy flickering in the fires held harnessed within.

"I remember, Yamamoto," he cried. "I remember why now..." He trailed off as the Dying Will Flame receded and three days of mental exhaustion caught up with him. His eyes closed once more and he fell into a deep slumber. Gokudera and Ryohei carried him to a couch in the corner of the booth to actually rest.

There was an overwhelming surge of relief in everyone as they looked at Tsuna's peacefully sleeping form. He was whole again. Yamamoto looked down in his arms at the reason he was better. White had also blacked out from exhaustion within seconds of breaking her link with Tsuna.

"I'll look over this one," he volunteered, leaving Tsuna in Gokudera and Ryohei's capable hands. Pink led him to another empty booth where he laid White comfortably on the room's couch and took a seat in one of the many assorted chairs scattered around. He wasn't going to leave her until he had said his thanks. Until then, he watched over her while she peacefully rested.

At some point, Grey showed up with food for him and told him that Orange was still sleeping. He took both the food and the news with gratitude as he continued his watch over the little miracle-worker. He could tell the bouncer was feeling over-protective of the two. Seeing Tsuna hurt to such a degree had drove it home that anyone could be broken. Suddenly White's importance jumped up in his eyes. Pink had merely smiled at the sudden caring Grey showed, having understood it all along.

"How long?" She moaned as she finally opened her eyes and saw the swordsman seated across the room from her.

"Three days," he replied. Her eyes widened at the news. What had seemed like a mere hour or so in Tsuna's mind had taken that long? She shook her head to clear her disorientation and fatigue as she sat up.

"How is he?" She asked.

"You gave him back his flame," Yamamoto said, bringing her the other half of his sandwich and a glass of water. She took a bite, only then realizing how hungry she was. "He's sleeping still."

"He's still mending," she warned around bites. "But he should be able to sleep with the lights off. And he won't flinch when people touch him anymore." She stopped to think a moment. "You're his shoulder, aren't you?" Yamamoto nodded after a moment of thought.

"Gokudera's his right hand, but I tend to be the one he comes to when he strikes out."

"Sounds right," she continued as she polished off his sandwich. "It's always the right hand man for the body and the left hand for the spirit." Yamamoto looked at her in surprise, but she didn't seem to notice as she continued briefing him. "It'll be your job to help him when the aftershocks start."

"Aftershocks?" he asked. She nodded tiredly and explained.

"I've helped ease the pain and put things into perspective, but he's still hurting. It probably won't be visible in during the day, but he'll still have nightmares. He probably won't like being touched for a while, either. Don't get me wrong, like I said before he won't cringe at being touched, but whether he wants it will take time. When he finally wants it again, that will be the signal that he's almost completely healed." She yawned before continuing, "There might be other aftershocks that you'll have to keep an eye out for, but they should be pretty minor." Once again, he nodded as he swore to himself that he'd protect Tsuna and help him mend.

"Thank you," Yamamoto told her, putting all the feeling he could into the words. She smiled as fatigue washed over her again and she laid back down.

"You're welcome."


	27. Chapter 27 Tremor

When Tsuna finally woke from his post-trance sleep, it was a bright Friday afternoon. He had slept for the most part of two days after the trance. Cress informed him that his friends were all at work, with the exception of Ryohei. He also informed Tsuna that he had the weekend off from work. Having been present for much of the trance, Pink was extremely worried about Tsuna. So were many of his other coworkers. He could tell simply from all the get-well gifts they'd sent him.

It was the first time in a very long time that Tsuna had the whole day free to himself. He wasn't quite sure what he wanted to do, although he did know he wanted to relax. It felt like it had been too long since he'd been allowed to enjoy himself, regardless of the little amount of time he'd spent conscious since returning from Japan. Although, he wasn't really sure where a person went to relax other than the bar Xanxus always took him to and Prescott's. Since he didn't want to drink, that meant his only real option was the juice bar that Cheri had taken him to on the rare occasion he got a half-day to himself.

So, he dressed casually and with Ryohei as an escort, he set off in a car. It was a sign of how much Cress had come to care for Tsuna that he drove personally instead of a chauffeur. Thanks to Ryohei's energetic personality along the way, Tsuna found himself actually smiling.

The boxer had been busy for the last several weeks and was full of stories about his adventures in Italy. Not only had he found a boxing gym full of extreme boxers, but he'd been exploring the city a lot, too. He described several areas of the city that Tsuna had yet to visit, although one or two gave him a suspicious feeling. That suspicious feeling became horrific certainty when Ryohei started telling him about the very bar that Xanxus always took him to.

"So you've been to No-Man's Land, big bro?" Tsuna asked softly, trying to keep the smile from disappearing from his face completely. Ryohei blinked twice in surprise before energetically confirming what Tsuna feared.

"Yup! I go there at least once a week, sometimes more. It's an extreme place! Perfect for a guy like me! You'd fit right in too, little bro," Ryohei replied.

"I-I see," Tsuna responded. He let his smile fall and looked out the window to cover his heartache. Ryohei didn't know how much it hurt Tsuna to know that the boxer frequented such a nasty part of town. The fact he went there so often told Tsuna one thing that no one had bothered to mention yet. Ryohei was working for the mafia now. Probably Yamamoto, as well, considering the swordsman's use of his blade. His intuition told him that if it was true, Gokudera was no different. While he had been recovering, his friends had been out spilling blood.

Instead of thinking about it too hard, he pushed it to the back of his mind. He'd worry about it once it was confirmed. Even though Ryohei was right next to him, he didn't want to push the subject right now. It was probably best to wait until everyone was together to confirm it. That way, he would be able to deal with all three of them at once. For now, he simply let his mind go blank and watch the scenery pass. Sensing his mood, Ryohei and Cress both fell silent, as well. Everyone let out a small sigh of relief when they reached Prescott's. The sound of everyone sighing at once brought a small smile back to Tsuna's face, although he couldn't say why.

He wasn't the least bit surprised to see Cheri the moment he and Ryohei went inside. Cheri had a normal high-schooler's schedule compared to Tsuna. Since it was a Friday afternoon, he'd already expected her to be where the manga was. Letting Ryohei order them some juice, he went back to her reserved nook in the section of manga that centered around fighting and adventure. With a smile, he sat and started chatting with her about the manga he'd missed out on.

"What's this?" He asked, picking up the discarded manga she'd been reading before he came in. Her eyes widened when she saw which one he was looking at. It was a small volume entitled _Hitman High_.

"You don't know?" She asked. At his nonplussed expression, she explained. "_Hitman High _is the school's newspaper. Since it's labeled as fiction, it's a safe format for spreading the real news about Don Girarde. The character bios in the back are new students, the plot gives news about the upcoming month's school events, and the action tends to be reports on gossip and other things. No one's real names are used, but every Family has a pseudonym. For example, you're Lovang the Tenth and my Family goes by Liwock instead of Olwick."

"I'm in here?" He replied in surprise.

"The first ten pages of every volume covers the five boss-apparent currently attending Don Girarde. Well, this week there's twelve pages since we're getting a new student on Monday. Two pages are always on you, even if you don't come to school."

She gave a little grimace when he started thumbing through the little volume in curiosity. When he found the page titled 'Lovang', he understood why. Instead of human, the author had drawn him as a monstrous demon with a flaming head and hands. He also seemed to be ten feet tall and had a dangerous disposition. The two page story that was written about him seemed to be about the demon 'Lovang' being defeated and hidden away in a secret cave.

Tsuna dropped the book like it had bit him.

"Are you okay?" Cheri asked.

"Yes," Tsuna lied. "It's not that big of a deal. The cover story worked while I was recovering, but it won't hold--"

"That's not what I mean, Tsuna," she interrupted. "I'm talking about how they portrayed you like a monster." Tsuna looked down, hiding his face in the shadows of his hair.

"Isn't it a good thing?" He whispered softly. "A boss is supposed to be feared in order to keep the other Families in line." Tsuna felt a moment of disgust when repeating the lesson Xanxus had given him months ago. He hated being feared, almost as much as he hated hurting people. Yet, he had to do it no matter how much he hated it.

Cheri was taken aback by his answer. She fell silent while Tsuna considered the implications of the story he'd read. The Families knew that his cover story was a lie. They knew the rumor of his kidnapping was true and he'd disappeared to recover. Having returned in such a poor state, it was likely he was seen as still weak from his 'defeat'. More than anything, now was the likeliest time for the enemy to attack.

He had the sudden urge to prepare. His weakened body needed to be strengthened and he had to make up for his poor showing at school. Now, before rival Families decided to test the waters. Before rumor of his current weakness became fact. He still ached and hurt inside from the injuries he'd received, but he had to push past that. With that in mind, he silently stood and left Prescott's with Ryohei in tow.

Cheri seemed to still be overwhelmed with surprise at his attitude, so her farewell was a bit hesitant. Tsuna didn't mind. Cheri was strong and was capable of seeing past the mafia facades. This was just the first time she'd glimpsed the side of him that Xanxus had created. She'd get over it.

He hoped.

* * *

Making up for a month-long gap in training wasn't easy. His over-taxed muscles screamed at the levels he pushed them to during the rest of the weekend. Ignoring the pain, he kept pushing. Weight-training, running, even swimming. He did every exercise he could in order to regain his lost stamina and strength. His determination left several people clamoring for him to take it easy. Not only Cress and his three resident Guardians, but even his father tried to step in to slow him down. 

Even so, he refused. He couldn't wait until he was completely recovered in order to train again. None of them seemed to understand the position he'd put the Family in. Even the Ninth seemed to be taking everything too lightly. The only thing he could do to make up for his failure was to train hard. Train hard and reassert Vongola's strength.

"Thou art training again, Sawada-dono?" Basil asked late Sunday night. Tsuna grunted an affirmative instead of verbally answering. The half-ton weights he was lifting didn't spare him the strength for much else. "Why art thou in such a hurry? Thou have been rushed to train since thou woke."

Before answering, Tsuna tossed the weights to the ground and fell on his back panting. Basil hovered over him worriedly until he got his breathe back. Tsuna ignored the curious silence in the background. Everyone had stopped chatting during their work-outs in order to hear Tsuna's answer. By now, few people at Headquarters were oblivious to his superhuman training sessions.

"I have to get stronger," he panted, dripping in sweat.

"But why art thou in such a hurry? Why can't thou wait until thy body is fully recovered?" Basil asked again, kneeling down next to him with a bottle of water and a towel. Tsuna looked into Basil's eyes after taking both of the offered items. Basil truly didn't understand what was driving Tsuna, although it should have been obvious.

"Because of me, the other Families might think Vongola is weak," he answered softly. Basil jerked in surprise and around him the sound of moving gym equipment came to a halt. Tsuna ignored it all, trying to find the right words so that at least one person would understand. He looked down at his gloved hands in shame. "Not only did I allow myself to get taken, but I'm now covered in scars. When I went to school, I made the mistake of letting others see me at less than one-hundred percent. I have to make up for that before it puts Vongola in danger." He looked up into Basil's eyes once again, begging silently for him to understand. "I don't have time to waste recovering. The longer it takes me to get back to where I was, the more chance a rival Family will see it as an opening to attack. I have to get stronger before my weakness causes someone to get hurt."

"Sawada-dono..." Basil breathed. Tsuna sighed at the understanding laced into the word. Finally, someone understood what was driving him.

Tsuna blinked in surprise when he heard a small sniffle. He looked around at the other people in the gym that he'd forgotten about. With a blush, he realized they were all looking at him and had heard every word. From the suppressed tears in everyone's eyes, they all understood why he was pushing so hard. Tsuna tried to stand to hide his embarrassment. He managed to get half-way up before a sharp pain in his ribs sent him back down to his knees.

"Sawada-dono!" Basil yelled in sudden panic and worry. Several others ran forward to help him, but he waved them away. Although they were all Vongola, he barely knew any of them. The thought of them touching him in order to help him up was met with hidden revulsion.

"I'm fine," he gasped. "Although I think that I'm done for today. Any more and my ribs will break again." He made to stand again and this time he managed. Hoping that Basil thought Tsuna had merely overlooked the proffered helping hand, Tsuna stumbled toward the locker room unaided. He stopped in the doorway to rest, clutching his aching ribs. He'd pushed them a bit harder than he should have considering they were freshly healed. Since ignoring the pain was the only thing he could do, he steeled himself and continued to stumble toward the showers.

Behind him, Basil and the other Vongola family members watched silently. Some felt awe at Tsuna's determination. Some felt pity for his pain. Others felt admiration for his fortitude. All of them felt devotion because of his reasons. However, Basil was the only one that felt sadness. While other Family members hadn't known the Tsuna that had lived happily in Namimori, Basil did. Having seen that Tsuna, the one that he'd just spoken to seemed like a stranger. It was as if some door that was once open was now closed. The determination to protect had remained, but the joy and innocent hope in Tsuna's eyes was gone.

Was he no longer protecting out of caring, but out of duty?

Did he no longer hope for the peaceful days that came from protecting his Family successfully?

Basil's heart clenched at the thought. Tsuna had always fought in order to continue to live happily with his Family. Who was this Tsuna that merely fought because he felt he needed to fight?

* * *

Tsuna steeled himself as he walked onto the school grounds. Already he could see curious looks in the eyes of his classmates. The vulture-like looks he was openly given only reinforced his certainty that he'd caused harm to Vongola's steadfast image. The knowledge weighed on his shoulders heavily, barely lightened by the presence of Gokudera and Yamamoto at his back. 

Unsure of how to prove to his classmates that he was fine, he walked casually toward his homeroom. Once or twice someone looked like they wanted to come near in curiosity, but his deadly glares sent them hastily elsewhere. The farther down the hall he got, the more tense he became. More and more people looked like they were fearless of him. While he normally would be happy about the fact, he couldn't be in this situation. The only reason they were fearless of him was because of his supposed weakness.

"Tsuna," Yamamoto whispered, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Calm down."

Tsuna looked down at the hand on his shoulder in surprise. He hadn't realized his frustration and tenseness had been so visible. Shrugging the hand off, he tried to hide his conflicting emotions. His inner flame flared slightly in order to reinforce his mental barriers. Within three more steps, flames were reflecting in his eyes and a calm boredom settled over him. He didn't like using his inner flame for such a silly reason, but he felt that it was needed. Before he did more damage than he already had.

He was reaching for the handle to his homeroom class when the sound of a familiar voice made him pause. It had come from the room next to his. At first, Tsuna shrugged off the idea that it was who he thought, but Cheri's words came back to him.

_"...since we're getting a new student on Monday."_

The sound of the familiar voice was heard again. This time, even Gokudera and Yamamoto stopped to stare at the door next to theirs. By now, several people were curiously watching, wondering why the three Vongola were looking like they'd just been slapped.

"Gokudera," Tsuna said. He didn't need to say anymore. Gokudera immediately reached for the door to the neighboring classroom and flung it open. The sound of the familiar voice suddenly became clear and the three dropped their jaws in surprise at the owner. He was sitting on a desk, bragging about something and getting looks of pity and disgust in return.

"Ah-AH! Sawada!" Longchamp yelled, seeing the three in the doorway to his class. He jumped up off his desk and rushed forward to them. "This is so freaking sweet! I didn't know you'd be here! It must be destiny or something like that!"

Longchamp went to throw an arm around Tsuna's shoulder in a friendly manner, but was stopped by a hand around his wrist. Longchamp grimaced at the intense pressure that was nearly cracking the bones. Tsuna started to ask Gokudera to let go when he realized he, himself, was the one holding Longchamp so roughly. He let go immediately, dropping his own hand in what he hoped was a nonchalant manner.

Tsuna wanted to apologize and explain, but the presence of so many onlookers rendered him speechless. Even with his inner flame fortifying him, he clenched his fist in frustration. This wasn't him. Why was he acting like this toward Longchamp? They'd been friends in middle school. Tsuna couldn't understand why his own hand had betrayed him. Even now, Longchamp was nursing his hurt wrist and looking at Tsuna in askance, but Tsuna couldn't think of any reply.

Retreat.

The thought flashed into Tsuna's mind and he instantly turned away, intending to continue the day like nothing had happened. Longchamp wasn't one to let things slide, however. Most precisely, his servant Mangusta wasn't one to let things slide.

"Longchamp," Mangusta yelled at Longchamp's look of dismay. Longchamp looked over at his manservant in surprise and was immediately knocked back by the force of a bullet. Tsuna ignored the snickering class and looked down at Longchamp's fallen body. Apparently the Tomaso Family's secret bullets weren't so secret. In fact, from the way that Longchamp's class were watching in open amusement, it could be easily said to be the laughing stock of special bullets.

A zipper appeared down Longchamp's fallen body. From the center of his chest, hands appeared, prying open the zipper as if it was nothing more than a body bag. Once the zipper was finally open, Longchamp sat in the middle of himself wearing nothing more than his boxers with the ghost of desolation protruding from his forehead.

"My past has been complete darkness. My future will be complete darkness," he cried. "My girlfriend Whilma refused to come with me to Italy. She sent me a break up letter before I even left home. I had to come to a new school where I don't know anyone. Everyone thinks that my Family is useless and that I'm useless. I was so happy when I saw Sawada, but even he hates me now. I'm all alone."

Laughing stock of special bullets or not, the effect certainly proved effective to most people. Tsuna ignored the suddenly pitying looks people gave Longchamp. He even ignored the glares that people gave him for making Longchamp feel so bad. Some small part of him wanted to laugh insanely at Longchamp's pathetic mourning. He kept himself from doing it, however, knowing that it would hurt Longchamp's feelings. Instead, he bent down next to his childhood friend.

"If that's all you have to moan over, I'm glad you're doing good," he said softly. Although he hadn't meant for his voice to carry, it had. Once again, he ignored the surprised and curious looks of the other students. The desolation ghost slowly faded from Longchamp's head and he looked up at Tsuna. Understanding that Tsuna still considered them friends, light sparked back into the man's eyes. Back to normal, Longchamp jumped up enthusiastically and once again tried to toss his arm around Tsuna in a comrade-like fashion.

Once again, Tsuna's hand betrayed him and stopped the gesture before it moved more than half the distance between them. He let go and once again Longchamp pulled back. This time, without the aid of the Desolation Bullet, Longchamp tried to close the distance Tsuna kept putting up.

"We're still friends, right, Sawada?" He asked hesitantly, once again nursing his wrist.

"Ah," Tsuna confirmed. He bowed his head, not wanting Longchamp to see the pain in his eyes. "Just don't touch me," he said coldly. Behind him, he could feel Gokudera and Yamamoto's worried reactions. Yet it wasn't something he could change. For some reason, he just didn't want Longchamp to enter his personal space. Warning him was better than continually hurting him when his body betrayed him.

Tsuna thought he knew why, although something inside told him it wasn't the real reason. He thought it was because of the incident with Jack and that's why he couldn't let Longchamp close. The Tomaso Family had been the rivals of Vongola for generations, therefore it was possible that Longchamp could betray him. Or so he tried to tell himself. Deep down, he felt that it wasn't that. Yet, for lack of any other explanation, he told himself it was the reason. It had to be the reason since that was something he could get past eventually.

His internal turmoil was unnoticed by everyone around him since his face was hidden in shadows. So lost in his own thoughts, he momentarily lost track of what was going on around him. With the trigger-happy Mangusta around, it was one of the worst mistakes he could have made. He felt himself being shoved to the side a mere moment before a darkness overwhelmed his sights.

He reached forward out of instinct, only to find himself trapped by some kind of material. After a moment, he found a break and forced it open. He looked around at the panicked people around him, wondering what had happened.

"T-Tsuna...?!" Yamamoto asked.  
"Tenth!" Gokudera yelled worriedly.  
"Sawada!" Longchamp squeaked in surprise.

Looking down, he realized he was sitting in the middle of a body-bag Tsuna. He looked at his hands in shock, realizing that he had been hit with the Tomaso special bullet. However, he felt no different than before he'd been shot. Much like how the Dying Will Bullet didn't affect Ryohei, Tsuna was already lamenting enough that the Desolation Bullet had no effect. For some reason, the very fact made him feel a bit lighter.

"It can't get any worse, eh?" He mumbled to himself. Silently he stood among the crowd of shocked onlookers. He looked over at Mangusta with a dangerous look in his eyes. "Don't ever fire that bullet around me again," he warned. Mangusta nodded numbly.

Around then, Tsuna realized that Mangusta wasn't looking at him, the man was looking_ at him_. So was everyone else. They were all looking at his body instead of his face, leaving him feeling utterly naked. Not because he was standing in the middle of a crowd in only his boxers. Goodness knew that he'd done that enough during his training with Reborn. He was used to that kind of thing and any speck of body-shy he had was completely erased. However, the presence of so many scars marking his skin, previously hidden by his clothing brought a new meaning to the word 'naked'. Having so many people look at the proof of his torture left him feeling exposed like nothing else could.

"Here, Tenth," Gokudera mumbled, tossing a shirt around him. Tsuna clutched it closed, for once accepting Gokudera's devoted action. Although it left Gokudera standing in the middle of the hallway without a shirt on, it affected him less than it did Tsuna.

"I'll go get you a change of clothes, Tsuna," Yamamoto offered. Looking down at the ones on the the body-bag Tsuna, he nodded in agreement. The thought of putting those clothes back on was almost as bad as the thought of standing naked in the hall. With the exception of his fingerless gloves, Tsuna left the pile of clothing on the ground. Silently, he followed Gokudera to the men's bathroom, leaving a shocked crowd of classmates behind him. Thanks to the fortifying nature of his flame, Tsuna managed to make it all the way into the bathroom before his tears started to fall.

It really couldn't get any worse. The dulled memories of his torture continued to float into his mind. Even though White had put barriers around them to make it easier for him to deal with, having his scars exposed brought them up with frightening sharpness. Around that, thoughts of how he continued to harm Vongola by being so weak continued to come to mind. Even more, he couldn't even allow himself to accept a friend's gesture of caring. He really was No-Good Tsuna, even with his Flame.

Tsuna sank to his knees in the middle of the men's bathroom, crying around his attempts to control himself. Gokudera had chosen to guard the door and give him privacy while Yamamoto went to get him a spare uniform. Tsuna was grateful. It was bad enough already. If anyone had seen him in this state, he would never have been able to forgive himself. He was already Vongola's weakest link.

"By being the weakest link, you're proving Vongola's strength, Baka-Tsuna," Reborn grumbled, reading Tsuna's mind. Tsuna looked over at where the little hitman was sitting in an alcove, having appeared in his usual surprising fashion from behind a bathroom mirror.

"What do you mean?" Tsuna sniffed, wiping his eyes. Reborn's presence somehow gave him a feeling of security that he hadn't had in far too long. It calmed him faster than any words alone could have.

"How many weak-links can lift a half-ton? Even at your weakest, you still have the strength to wipe out ninety-percent of the people attending here. If you can do that, it makes people wonder what a Vongola at full strength can do." Reborn gave Tsuna a withering look. "Oi, have you forgotten what you learned when I first started teaching you, Baka-Tsuna?"

"When you first started teaching me?" Tsuna asked.

"You're not alone," Reborn replied firmly. "I didn't only raise you, I raised your Family, too. At times like this, it's okay to let them take center-stage. You don't have to carry the burden alone."

"R-Reborn..." Tsuna began. Anything he might have said was interrupted by the return of Yamamoto. By the time he finished accepting the clothing the swordsman had brought, Reborn was gone.

"I'm not alone," Tsuna repeated softly to himself. Yamamoto's eyebrows flew up at the words he wasn't meant to hear.

"Of course not, Tsuna," he smiled. "Just leave it to me and Gokudera. You just relax for today and let yourself finish healing."

"Thank you," he whispered in return. Reborn was right. He wasn't alone. Even without him being in peak condition, Yamamoto and Gokudera were both strong enough to make up for his lack.

Now that he thought about it, he was the only one that had believed he was weak. The school newspaper had only reported that he had been defeated without saying how or why. That had probably inflamed his classmate's curiosity beyond their fear. They weren't fearless because he was weak, they were simply curious to the point of being suicidal.

He had over-reacted. Plain and simple.

The overbearing pressure he'd felt since walking into school seemed to lift. Yamamoto smiled a bit, sensing his changed mood. Tsuna hesitantly smiled back before quickly pulling on the spare uniform. When he left the restroom, the halls were empty except for Gokudera. Class had started while they were dealing with Tsuna's clothing issue. Tsuna handed the silver-haired friend his shirt back with a small blush of embarrassment.

"Thank you, Gokudera," he said with a small bow. Tsuna tried to put all the appreciation he could into the words. Predictably, Gokudera was speechless at Tsuna's words. Tsuna thought he might have overdone it from the slightly pink hue covering his friend's face. However, after a moment, Gokudera recovered his aplomb and immediately began gesturing and spluttering how it was an honor and he didn't need thanks. Tsuna pulled him to a stop by grabbing the boy's hands and staring him in the eyes.

"Really, thank you, Gokudera. If you hadn't covered me up so fast, I don't know what I might have done." He let go of the dynamite-specialist's hands. Gokudera had a poleaxed look on his face, but Tsuna continued to ensure he'd gotten his heartfelt appreciation through to his friend. "For some reason I didn't like the thought of Longchamp touching me and I kept hurting him even though I didn't mean to. I felt horrible when everyone was staring at my scars. If you hadn't been there, I don't know how I would have reacted. If someone else had tried to cover me up, I might have ended up hurting them. So, um, thank you."

"Tenth..." Gokudera replied with shining eyes. Before Gokudera could begin spluttering again, Yamamoto stepped in.

"Come on, lets get to class. We're already late."

With a nod, Tsuna led the way. This time, as he walked down the halls, the presence of his two friends at his back seemed to be a tower of strength pushing him forward.

It was a reassuring feeling.


	28. Chapter 28 Aftershock

The rest of the day was torture in itself. Dozens of people had seen his scars and word spread quickly. He continuously had to fend off curious looks from people he didn't even know. He ended up walking out of no less than three classes when the whispers came to a point that Tsuna began to make out individual words. Curiosity killed the cat and he was going to school with a lot of suicidal people.

For the fourth time, Tsuna stood and silently left his class. This time, Gokudera accompanied him instead of Yamamoto. Both of his friends knew how nerve-wracking the whispers were to Tsuna, so they didn't argue or comment at his desire to get away from them. Even now that he knew the reason for the fearless looks of his classmates, he still disliked the exposed feeling it gave him. People knew that he'd been tortured. They knew the pain he'd went through and had seen the scars. Thanks to the incident with the Tomaso bullet, everyone knew the truth.

He was strong, but even he could be hurt. He was fast, but even he could be captured. He wasn't invulnerable.

Yet no one seemed to care about his feelings in the matter. They whispered openly around him like he had a heart of stone. Only Yamamoto and Gokudera seemed to understand that even with White's help, the pain he'd went through was still vivid in his mind. The more he heard the whispers and received the curious or knowing looks, the more often the barriers that White had put up were stricken and weakened.

"Do you want me to call a car to take you home, Tenth?" Gokudera asked carefully. Tsuna blinked and looked at his friend, realizing he'd been standing in the middle of the open hall staring at space for several minutes. He nearly gave in and gave Gokudera the go-ahead, but decided not to. He'd have to overcome this feeling at some point.

"No," he answered, "Lets go back to class." Going back instead of waiting for the next class to start became an ordeal. Although the teacher didn't ask any questions, the curious looks became more pointed. It didn't help that people turned around in their seats to look at him in the back of the class while they continued their hushed conversations with their friends. Several times the teacher had to call for silence when the hushed discussions lost their secretive hue. By the end of the class, Tsuna was more focused on keeping himself from shaking than the teacher's lecture.

By lunch, Tsuna was ready to explode. His nerves had been rubbed raw to the point that a single look would send him over the edge. And of all people, it was Longchamp who unwittingly gave him that curious glance.

"What?!" Tsuna blurted loudly, throwing down his fork. "You obviously want to say something, so spit it out!"

"Tsuna!" Yamamoto squeaked in surprise. Tsuna clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, trying to control the pain and disappointment building inside him. Not even Longchamp, his supposed friend, cared about him. They all just wanted to appease their curiosity about what had happened to him without thinking about his feelings.

"Every single damn person here had given me the same look today and I'm sick of it, Yamamoto." Tsuna leaned across the table, not bothering to hide his anger. "So, what is it you're so curious about, Longchamp?"

"I was just wondering if it was a bear or a tiger," Longchamp replied enthusiastically. Since Tsuna had given him the opening, he was going to take it. "I got a hundred bucks riding on a bear since I remember hearing that you took down a lion back in Namimori."

"What?" Tsuna asked, collapsing back into his chair. The anger and pain disappeared in confusion. He had expected Longchamp to ask what had happened, not something like this.

"Someone started a betting pool on what you fought to get those kinds of scars," Longchamp explained obliviously. "Since there's so many, someone suggested that you fought a pack of wild animals during training. Everyone's got it narrowed down to either a pack of tigers or some bears. Which one is it?"

Tsuna blinked slowly in shock. He looked over at Yamamoto and Gokudera who both seemed to be just as surprised as he was. Who could have guessed this was the reason behind all the stares? People had been trying to glimpse his scars in order to decide on their bet.

Out of the corner of his eye, Tsuna saw Reborn for a split second before the little hitman disappeared again. That moment was enough for Tsuna to understand what was going on. Reborn had done this in order to help cover up the incident. Rather than tell the truth, he'd gotten someone to start a betting pool for a cover-story. Tsuna only wished that the hitman had told him about it first, so that he could have been mentally prepared for his classmate's reactions.

Looking around, Tsuna realized the whole cafeteria had come to a stop in order to hear his answer clearly. Longchamp had an expectant look on his face and both Yamamoto and Gokudera looked overwhelmed at the sudden turn of events.

"So, which one?" Longchamp prompted. Both Gokudera and Yamamoto seemed to snap out of their daze at the repeated question.

"Bear," Yamamoto answered quickly.

"Tiger," Gokudera blurted simultaneously.

"Whoa! He was fighting them both?! How sweet is that?" Longchamp exclaimed.

Tsuna put his face into his hands to hide his expression. He knew he should be relieved that people didn't know about his torture and had assumed he'd just been doing some extreme training, but he wasn't. Instead, it felt like he'd been beaten again, inside and out. All morning he'd had to suffer the looks and whispers of his classmates because of a stupid thing like a bet.

Yamamoto looked over at Tsuna worriedly. Gokudera had taken up the conversation with Longchamp in order to take the focus away from Tsuna, but even he was giving worried glances. People had started going to the opposite side of the room in order to find out if the answer meant they'd all won or lost the bet with the two Guardian's answers. The two boys ignored the growing mass of people crowding that end of the room, merely grateful that their attention was elsewhere.

"Are you okay, Tsuna," Yamamoto whispered when he was sure no one other than those at their table could hear.

"I--" Tsuna started to say while he stood. His hands dropped from his face and the group got a momentary look at the pain on his face before he started to topple over. Moving swiftly, Yamamoto shoved the table away while Gokudera grabbed him before his suddenly unconscious boss could hit his head.

"What happened?" Longchamp squealed.

"Shut up," Gokudera growled, but it was already too late. Several people had turned around to see what the noise was all about.

"He blacked out," Yamamoto told Longchamp in a hushed whisper. "It was too much for him, after all."

"Lets get him to the infirmary," Gokudera suggested, seeing the growing number of people looking their way. With a nod, Yamamoto tossed one of Tsuna's arms over his shoulder while Gokudera supported the other. Curious, Longchamp followed behind. Thankfully, he stayed silent until they had Tsuna laid down carefully in the school's medical bay. There was one person already present, but it wasn't the school nurse.

"I'll go find the nurse," Gokudera started to suggest. The other boy in the room stopped him.

"He'll be back in about ten minutes," the boy said. He was holding a pressure bandage on his arm where it had somehow been slashed. Before he could explain more, a small groan from Tsuna pulled their attention back to his bed. His face was clenched tight in pain and he began to toss his head from a nightmare. When he opened his mouth, Yamamoto immediately covered it before he screamed.

"Damnit," Yamamoto muttered when Tsuna began to thrash. All of Yamamoto's attempts to wake him failed. "Gokudera, go get White," he suggested in panic. "Something's not right. He shouldn't be dreaming like this from simply passing out. Whatever she did in the trance must be wearing off faster than normal."

"No," Reborn said, popping up onto Tsuna's infirmary bed. Reborn strapped him down with Leon and gagged the poor Tsuna before explaining. Even through the gag, Tsuna's muffled screams were heartrending. "It's an aftershock. He pulled up the memories White suppressed too much today. Since he wasn't able to deal with them, the technique White used forced him to sleep in order to restrengthen the barriers. The nightmare is just a side-affect of each memory being suppressed again."

"So you're saying this is going to happen again?" Yamamoto replied. Reborn nodded in answer.

"Having his scars exposed and everyone staring at him all day must have made him think about it more than usual. Until the memories don't affect him anymore, he'll be blacking out on occasion."

"This is all your fault," Gokudera said, grabbing Longchamp's collar. "If your damn buddy hadn't hit him with that special bullet, the Tenth would be fine right now!"

"What are you talking about?!" Longchamp gasped in surprise and panic. "The Desolation Bullet helps a person live happier!"

"What?" Yamamoto and Gokudera said simultaneously. Gokudera eased up on Longchamp's throat so that he could talk.

"It's not all just about getting pity," Longchamp replied. Gokudera let go of Longchamp all together, tapping his foot. Longchamp complied with the boy's impatience, explaining what he could before the dynamite specialist decided to go off again. "By accepting the bad stuff, you can better appreciate the awesomeness of being alive. That's why Mangusta uses it so often. Whenever I'm feeling down about something not going great, he reminds me of how things could get worse. Although, a lot of the time it gets me sympathy, the Desolation Bullet is meant to help a person want to live. Why do you think I'm always so happy? When you mourn over yourself, you realize that living is great in comparison!"

"But it didn't work on the Tenth," Gokudera growled.

"He must already be too desolate," Longchamp explained. His constant smile faltered for a moment when he realized the meaning behind his own words. "Sawada already mourns over his life like he's already dead. W-What happened to him?"

The sudden silence in the room kept anyone from answering. Looking back down at Tsuna, they realized he had awakened and his screams had stopped. Leon had already re-morphed into his chameleon form and Tsuna was free. His chest was heaving and sweat had already matted his clothes in the short time he'd been having his nightmare. Tears were leaking out of the corners of his eyes when he sat up.

"What happened?" He sniffed. Trying to calm his rushed heartbeat, he wiped his face with his damp sleeve.

"Never mind that, Tsuna," Reborn replied. "Are White's flames still effective?"

"Yes," Tsuna answered softly. "It doesn't hurt as much to think about it now."

"Think about what?" Longchamp asked cluelessly. Tsuna looked at him for a minute while everyone in the room tensed at the question. He smiled softly, knowing that Longchamp didn't mean any harm.

"About how I was tortured," Tsuna said sadly.

"Tenth, you don't have to--"

"It's okay, Gokudera," Tsuna interrupted. He knew he didn't have to explain, but Longchamp was a friend. "The memories are back behind walls again," Tsuna told them. "I can talk about it without going nuts."

A smile passed across his face at the relief in everyone's expression from his words. Thinking back to how he'd been tense and overreacting all day, he wasn't surprised how everyone had been worried about him. He'd been training like a maniac all weekend and today he'd been on edge to an obvious degree. Yet, in the short time he'd blacked out, everything inside him had calmed again. His mind felt a bit raw and he wasn't sure what had happened while he was out, but he was grateful for whatever it was.

"T-T-Tortured?" Longchamp gaped. "I thought you fought with wild animals!"

"The mafia isn't all about having fun with your Family, Longchamp," Tsuna admonished softly. He stood and walked toward the door, intending to make it to his next class. He paused at the door with a flame-lit gleam in his eyes directed at his friend. "The Tomaso Family still has a lot of internal disputes, don't they?"

"N-No," Longchamp answered hesitantly at the sudden change in subject. All hint of his over-enthusiastic side was shadowed by the dangerous glint in the stare Tsuna gave him. "I put an end to that over a year ago."

"That's good," Tsuna replied calmly. "May you never see those days again."

"Those days?" Longchamp repeated. Tsuna smiled sadly again at the perplexed look on Longchamp's face. Yamamoto and Gokudera looked at each other in worry at Tsuna's sudden change. He was calm; too calm considering what had just happened.

"The days of bloodshed," Tsuna answered simply. "I hope we never become enemies, Longchamp. I'm not capable of holding back for friends anymore. You might want to change schools." With that, he left the infirmary with his two Guardians in tow. There had been a lot more he wanted to tell his friend, but he had held back. Hopefully the warning he gave was enough. Rather than let Longchamp get closer, it would be safer for the boy to get away from Tsuna. Far away.

The mafia wasn't forgiving of the naive or the foolish.

* * *

"What do you think that was about earlier?" Yamamoto asked Gokudera. 

"You mean the Tenth and Longchamp?" Gokudera replied. The two boys were outside, watching their classmate's spars in gym class. Rather than spar themselves, they'd both ran the obstacle course in record time in order to talk together. Tsuna was inside, self-training with Reborn's supervision.

"Ah," Yamamoto affirmed. They both were thinking the same thing. While they were relieved that Tsuna seemed to be okay, his attitude toward what was supposed to be a friend was a bit disorienting. Neither of them could tell what was going on through Tsuna's mind.

"Wouldn't the Tenth normally be happy to see someone he knew? Even if it was someone like Longchamp?"

"I'd think so," the swordsman replied. "That warning was completely out of the blue. It's not like Tsuna at all."

"Is it another aftershock?" Gokudera muttered, lighting another cigarette. His previous three lay smoldering at his feet, unintentionally signaling how upset he was.

"Maybe," Yamamoto replied. "White wasn't specific on what his aftershocks would be like. It's possible he knows how unstable he's been acting and wanted to protect Longchamp."

"So what do we do?" Gokudera asked. He was completely nonplussed at what to do in this type of situation. Unfortunately, so was Yamamoto. The swordsman seemed clueless at the question. Gokudera cursed. "We've got to do something! If this keeps up, the Tenth is going to be unhappy!"

"Gokudera..." Yamamoto exclaimed. Even though Tsuna was the one doing it, Gokudera was actually the one seeing beyond to the outcome?

"Look, we both know that he might accept what he's doing right now, but..."

"You're right," Yamamoto agreed. "If he keeps this up, he'll be really unhappy in the future. Right now he's pushing everyone but us two away. Have you noticed he hasn't talked to Cheri once today?"

"What's he thinking?" Gokudera mused.

"It's an enigma," Yamamoto replied.

* * *

Despite Yamamoto and Gokudera's attempts to dissuade Longchamp, the eight leader of Tomaso transferred out of school three days later. Outwardly, Tsuna seemed relieved at his disappearance, but the occasional glint of pain in his eyes betrayed him. Neither of his Guardians could understand why he acted in the manner he did. Even over the following weekend, Tsuna was unusually reserved with the people that he'd become friends with. Not Grey, Indigo, Red, Blue, or even Pink could get close to him. 

"White's treatments have never went wrong before," Pink said when Gokudera questioned her in private. "He's probably just having a hard time coping. Your best bet is to give him some space."

Passing the suggestion along to Yamamoto, the two tried to take the advice. Instead of hovering over his every move, the two tried to pull back and simply watch. This proved to have the opposite effect of what was intended, however. Rather than Tsuna reaching out for them, he became more and more introverted as the week passed.

And no one noticed but the two Guardians.

Teachers became openly pleased when his grades skyrocketed to the top of the class again. The suicidally open looks of curiosity from his classmates had stopped, once again replaced by looks of fear. Tsuna opened up to no one and no one opened up in return. It was as if he was alone on the center of an island that no one could touch.

When Yamamoto and Gokudera decided to try getting close again, they realized it was too late. Several days of allowing Tsuna space had placed them outside his sphere of acceptance. It hadn't been noticeable until Yamamoto had approached him where he had begun studying in the library during the lunch-break. He'd walked up behind Tsuna to tap on his shoulder and invite him to come eat when he'd found himself flung across the room.

Yamamoto sat up, dazed from his poor landing on the floor. Holding his head to clear the disorientation, the swordsman looked up at Tsuna. He'd acted so fast that Yamamoto hadn't even seen his movements. Panic was etched on Tsuna's face. He seemed frozen in the position he'd used to throw his friend across the room.

"Yamamoto...?" Tsuna asked, still standing tensely in his throwing stance.

"I'm fine, Tsuna," Yamamoto replied when he got his breath back. "I shouldn't have came up behind you like that. Sorry." Tsuna slowly stood back up straight, staring at his hands like they weren't his own. Rather than replying, he quickly swept his study materials messily into his bag and ran out of the room.

On the floor, Yamamoto merely blinked in surprise at the incomprehensible actions of his friend. Even though he wanted to run after him, his shock kept him pinned on the ground until Gokudera showed up to see how the invitation had fared. Seeing the swordsman on the floor silently gave him his answer.

* * *

"What do you mean?" The Ninth replied in surprise. 

"Do you have any more overseas assignments that Xanxus and I can take care of?" Tsuna repeated.

"I have several," the Ninth answered, "But I'm not giving any of them to you. You're still recovering. I haven't even started you back on tasks again."

"I want to start again," Tsuna said. "My body is healed now. I don't even get aches when self-training anymore. There's no reason for me not to get back to work."

"Why the sudden desire to spill blood, Tsunayoshi?" The Ninth asked, disconcerted with Tsuna's sudden request. Reborn's reports on his heir's condition hadn't mentioned anything that would explain the surprising change in attitude.

"No desire, Ninth" Tsuna corrected respectfully. "It's my duty to take it up again now that I've recovered."

"Duty, eh?" The Ninth put Reborn's report together with Basil's and came up with an interesting conclusion. "Tsunayoshi, how's your Family doing?"

"My Family?" Tsuna repeated.

"Your Family," the Ninth confirmed. "When you can answer that, I'll think about putting you back to work. Until then, you're still on the injured list."

"B-But Ninth, I--"

"Enough, Tsunayoshi," the Ninth interrupted. "If you want me to consider you fully recovered, find the answer to my question. Until then, you can do your duty simply by going to school." With a single gesture, he demanded for Tsuna to leave without another word.

Rather than disobeying, Tsuna followed the silent order. Once outside the Ninth's office, he grumbled to himself. Find out how his Family was doing? What was that supposed to mean? They were all fine, weren't they? No one was injured and they seemed perfectly healthy in school. Silence from Hibari and Mukuro equaled to a lack of problems.

What did the Ninth want?

* * *

"How's it going?" Tsuna asked, walking up to their normal table with a tray in hand. Both Yamamoto and Gokudera looked up in surprise. Tsuna was surprised at their surprise. He'd only missed lunch for a few days. Maybe Yamamoto was angry about the accident in the library? When the silence stretched, he started to wonder if he was even welcome to sit with them anymore. 

Admittedly, Tsuna had went to the library first, but the Ninth's words had irritated him to no end. So, instead of studying, he'd decided to verify how his Family was doing. If that was the only way the Ninth would accept he was recovered, then it was what he had to do. No matter how silly it seemed.

But his friend's reaction bothered him. Even when they jumped up and welcomed him to the table, their surprise wasn't something he'd expected. He listened quietly while Yamamoto and Gokudera took turns telling them about things he'd not been there for. A week's worth of lunch-time and after-school recollections left him picking at his food in dismay rather than eating.

"What's wrong, Tsuna?" Yamamoto asked when he didn't respond in the break between recollections.

"N-Nothing," he lied. "I'm just happy that you guys are still having fun."

"What gave you that idea, Tenth," Gokudera mumbled. "The whole time we've been miserable."

"Eh?" Tsuna replied. His fork stopped pushing his pasta around aimlessly while he looked at the silver-haired boy in surprise.

"It's no fun without you, Tsuna," Yamamoto agreed.

"I-I'm sorry," Tsuna replied. "I've been trying to recover, but it seems I'm still missing something."

"Eh?" Gokudera and Yamamoto gaped together.

"It's just that I keep hurting people without meaning to," Tsuna explained in a rush. "Something tells me if I recover, I won't do that anymore, but the Ninth says I'm still not ready to go back to work." He chuckled half-heartedly. "I thought I was better and I even asked for an overseas assignment with Xanxus to ensure I was without putting anyone here in danger. But the Ninth said I wasn't ready yet."

"You thought you were better?" Yamamoto repeated.

"Um, yah," Tsuna replied, running a hand through his hair sheepishly.

"You idiot!" Yamamoto yelled. "Of course you're not better yet! You're body might be fine, but you still aren't dealing with the real issue!" Tsuna's eyes widened at the swordsman's yell and his hand fell limply back down into his lap.

"What do you mean?" He asked simply. In answer, Yamamoto flicked Tsuna's forehead gently, ignoring the curious looks of nearby tables full of people.

"White fixed that," Tsuna objected. "It's just my body that--"

"The body is answering your subconscious, Tenth," Gokudera responded clinically. "White said you'd still have problems even after her treatment. It's not your body that needs to recover, it's your mind."

"N-No," Tsuna replied. "I'm fine. I don't know why you guys are saying stuff like that." His body had tensed in response to Gokudera's words and every fiber of his being was screaming denial. Tsuna was on his feet before he was even conscious of the fact. "Stop lying," he yelled.

"You're not fine, Tsuna," Yamamoto yelled in return. What had been intended to be a small slap to wake Tsuna up was turning into a full confrontation, yet the swordsman couldn't back down. Regardless of the growing number of people watching the three Vongola, if they didn't do something now, Tsuna would continue to deny that he had a problem.

"I'm fine," Tsuna repeated loudly.

"Then why don't you talk to Cheri or us anymore, Tenth," Gokudera asked hesitantly. Although he disliked opposing his boss, it was his duty as a right-hand to see to it that his boss truly recovered. Like Yamamoto, he also needed to get the Tenth to accept the problem wasn't his body.

"I am talking to you, idiot!" Tsuna yelled defensively. A small part of Gokudera crumbled inside at the insult, but he knew that the Tenth wasn't himself right now.

"Then what about Cheri?" Gokudera asked again. "Why haven't you been willing to talk to her or anyone else?"

"Because I don't want to hurt them," Tsuna growled softly, disliking the need to answer in such a way in front of so many people.

"The only reason you might hurt them is because you're not dealing with the real issue, Tsuna," Yamamoto interjected before Gokudera could go off again.

"I have! I told you I'm fine!" He objected once more. Shaking from the effort to control himself, he clenched his fist. The creak of leather was abnormally loud in the silent cafeteria, yet it didn't stop Yamamoto and Gokudera from continuing their pleas.

"Wake up, Tsuna," Yamamoto yelled. "If you were fine, would you be acting like this? The old you wouldn't make a scene in the middle of a crowd."

"You're the one making the scene," Tsuna objected again. "You're the ones that won't listen! I'm telling you I'm fine!"

"Listen to us, Tenth," Gokudera begged, grabbing Tsuna's shoulders. "You're not fine. Until you admit it, you're not going to recover."

"Shut up!" Tsuna yelled, shoving his friend away. He did it with much more force than intended, sending the silver-haired boy into a table of curiously watching people. The crowd jumped to their feet in surprise, but Tsuna ignored them. Yamamoto was also trying to grab Tsuna in effort to shake sense into him.

"Don't touch me," he yelled. Yamamoto only grabbed his shoulders harder at the words, but in response, Tsuna sent him flying into a different table. "I'm fine," he said softly to no one in particular. Gokudera and Yamamoto both started to pick themselves out of the remains of the broken tables and heaps of food when of all people, Hibari walked in.

"Oh, what do we have here?" Hibari said in delight. A commotion meant he could finally bite someone to death again. However, his eyes narrowed when he saw Gokudera and Yamamoto stand out of the wreckage and Tsuna in a defensive stance. Tsuna didn't even seem to notice Hibari's presence.

"I'm perfectly fine..." he repeated. He trailed off at the end when his vision began to waver. Why was he loosing consciousness? His body was completely recovered. This level of activity shouldn't bother him. "Why..." he managed to say before his body went slack and he fell in a heap to the ground.

"Damnit," Yamamoto yelled in unison with Gokudera. They both ran to his side, oblivious to the watching crowd.

"We told you that you weren't fine," Yamamoto grumbled, tossing one of Tsuna's arms over his shoulder. Gokudera did the same on the other side. They had to get Tsuna into hiding before the suppression process started again. The scene had been bad enough, but if Tsuna started screaming incoherently in fear and pain where others could hear...

He'd never forgive himself.

Hibari nearly stopped them out of curiosity, but the panic etched on their faces made him decide to let them pass. Instead of following, the dark-haired boy set to restoring order in the cafeteria and ensuring that no one followed the three. Something told him it was almost time to play with his toy again. He wouldn't allow anyone to interfere until then.


	29. Chapter 29 Fighting Spirit

Tsuna moaned a bit when he woke in the school infirmary. His head felt raw inside and the memory of what had happened before he blacked out was still clear and vivid. Why had he been so aggressively defensive again? It wasn't like him_ at all_. Maybe Yamamoto and Gokudera were right. The real problem wasn't with his body not listening due to his injuries; his problem was his mind.

But why had he passed out?

The raw feeling in his head gave him the answer. The more he'd told his friends he was fine, the more that the reason he wasn't had entered his mind. Even now, summoning up the memories that White had protected him from caused a spasming headache. He'd been working too hard at burying those memories and pretending they didn't exist rather than learning to deal with them. The barriers White put up would continue to force him asleep whenever they weakened. The only way to keep them from weakening was to accept the memories so that the barriers weren't impacted every time he thought about it.

He understood this now. Maybe Yamamoto and Gokudera had already known, hence their adamant stance that he wasn't recovered. Yet, more than anything, Tsuna wanted to be told he was completely recovered. He wanted to be fine. He wanted to know that he could safely return to normal life without hurting the people he cared about. But he accepted it now.

He wasn't fine.

He wasn't fully recovered.

Covering his face with his hands, he began to weep. Would he ever be okay? So many times now, he'd told himself that he already was okay, but it always turned out to be untrue. Hurt still shadowed his every emotion. Pain still shadowed his every thought.

"It's okay, Tsuna," Yamamoto softly comforted. Hearing his voice, Tsuna clenched his eyes shut and wept harder. Even after what he'd done, they were still here with him. He wasn't worthy of such caring.

Yamamoto began to make soft shushing noises to help soothe Tsuna like he was a small child. He tensed, knowing that when Yamamoto did that, a hug was sure to follow. The idea repulsed him, although he didn't understand why. Yamamoto's embraces had always helped him in the past, like that of a caring brother. Yamamoto didn't hug him, however, but began to rub his back softly. Before Tsuna could stop himself, his hand flew up to push the swordsman away. Having been prepared for the reaction, Yamamoto grabbed his wrist the moment it moved.

Tsuna continued to weep even while his hand hung limply in the air where Yamamoto grasped it safely away. Without stopping for an instant, Yamamoto continued his soothing attempts. In defeat, Tsuna pressed his forehead against the swordsman's chest and continued to expel all the shameful and pain-filled emotions he had. Through it all, Yamamoto defended against Tsuna's unwitting attempts to push him away until finally Tsuna sat motionless and exhausted on the edge of the infirmary bed.

Only then did Yamamoto close in and give Tsuna the hug as a final closing comfort. The embrace released the final tears that Tsuna had. Even after all he had tried to deny the gesture, Yamamoto still cared enough to risk his safety and drop Tsuna's hands long enough for the hug. In response, Tsuna used every bit of willpower he had not to give in to the urge to push the swordsman away.

"I'm sorry," Tsuna apologized. He wasn't sure if there was anything he could say other than that. No other words seemed right.

"It's alright," Yamamoto replied with a sad smile. "You're still not completely yourself, but you're getting there. A little more time and you'll be just fine."

"Are you sure," Tsuna asked doubtfully when Yamamoto released him. "I'm starting to wonder if this will ever be over."

"Don't worry, Tenth," Gokudera said. Walking around the curtain separating his infirmary bed with the rest of the medical bay, Gokudera smiled at his red-eyed boss. "You'll be in tip-top shape in no time! You just have to accept that it's not right now."

"Gokudera..." Tsuna mumbled. His memory of insulting his friend floated to mind. "I'm sorry, Gokudera," he blurted. "I shouldn't have called you an idiot! You were just trying to help me!" In response, Gokudera looked at Tsuna with soft and devoted eyes.

"It's alright, Tenth," Gokudera replied. "You weren't yourself." Feeling strangely relieved, Tsuna gave in to the urge to tease his friends.

"Thank you for taking care of me, Sempai," he smiled. Gokudera ears turned red at Tsuna's words, making Tsuna chuckle openly. It felt good to smile with his friends again.

"Well," Yamamoto chuckled with him, "they do say laughter is the best medicine!"

And maybe...just maybe, it would be the right one to help Tsuna start living again.

* * *

"Don't wanna!" Tsuna objected childishly. 

"Come on, Tsuna," Yamamoto admonished. "You were the one that made the scene, so you're the one that has to apologize." Tsuna turned pale at the swordsman's words. They were standing outside of their class, which had started while they were in the infirmary. Yamamoto and Gokudera had found replacement uniforms for their food-drenched ones and Tsuna had washed his face before attempting to return.

"Tenth," Gokudera added hesitantly. "It might be better for you to admit to your classmates that you have an issue. Maybe it'll help you admit it to yourself and help you recover faster."

"It doesn't matter. They all hate me anyway. You two are the only ones I can count on around here," Tsuna replied sullenly.

"That's not true," Yamamoto interjected. "You had people cheering for you before you stopped sparring. I bet there's more people here that's on your side than you think."

"M-Maybe..." Tsuna temporized. Taking that as agreement, the two Guardians began to forcefully push Tsuna into the classroom. Trying to resist, Tsuna dug his heels in and began to panic. "W-Wait," he yelped, but it was already too late. Before he could think of a way to quickly stop his two friends, he was through the door and standing in front of the class.

"Tsuna has something he wants to say," Yamamoto announced loudly. The class ground to a halt and even the teacher looked at Tsuna expectantly. The fight between the three Vongola was top gossip even among the faculty. While no one had understood any of it, it had created a sensation throughout the school.

Yamamoto prodded Tsuna when he continued to stand frozen like a deer in front of headlights. Why were his friends putting him on the spot like this?!

"Um, eh..." Tsuna mumbled. Another prod to his back, this time from Gokudera, made him bow and blurt, "I'm sorry!" In unison, the eyebrows of every single one of his classmates flew upward.

"Keep going," Yamamoto coaxed, ignoring the surprised reaction from the class. Tsuna raised back up and looked at his two friends with pleading eyes. Standing firm, Yamamoto and Gokudera gave him stony stares. Controlling his panic, he turned back to his class. Yamamoto and Gokudera were always there for him and never asked anything in return. For once, they were asking him to do this. How could he refuse?

"I..." Tsuna began, bowing his head to shadow his face. Tears were welling up in his eyes and he didn't want anyone to see how hard it was for him. "I've not been myself lately," he finally said with a pounding heart. Incomprehensibly, now that ice was broken, a feeling of peace and calm settled over him. "A lot of you know that I was missing for several weeks. The truth is that I wasn't visiting home. I was recovering."

"From what?" Someone in the class asked fearlessly when Tsuna fell silent. Without looking up, Tsuna tried to answer.

"T-T-T-" he stuttered. Frustrated, he tried again but failed again on the pivotal word. A soft weight fell on both his shoulders when Gokudera put a hand on his right and Yamamoto placed one on his left in support. Forcing himself to calm down again, he answered his waiting class. "Torture," he said softly. "The scars I have aren't from fighting bears and tigers, but from where someone..." His breathing became a ragged at the memory the words called up. The desire to hide from the memory became too great and he found himself squatting down into a small ball and covering his face before anyone could react.

Pain and shame washed over him. Why had Yamamoto and Gokudera wanted him to do this?! It hurt so much.

Mutters of surprise and shock broke out among his classmates. Torture had never entered their minds where Tsuna was concerned. The sudden confession sent a shock-wave through the class. Finally, one brave person walked forward. Kneeling down next to Tsuna, he recognized him as one of his fellow homeroom classmates. His name was Mel, if he recalled correctly.

"Thank you for telling us," he said. "You haven't seemed okay for a while now, but since you never said anything, I wasn't sure if I should offer to help or not. If you ever need anything, just let me know. Okay?" Tsuna finally looked up, inordinately dumbfounded by Mel's offer.

"T-Thank you," Tsuna muttered. He tried to wipe away the tears the kept welling up in his eyes, but more just replaced them. When a second and third person came up to offer him support, he began crying openly around his words of gratitude. Eventually, all the supportive words gave Tsuna the power to stand again.

Hesitantly, people started asking him questions about what had happened to him. Although normally, he would be sent into a pain-filled fit from such questions, the presence of so many supportive people allowed him to answer. He found himself talking about the drug they'd used and how it affected him. Several people had wanted to know why instead of how and he told them that he'd been taken randomly as a test subject. Admitting the 'bad guys' had only known about his powers, but not his identity made him blush a bit in shame. When someone asked to verify that it was, indeed, the Wilde Family that had kidnapped him, Tsuna's heart clenched a bit before answering.

Through it all, Tsuna realized that recalling the memories didn't hurt as much as before. Rather than hiding from the memories, he was finally starting to confront them thanks to the support and hesitant questions his classmates gave him. The invisible burden on his shoulders seemed to lift slightly. Then he realized that the light feeling wasn't merely from the unexpected support, but that his vision was wavering again. He reached out blindly when dizziness made his legs turn into jelly.

"Oops," Yamamoto yelped, grabbing him before he could fall. "Looks like you pushed it again," he admonished.

"I'll take him back to the infirmary," Gokudera offered. "He probably won't black out until we get there." Rather than reply, Tsuna merely transferred himself over to Gokudera and stumbled his way out of the room. Once he was gone, Yamamoto turned to the curious class.

"It's part of his treatment," Yamamoto explained. "Right now, there's barriers around the memories of what happened to him so that he can deal with it better. The more the thinks about it, the weaker the barriers get. Before they can break, he'll fall unconscious and the barriers restrengthen themselves while he's asleep."

"So that's why he passed out on the day we were all betting on him," Mel replied guiltily. Shame and guilt passed across the rest of the class in waves now that they understood the consequences of what they'd done. "Maybe we shouldn't have asked him so many questions..." Mel mused.

"No," Yamamoto soothed. "You guys did the right thing. Right now, Tsuna needs to learn to deal with those memories. Your offers of help alone gave him the strength to start doing what he needs to do. Keep it up, okay?"

"Yamamoto," the teacher interjected. "There's a support group down in Mafia Row that meets once a week. Do you think Tsuna might be interested in going?" After a moment of thought, the swordsman shook his head.

"No, that probably wouldn't be a good idea."

"Why not?" The teacher asked curiously. "Group support seemed to help him here. Maybe being around others that have went through it too..." The teacher trailed off at the sad look in Yamamoto's eyes.

"Have you ever heard of the Bloody Gauntlet?" Yamamoto asked softly. The teacher and a few older students paled and the rest of the class looked nonplussed.

"I...I see," the teacher replied. "I...didn't know he..."

"It's alright. He hates it, but it's part of his training to take over for the Ninth," Yamamoto explained. Wondering if he was giving out too much information, he merely shrugged. Even with the knowledge, there wasn't any way it could really be used against Tsuna. The Bloody Gauntlet wasn't something that was common, but neither was it rare. In conclusion, Yamamoto said, "It wouldn't be good if he saw someone he recognized."

"Vongola isn't wasting their time with him, are they? He hasn't been here a year and he's already went through so much," the teacher mumbled in sympathy.

"The mafia isn't a game," Yamamoto replied seriously.

In the end, there was nothing the teacher or class could say in response.

* * *

Reborn looked down at where Tsuna was softly tossing in his sleep. He'd almost stopped the two boys from forcing Tsuna into his confession, but now he was glad he'd allowed it to continue. The force of his nightmare had exponentially lowered during the suppression phase this time. Instead of screaming, the loudest noise Tsuna made in his sleep was a low moan. Instead of thrashing uncontrollably, he merely tossed and turned on the infirmary bed. 

Finally, Tsuna was on the path to true recovery.

* * *

While a large section of Tsuna's assorted classmates still feared him and stayed away, his confession had opened up dozens of people. The cheerful greetings where there had previously been silence alone gave him a stable feeling that he hadn't expected. Over the next week, he passed out several more times. Yet each time he woke afterward, the feeling of raw tenderness in his mind seemed to lessen. The supportive feelings of those around him had enabled him to accept the memories and pain a small portion at a time. 

When three days passed without blacking out, Tsuna decided to test it. Throughout the day, he repeatedly pulled up the memories and prodded them like a loose tooth. Regardless of which one he forced himself to remember, however, he couldn't feel any residual mental distress. They were definitely his memories, but they didn't stab him anymore when he thought about it.

That was the day that Tsuna decided he needed to step back into the ring. His body was now completely healed. He had his flame and mental stability back. There was no reason not to.

Except the blood-lust coming off of his dark-haired opponent. Hibari had been patiently waiting on this day. His open desire and bloodthirsty nature sent a chill through Tsuna's spine every time he looked at him.

Gokudera and Reborn watched as the two calmly entered the sparring ring. Yamamoto called a halt to his spar with Squalo and joined them. In response, other people called off their spars and came to watch. It was the first time Tsuna had fought in almost two months. No one wanted to miss it. Supportive cheers rang out for Tsuna, although the three doubted that he could hear them. The look of concentration on his face only partially covered the panic in his eyes. The thought of returning to combat training was much different than the reality.

Gokudera spared a worried look as the two took their starting stances. With a glance, he saw the same worry reflected in Yamamoto. Reborn was quietly grumbling to himself. They were all wondering the same thing. Could Tsuna still fight? Did he still have a fighting spirit after everything that had happened?

The found out when Dr. Fyllable blew the whistle to start. Both boys charged forward. As they crossed paths, there was a small movement by Hibari before it was pulled back. They flew past one another without exchanging blows. Hibari slid to a stop and Tsuna stumbled to one. Pausing, they held their backs to one another. The crowd mumbled in curiosity and disappointment.

"What happened?" Gokudera asked Reborn. Tsuna was looking down at his clenched gloves in shock and Hibari looked like he'd just tried to take a bite out of sewer trash.

"He hesitated," Reborn explained. "When Hibari started to attack, Tsuna locked up." There was a creak of leather as Tsuna clenched his gloved fist tighter. He let out a primitive cry of frustration that turned every onlooker's head in his direction. Turning back around to Hibari, there was a look of determination in his eyes.

"If you're going to be a herbivore," Hibari warned as he turned to his opponent, "I'm just going to bite you to death."

"I refuse," Tsuna replied, denying not only Hibari's taunt, but his own weakness.

Hibari's eyes flashed and he raised his tonfas. Again the whistle sounded, signaling for them to start. This time as their paths crossed, Tsuna met Hibari's raised tonfa with his own fist, matching force for force in power and determination.

Gokudera, Yamamoto and Reborn let out a sigh of relief as the spar continued. Tsuna's fighting spirit hadn't been crushed. It had merely been asleep. Of all people, Hibari was the one that had awakened it by challenge.

The time Tsuna had lost was apparent in the numerous attacks that got through his guard. No less than a half-dozen times did he find himself flying backward. A mere half-hour later, Reborn called a halt to the session. Although it was half of Tsuna's normal practice time, the difference in power was making itself clear. Tsuna still needed more time. It was the first time he'd used his Dying Will Flame in a long while. The burden from the flame alone was probably more than he could take, self-training aside.

Hibari merely growled in disappointment when Reborn signaled for a stop. Little did the hitman and others know that he'd not been idle during the time Sawada had been recovering. Rather than allow Sawada to return to their stalemate, he'd intentionally trained to become faster and stronger. The hits that had gotten through Sawada's guard hadn't been due to his weakness, but rather due to Hibari's increase in abilities.

Of all people, it was Sawada that cut through his friend's and Family's assumptions.

"You got stronger again, Hibari," Sawada praised, nursing a bruised rib. "I should have expected it."

"What are you saying, Tenth," Gokudera objected. "He only won because you're still recovering."

"Nope," Tsuna disagreed. "Hibari got stronger again. You guys probably can't tell, but he's faster than before. His hits are harder, too. I'll have to work hard to catch up again."

"See that you do," Hibari replied. For some reason, he felt oddly pleased at Sawada's open admittance to his superiority. "It's no fun if you're weak."

"I'll do my best," Sawada vowed.

With a small smile, Hibari left the sparring grounds. All was right in the world. His opponent didn't need to be replaced after all. The knowledge gave Hibari great satisfaction.


	30. Chapter 30 Banquet

Gokudera helped straighten Tsuna's red tie while the boy tried to get his hair to stop flying around so messily. The Ninth had set up a party for all the Allied Families in order to prove once and for all that Tsuna was strong. That he wasn't broken. Even after his apparently complete recovery at school, proved with his spar with Hibari several weeks ago, many of the Families had insinuated that it was staged. That Tsuna was weak and no longer fit for the position of Vongola the Tenth, regardless of the lack of other valid heirs.

It all came down to the fact that the vultures were wanting to descend and feed on Vongola.

The only way to keep them at bay was for Tsuna to present his superiority in such a way that none of them would dare try to turn on them. This wasn't something that the Ninth or anyone else could do. It was Tsuna's previous weakness that had allowed the rumors to spread and made his Family into a target. Only he could fix it.

He sighed, trying to get himself to relax. All he had to do was go through the party normally. The Ninth had mentioned something about a treasure hunt as a test to satisfy everyone, but he didn't want to think too hard about that. He wanted to take this one step at a time. First, getting over his nervousness about being the focus of attention for a mob full of mafia bosses and their right hand men.

He looked over at his own right hand, surprised to see Gokudera's face pale with nervousness. He smiled, snatching Gokudera's hand away from where it was straightening his tie for the umpteenth time.

"It's okay," he grinned. "We'll get through this together." Gokudera nodded as blood started flowing into his face again. Yamamoto and the others were stashed away within their rooms, since this was to be a private party with only bosses and one direct subordinate invited. As Tsuna's right hand, Gokudera was nervous about messing up. The fact helped calm Tsuna's own nerves.

"Are you ready, Tenth?" Gokudera asked finally. Both of their hearts were pounding furiously, but Tsuna nodded anyway. They had to do this. Tsuna planted a bored expression on his face and Gokudera assumed his own poker face. Tsuna smiled at the determination in his eyes that Gokudera couldn't hide.

They would make it through this. Together. He wasn't alone.

They entered the banquet hall casually. He wanted to laugh when no one responded to his presence or made any move of recognition. It was only to be expected, he assumed. It wasn't as if they'd ever been introduced to any of them before. But if he allowed that to continue, it would defeat the whole purpose of the party.

He calmly increased his inner flame until the Dying Will Flame burst out of his head, bringing instant notice and looks of fear in the previously lax bosses. Suddenly everyone moved to bow or give some sort of respectful greeting. Vongola the Tenth was not one to be ignored, after all. He acknowledged the bows and grudging looks of respect as he lowered his flame minutely so it receded back to just under the surface.

He could sense relief in the guests as it went out of view. He gave the nearest boss who'd been a bit too obviously relieved a look of boredom, ensuring the man saw the flames still reflected in his eyes. The man immediately stiffened back up at the warning.

Vongola the Tenth was not to be ignored. One shouldn't let their guard down around Vongola the Tenth.

The crowd parted to let him through and he made his way leisurely toward where the Ninth was sitting on a slightly raised dais, while also acknowledging the greetings of the onlookers. He saw Dino with Romario at the back of the crowd and forced himself not to smile at the small, secret wink that the blonde man tossed his way.

On the dias, the red leather of the Ninth's overstuffed chair gave it the feeling of a throne. That feeling was only increased as Tsuna knelt to a knee and kissed the Ninth's ring as a token of respect and obeisance. He waited for the Ninth's order before rising, as required by tradition. Tsuna couldn't help but think how much he owed Gokudera for walking him through the traditions and teaching him how to deal with this kind of thing. For Tsuna, a party meant drinking and laughing with friends, not the insinuations of superiority and trappings of formality that he was walking though. If Gokudera hadn't been there, Tsuna would have fumbled hundreds of times before he'd even gotten through the doors.

"Rise, Vongola the Tenth," the Ninth said, his voice reflecting his pleasure at Tsuna's smooth entrance. Tsuna rose and took his place to the Ninth's right side. He could feel Gokudera's familiar presence to his own right mere feet behind him. Iemitsu stood to the Ninth's left with Basil at his side in a mirroring formation.

"Now then," the Ninth said quietly. Immediately silence descended on the room as everyone automatically dropped what they were doing to listen. Tsuna couldn't help but feel a moment of awe at the Ninth's power. This was the power he would have to cultivate, he reminded himself, if he was going to keep Vongola safe and protected.

"I do believe I promised a treasure hunt," the Ninth continued. He raised his hand, signaling Tsuna to step forward again, which he did. "Vongola the Tenth, I have handed out coins like these," he handed Tsuna a brass coin with the Vongola crest engraved on it, "to everyone here. I want you to collect them for me please."

Tsuna's eyes flashed as he understood. This was to be the test to prove his power to the Allied Families. He smiled, the sight bringing chills to the congregation despite their hidden feelings of mockery. Few of them believed Tsuna had the power and ability to snatch the trophies away from the experienced group.

"Any means necessary?" He asked, pitching his voice to carry.

"Try not to draw too much blood, Tenth," the Ninth said with a small smile.

"Don't worry, Ninth," he replied, with a gleam in his eye, "I've already collected half of them." At the words, all but six of the people listening reached for where they'd hidden their coins in order to verify whether they still had theirs or not. Tsuna smiled and moved before anyone could react any farther. In a mere moment, he flashed through the crowd leaving behind only sparks as he moved with the high speed boost of his gloves. None of the bosses or guests seemed to be able to track him while he plucked their coins out of their pockets, hands, socks, and other hiding spots. By the time they realized their mistake in giving away their hiding spots, Tsuna was already standing in front of the Ninth, handing him two fists full of coins.

"Is this all of them, Vongola the Tenth?" The Ninth asked in pleasure when the coins dropped into the box in his lap.

"There are six left, Ninth," he replied in boredom. He turned back to the crowd, which parted in awe and shock. This time he walked normally instead of using any boost. He smiled softly to himself when he passed Dino and Romario. Those two had been the only ones that hadn't bother to hide their coins. They'd both held it up willingly for Tsuna to take during his speedy dash. He could feel Gokudera's presence at his right as he walked up to one of the guests holding one of the remaining six.

"I see you've found a new place, Lanchia," Tsuna smiled. Lanchia looked at him with his own bored expression and a small smile of his own flickering at the corner of his lips.

"It's a refreshing place," Lanchia replied with a nod of respect to his new boss. Tsuna couldn't help but feel a moment of relief for the man standing before him. If he could say that, it truly must be a place that made him happy. After all the other man had went through, he deserved a Family that was worthy of him. Tsuna turned to Lanchia's boss and gave a smile that actually reached his eyes for a moment.

"I'm glad," he replied with his eyes on the boss instead of Lanchia. The boss nodded respectfully in response to Tsuna's open pleasure. He turned back to his target as he hardened his resolve, "But down to business. I'd rather not resort to bloodshed, but I need your coin. Will you give it willingly?" Lanchia nodded, tossing his coin to Tsuna without question.

Tsuna nodded his thanks and handed Gokudera the coin to hold as he moved to the second of the six remaining coin-holders. It wasn't someone he recognized, but he assumed it was someone's right-hand due to the questioning looks of 'what should I do?' he kept tossing to another man beside him. The boss had lost his coin while the right-hand had kept his own.

"I'd rather not go digging into your pants and I doubt you want me to either," Tsuna warned with a frown of dislike, "Trust me, you wouldn't find it either funny or pleasant." The man looked like he was about to faint as he reached down in his pants and pulled out his coin from what he'd assumed had been the perfect hiding spot. He offered it to Tsuna, but Tsuna turned his head in disgust at such a foul offering. Gokudera stepped forward for him, taking the coin with a handkerchief in his stead. Tsuna gave the man another look of displeasure before he moved on to the third of the six.

This man was holding his coin in his mouth. Tsuna's intuition told him just like it had located the last one. He seemed to be a boss instead of a subordinate due to the smug look on his face. He obviously wasn't going to hand his coin over willingly. Tsuna asked anyway as he smiled and put a hand on the man's shoulder in an easy, comrade-like fashion.

"Would you hand your coin over willingly?" Tsuna asked coaxingly. The man smiled grotesquely as he shook his head no.

Tsuna nodded sadly.

The man screamed as Tsuna flared the flame in his glove, burning through the man's shirt and into his shoulder in an instant. Tsuna pushed down on the man's shoulder, knocking him to his knees as the pain continued. With a quick motion, he pulled the coin out from under the screaming man's tongue. He released his flame once he had the coin, letting the man collapse into his subordinate's arms. Tsuna continued to look at the singed boss in boredom and he handed the wet coin to Gokudera to hold.

"Che," he said to the boss, "Don't be so weak. It's not even a third-degree burn."

He walked to the fourth of the six remaining coin-holders, ignoring the previous man's pants and moans of pain. This one was a woman. Tsuna hoped beyond hope that she would hand hers over willingly. He didn't want to hurt anyone else if he could help it.

"And how about you?" He asked with a smile. She smiled, a bit too willing to hand it over.

"But I've hidden it so well," she said naughtily. "Don't you want to reach in and get it?" Tsuna rolled his eyes blatantly. He'd seen better attempts of seduction by drunken dancers at Pink's.

"As if there was enough there to make it worth it," he taunted.

Her face screwed up in anger at the retort. She reached into her low cleavage and pulled it out, flinging it at him in disappointment and anger. Tsuna could only assume she was a boss with that kind of arrogance. He snatched the coin out of the air and handed it to Gokudera.

Tsuna thought furiously as he walked up to the next one. He could sense where the man had hidden it, but he really didn't want to resort to bloodshed. Especially considering these were supposed to be Allied Families.

"Why did you swallow your coin?" He asked finally. The man paled.

"I was ordered to," he answered honestly.

"I see," Tsuna said as his eyes lighted dangerously on the man's boss. The boss in question was just smiling over the cleverness of his idea. There was no way that Tsuna could pull the coin out of a man's stomach.

So he thought.

Tsuna felt a moment of remorse as he hit the coin-holder in the stomach so hard his eyes seemed to pop for a moment before he covered his mouth and tried to keep his lunch down. As apology to the man and punishment to the boss, he ensured that the man was facing his boss when he finally retched from the force of his blow. The boss didn't look happy at his expensive leather shoes being covered with his subordinate's vomit, but a look from Tsuna silenced him before he could complain.

Vongola the Tenth wasn't pleased with this boss. One shouldn't make Vongola the Tenth angry. You don't want to know what happens when Vongola the Tenth gets angry.

As the subordinate finally stopped puking, Tsuna turned to the boss. "That's your coin now. I'll ask you, will you willingly hand it over?"

The boss ran forward, digging the coin out of the bile and wiping it off on his sleeve before presenting it to Tsuna in a rush. Tsuna once again gave a look of disgust at the foul offering. Once again Gokudera stepped forward and took it with a handkerchief for him.

The boss stepped back as Tsuna walked toward the final coin-holder. It was anti-climatic as the man tossed it to him before Tsuna could cross half the distance. Tsuna wanted to sigh in relief when he took the handkerchief holding the last six coins from Gokudera and dropped them into the box in the Ninth's lap, but he refrained. Relief at the lack of bloodshed or no, the posing and formalities weren't over until the last guest left for the night.

Until that time, Vongola the Tenth had to continue to be an undeniable force. A force to be feared. A force no one wanted to challenge.

It was the only way.

* * *

Tsuna felt a moment of sadness when he sat down to the banquet that had been set up in the formal dining room off of the reception hall. Unlike the loud and relaxed affair he enjoyed with his Family, he could tell that this was going to be a tense, quiet affair where everyone was looking for weaknesses in the heir of Vongola.

He sat across from his father with the Ninth at the head of the table. Dino sat next to his father and the next strongest boss sat next to him. When everyone found their places, Tsuna hid his surprise when only the bosses sat down to the table and the subordinates stayed standing behind them. Apparently one of those formalities that Gokudera had forgotten to mention. Tsuna forced himself to eat from each plate as a full eight course menu was served. He stomach was in knots from all the people staring at him without blatantly staring at him, but if he didn't eat then his tenseness would become obvious.

Tsuna was surprised to find that the man sitting next to him was Lanchia's new boss with Lanchia standing behind him. A whispered clue from Gokudera gave him the boss' name and Family. After a few polite questions to loosen up the other, the two settled down into trading stories. No few times did the boss' stories cause Lanchia to grumble quietly since they were about him. By the final course, Tsuna found himself smiling, his previous nervousness forgotten.

He looked over to the Ninth as the banquet came to an end, relieved to see a small smile of contentment. Tsuna hadn't done wrong by ignoring everyone else and enjoying a pleasant conversation. The fact that he was capable of ignoring the other bosses had proved that he wasn't afraid of anyone here. He had once again unwittingly proved his strength. Tsuna smiled sadly to himself as he followed the Ninth from the dining room into the parlor with the other bosses trailing behind.

The parlor was actually a series of rooms that allowed the bosses to split up to relax and enjoy an after-dinner drink and cigar. A single pointed look from the Ninth told him what he had to do. He had to detach himself and take over another of the parlors, allowing the bosses a chance to interrogate him without the watchful eyes of the Ninth on them. Tsuna was still having to prove his superiority. Dino grimaced a bit in apology when no one else was looking. Since their friendship was well-known, Dino had to stay away for much of the night. Otherwise, the whole point of the banquet would be compromised.

With a nod of acceptance, he went into one of the adjoining rooms with Gokudera at his side. As his stomach started turning into a knot again, waiting for the first vulture to descend, he decided to get a drink to relax. He was thankful when Gokudera brought him a shot of V Special to calm him and a glass of scotch to nurse. He hoped Gokudera saw how grateful he was.

Then he was alone, as Lanchia pulled Gokudera away to the subordinates' parlor. They had both known it was going to happen. Tradition required it. The moment Gokudera disappeared around one of the parlor's doors and Tsuna found himself comfortably seated in an over-sized armchair, the first boss appeared.

As the woman began her insinuations into his true condition, Tsuna couldn't help but think:

It's going to be a long night.

* * *

"You know you can't stay at his side for this part," Lanchia hissed at Gokudera as he pulled the silver-haired boy out onto the terrace. Gokudera grumbled quietly as he lit a cigarette. He knew, but it didn't mean he had to like it. If he stayed, no few bosses would start rumors that the Tenth was only a puppet for Gokudera, regardless of how stupid such an idea was.

"The kid's gotten sharp," Lanchia said, taking a long pull on his beer bottle. "He's not like the whiny brat that knocked me on my ass anymore." Gokudera glared, making Lanchia laugh. "Don't get me wrong, the kid's always been strong, but there's no fear in him like before. Not like when I did recon on him in Japan."

Gokudera nodded, relaxing on one of the terrace's benches as he took another drag from his cigarette. As the smoke wafted into the air, he replied, "The Tenth is the Tenth. Then or now, he's still the same. The only difference is that he's accepted that he's the Tenth."

Gokudera smiled to himself. It had been a long road, but he had always been faithful that one day his boss would accept his own power. That's how he had also been able to keep faith that he would be the Tenth's right hand one day. And his boss hadn't let him down. Gokudera tried to suppress a smile of pride, but he couldn't manage it. Lanchia grinned at the smile that broke out on Gokudera's face and he leaned close in a secretive fashion.

"So, what's the truth behind the kid? I can see he seems alright, but how is he really?"

"You asking for yourself or your boss?" Gokudera asked suspiciously. The Tenth had told him to use his own judgment if someone they recognized was present.

"Both," Lanchia replied. "Although if you don't want my boss to know, I'd still like to. The kid gave me my freedom back."

"Che," Gokudera muttered as he threw his cigarette butt away, "It's the same either way, so there shouldn't be any harm. The Tenth is perfectly fine. Although, he tends to get a little bloodthirsty when Gola Mosca is mentioned."

Lanchia looked at him curiously, but Gokudera didn't extrapolate. The connection with the Wilde's former Gola Mosca facilities and the knowledge of the Tenth's kidnapping and torture had only been figured out by a few people with inside information.

For the next several hours, Gokudera traded information about the doings of the Families with Lanchia, never again touching on the Tenth's condition. If Gokudera said that the Tenth was alright, he trusted that word. At one point, Romario joined them, having safely left Dino seated in the parlor with the Ninth. He generously offered what information he could from his position as Dino's right-hand. Several times, other boss' subordinates tired to get information from him, but he repeated the same to each one and went back to his conversation with Lanchia.

"The Tenth's perfectly fine."

The sound of breaking glass and angry yells inside caught their attention and sent the three flying inside within seconds. Gokudera's eyes widened at the sight of his boss holding another man into the air by his throat. The barely suppressed rage in the Tenth's eyes sent silence throughout the room.

"Apologize," the Tenth said darkly. From the other side of the room, Iemitsu could be seen hovering in the doorway, at a loss for what to do. Gokudera was grateful when Basil appeared beside him, quickly and quietly filling him in on what had happened.

"Sawada-dono's been dealing with drunken bosses repeatedly for the past several hours. Sawada-dono got angry when someone tried to talk him into contracting out redevelopment of a new Gola Mosca," Basil whispered urgently as they watched the Tenth start to squeeze tighter.

"What's this about, though," Gokudera whispered back.

"Sawada-dono was mad before, but he was hiding it admirably. Only Master could tell his son was angry. Then Whister the Fourth started making insinuations about the quality and breed of thy Family and he exploded," Basil finished.

Gokudera nodded as Basil went to inform Iemitsu and the Ninth what the altercation was about. It was a reasonable thing for a boss to get angry over. There was no need for him to step in. Insult about one's Family was as good as a direct insult to one's self. There was no way that Vongola the Tenth could allow it to pass.

"Apologize," Vongola the Tenth repeated, squeezing the man's throat tighter. Whister the Fourth began to wheeze as he tried to apologize and couldn't get the air through his windpipe. Gokudera watched in satisfaction when the man finally managed and was unceremoniously throw across the room as if he weighed nothing more than a wad of paper. "Get him out of my sight before I rip out his tongue," the Tenth said as he sat back down, ignoring the fearful looks of the onlooking bosses.

Several people immediately complied, dragging the young, wheezing Whister out of the room. As Gokudera went to get his boss another shot to calm him and another drink to nurse, he couldn't help but once again feel pride. Not only did his boss have a kind heart, but he was strong enough to keep it that way. Where most bosses would have had to resort to bloodshed to prove their superiority in such a situation, the Tenth had been able to refrain yet still assume his dominant role.

Even better, he had only resorted to violence in anger for the insult to his Family, instead of the numerous veiled insults to himself that Gokudera was sure that the other bosses had tried to use. Gokudera knew what went on during these sorts of occasions. As a kid, he'd wandered the parlors, watching what went on after one of his father's banquets. That's one of the reasons he had been qualified to be the Tenth's right hand.

In this particular case, he understood all too well. The multitude of people trying to dig their clutches in and make business deals. The others trying to dig knives made of words simply to see how the target twitched. And finally, the ones that got drunk too quickly and didn't watch their words at all.

Gokudera handed his boss his drinks, ardently pleased at the flash of gratitude he was given when no one was looking. His boss always cared for his loyal subordinates, even while he was still quietly seething over the insult he'd just been given. Gokudera waited for dismissal, which the Tenth gave readily after he'd finished his shot and went back to nursing his drink in silence.

Gokudera couldn't help but smile in pride and satisfaction as he re-entered the subordinate's parlor and was given a questioning look by Lanchia. He smiled and lit another cigarette.

"Like I said before, the Tenth is perfectly fine," Gokudera replied to the silent question.


	31. Chapter 31 Ease

"It's time," the Ninth said sadly. Tsuna stood firm in front of his boss' desk at the words. He'd expected it after reports of his success came in via spies. After his show at the banquet, the allied Families were once again back in line.

Unlike before, when Tsuna had requested an assignment, he was no longer feeling the urgent need prove himself. Knowing he was recovered deep in his own heart, he no longer needed someone else to tell him. Hence, the painful clenching in his heart when the Ninth told him he'd be returning to the field. His hesitancy was plain on his face for the Ninth to see. Oddly, the Ninth seemed relieved at Tsuna's expression of conflicting emotions.

"It's good to see you're not jumping for joy that I'm sending you back out, Tsunayoshi," the Ninth said softly. "Do you feel up to the challenge, though?"

"Yes, Ninth," Tsuna answered, steeling himself. "I'll do anything that's required for the Family."

"We'll start you out slow, then," the Ninth mused. "Once or twice a week, Xanxus will retrieve you for assignment. When he's satisfied that you're still capable, we'll increase it until you're working daily again."

"Yes, Ninth," Tsuna agreed respectfully.

"Feel free to come to me if you feel you're being pushed too hard," the Ninth offered. "Since you ask for so little, I'll do my best to answer any requests you might have."

"Thank you, Ninth."

"Prepare yourself," the Ninth warned. "Xanxus will pick you up tomorrow to start."

"Yes, Ninth."

* * *

Tsuna was pale during class the following day. Several people asked him what was wrong, but he smiled and sent them away. There was nothing they could do in order to loosen the tight knot in his stomach. Their caring gestures were appreciated, but this was something he had to get used to on his own. Gokudera and Yamamoto both gave him worried looks, but he just shook his head in reply. He didn't want to admit to himself what was planned for today, let alone admit it to them. 

During lunch, he couldn't eat a bite. By gym class, he was nearly faint with stress. The longer the day wore on, the more tense he became. When Xanxus appeared before his gym class was even over, Tsuna fought the urge to sink to the ground. Instead, he halted his spar with Hibari, receiving a dangerously narrowed look from his unsatisfied opponent. Slowly, Tsuna walked over to where Xanxus leaned against the gym, unnoticed by others.

Curious, Gokudera and Yamamoto paused their spars to see where Tsuna was going. When they saw him heading toward Xanxus, the two started to move to stop him. Without pausing, Tsuna signaled for them to stay back and not follow. This was the Ninth's orders. He had to take his training back up for the sake of Vongola's future. Openly upset, the two stood frozen and him follow the towering man who silently led Tsuna to where a car was waiting.

"Damnit!" Yamamoto yelled in frustration. His hand clenched tightly around his Shigure Kintoki and his muscles quivered from his anger. Tsuna hadn't been recovered for long and already his freedom was gone again?! Were they going to loose their friend to the bloodshed once again?! He was stomping toward the last place he'd seen Tsuna before he even acknowledged the fact he was moving.

"Stop!" Gokudera cried, placing himself forcefully in Yamamoto's path. "You can't."

"Don't you want to stop them?!" Yamamoto cried.

"Of course, sword-freak," Gokudera agreed. "But that doesn't mean I will. He's following orders. This is the whole reason he's up here! Have you already forgotten your own Gauntlet?"

"M-My own...?" Yamamoto repeated in surprise.

"Unlike you and lawn-head, I've still been working at night. Or did you forget?" Gokudera growled.

"So what?!" He moved to try to get past the obstinate dynamite specialist, but Gokudera moved with him. He had to stop Tsuna before he left with Xanxus.

"So what?" Gokudera repeated. He sent a fist into Yamamoto's jaw at the words, knocking the swordsman on his rear more out of surprise than force. "Have you forgotten your resolution, sword-freak? The reason you use your blade instead of the back?"

"G-Gokudera..." Yamamoto mumbled.

"The Tenth has to do this," Gokudera pleaded sadly. "You'll hurt him if you get in his way right now. Instead, lets just be there when he gets back. Okay?"

"Ah," Yamamoto agreed, finally understanding the dynamite specialist's point of view.

It was all about resolution.

* * *

"What's the assignment," Tsuna asked hesitantly. 

"Punishment," Xanxus replied carefully. His silence afterward seemed unnatural, almost as if he thought Tsuna would break from a harsh word. As the car pulled away from the school, Tsuna tried to put the older man at ease. The very thought of putting Xanxus at ease just seemed _wrong_, but he tried anyway.

"Are you okay," Tsuna asked.

"What do you mean?" Xanxus replied, bristling at the question.

"You just seem..." Tsuna paused and tried to find the right words. "It's like you're not you," he said.

"The old man said to be _nice _to you for a while," Xanxus admitted grouchily.

"Why?" Tsuna gaped.

"Probably since you're a pathetic little wimp," Xanxus growled, falling back into his normal pattern.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tsuna replied defensively. He didn't really take offense, but arguing with Xanxus seemed the fastest way to get his mentor back to normal.

"You little shit-for-brain," Xanxus said, taking the bait. "It means you're a pathetic little wimp. You go off an take a vacation while the rest of us have to work, leaving me to have to do all the shitty assignments by myself."

"Were you lonely?" Tsuna teased. Xanxus' face turned red in anger at the taunt. He reached for Tsuna's collar, openly showing his desire to throttle his charge. "Alright, alright," Tsuna conceded. When Tsuna raised his hands in defeat, Xanxus let go of his collar with a small, angry shove into the corner of the car.

"Don't push it, brat," Xanxus warned.

"You're better this way," Tsuna mumbled. "Now you don't seem like your forcing yourself."

"Hmph," Xanxus agreed, realizing what Tsuna had done. For much of the ride, the silence lost it's uncomfortable tinge.

"Hey, Xanxus," Tsuna asked suddenly. "Have you ever been tortured?"

"What?" His mentor mumbled. For once, Tsuna had completely taken Xanxus by surprise. The older man's mind went blank at the unexpected question.

"Never-mind," Tsuna replied, looking out the window. The car slowly pulled to a stop in front of a modest mansion before Xanxus could completely regain his balance.

"Who's the target?" Tsuna asked, trying to fall back into the pattern he remembered.

"Whister the Fourth," Xanxus replied.

"He's a boss, isn't he?" Tsuna questioned. Such a high-profile punishment was a first. He faintly remembered the man from the banquet; an incompetent fool who had a loose tongue.

"Yah, the scum let some information slip out despite the old man's personal warning. He's a security leak that we need to ensure plugs itself. Normally, we'd execute the scum for a mistake like that. But since he's a boss, we have to go through the proper order of things. The old man recieved joint permission from all the allied Families to do this."

"I see," Tsuna said. "He must have let something big slip."

"He allowed a non-mafioso to know about the existance of Mafia Row. Since the entrance locations weren't passed out and the brainless wonder didn't give any detailed info, we only have to make him pay for his mistake. No need to get the person who heard the information."

He was glad he'd followed the pattern he remembered. As if he'd never stopped working, his mind and body reacted to the sequence. During Xanxus' brief, Tsuna was able to steel himself against what was to come. By the time they reached the front door, a small breath of cold had hardened his heart. While it wasn't the degree that he normally used to fortify himself, with the addition of his inner flame he felt up to the task that lie ahead. After knocking, Xanxus stepped back to let Tsuna take the lead. This was Tsuna's assignment, therefore he had to deal with whatever lie ahead with Xanxus only acting as support.

"Who the fuck are you?" The man who answered the door asked rudely. Tsuna punished him without mercy for his rudeness, grabbing the man's face and sending him flying through the entryway.

"I'm Vongola the Tenth," he answered after the fact, following the flying body inside. The other men inside who had jumped to their feet faltered at his words. "Where's Whister the Fourth," he demanded. He didn't have time to deal with Whister's subordinates. He wanted this over as fast as possible. Sadly, Whister's subordinates were loyal. Even though it was Vongola the Tenth, they refused to give up their boss that easily. Tsuna was halfway through beating the location from the men when Whister showed himself.

"Please, stop!" He begged. "Don't hurt them. I'm the one that messed up. Punish me, not them!" Tsuna released the man he'd just knocked unconscious. "Get out of here," Whister ordered his men. "Go!" He yelled when they hesitated. "This is my problem to deal with!"

"Indeed," Tsuna replied once the room was clear with the exception of the dozen unconscious men on the ground. He simple-mindedly went to his target, ignoring the painful stabbing in his heart at the man's words. He would have done no less for his men. Loose lips aside, Whister the Fourth wasn't as bad as his first impression implied. The knowledge caused Tsuna to pause in front of the man. "You know your crime?" Tsuna asked softly, trying to buy himself enough time to harden his resolve again.

"Yes," the Fourth replied in defeat. "And I'll accept the punishment."

"You say that without knowing what it is?" Tsuna asked softly.

"Yes," the Fourth mumbled.

"Daddy?" A sudden boy's voice echoed. The sound of small footsteps could be heard, coming closer down the hallway. Panic filled Whister's eyes at the call, fearing his son to be targetted.

"Send him away, then return," Tsuna ordered, granting the man the ability to keep his son from witnessing the carnage in the entrance hall. The man mumbled quickly in gratitude before darting back the way he'd come.

"Pathetic," Xanxus mocked.

"One less witness," Tsuna replied logically. Internally, he was shaking at the knowledge that his target's son was home. His target had a family besides his Family. He was a living, breathing human being. Yet his assignment was to beat the living hell out of the man in order to grind the knowledge of the price for even accidental betrayal. The Ninth wouldn't accept less. Xanxus wouldn't accept less. _He _couldn't allow himself to accept less. Within five minutes, the man returned obediently.

"Can we do this somewhere else?" He asked, sensing that Tsuna wasn't as cold-hearted as he seemed. Knowing he couldn't allow it, Tsuna replied with a sharp blow to the man's stomach, doubling him over before he could speak any more. Pushing him against a wall, Tsuna pounded half a dozen more blows into the man's gut until he was coughing blood. Since the man still seemed able to stand, Tsuna threw him across the room into an expensive table. The impact made him loose any sense of balance or strength he might have had left. Walking over, Tsuna pinned the man to the floor with a foot to his face without mercy for the broken glass and wood littered there.

"What was your crime?" Tsuna asked, applying just enough pressure to be painful without causing permanent damage.

"I let it slip to my sister-in-law that there's a secret shopping area in the city," he gasped. Tsuna let up on the man long enough to kick him in the face with a non-lethal blow. Once again, he pinned the man down with a foot to the side of his head.

"Now, let's try this again," Tsuna said, going through the process that Xanxus had taught him. "I'm going to ask your crime and you're going to say 'I betrayed my Family and the Mafia'." He paused significantly before asking, "What's your crime?"

"I betrayed my Family and the Mafia," Whister replied obediently. Tears were leaking out of his eyes from the pain, but Tsuna couldn't end it simply with that.

"Get up," he ordered, removing his foot. When the man didn't immediately start moving, Tsuna kicked him repeatedly until he dragged himself up. Once he was up to his knees, Tsuna grabbed his hair to hold him steady. Whister was completely at his mercy when Tsuna sent multiple hits to his face and head. The man's face began to loose it's expression and Whister's muscles went slack with unconsciousness. By the time Tsuna judged the blows to be sufficient to fulfill his orders, the man's face was unrecognizable.

Tossing the man down in an imitated display of disgust, Tsuna held his hand open to receive the knife he knew Xanxus had waiting. In answer, Xanxus slapped a small blade into Tsuna's hand, no larger than the size of his index finger. Tsuna raised his eyebrow at his mentor, knowing that this particular blade was meant for detail jobs instead of roughly cutting through bone. What had the Ninth ordered for the price? There was no way they could cut out a boss' tongue, regardless of the crime. Taking out a boss' tongue was worse than cutting off his pride.

"Tongue," came the unexpected order.

"Tongue?" Tsuna repeated in surprise. "Don't you mean eye or something?"

"Is there a fucking echo?" Xanxus growled. "Tongue. Slit it, but don't remove it."

Nodding in understanding, Tsuna did what he was told. They couldn't cut out a boss' tongue, since it was a nearly sacred thing. However, a boss could still voice his orders with a slit tongue after it healed. It would take training to be capable of speaking properly, but the very fact would serve as a formidable reminder to watch his words.

Ignoring the small stream of blood that began to cover his hands, Tsuna split the man's tongue cleanly in two. He did it quickly in order to keep himself from thinking about what he was doing. With a small flicker, Tsuna partially-cauterized the wound. He couldn't completely stop the bleeding without destroying the thin tissue, but hopefully the little bit he did would keep the man from bleeding to death before his subordinates woke back up.

"That it?" Tsuna asked, kicking the man on his side so that he wouldn't drown on his own blood. Tsuna cleaned the knife off on the man's shirt before handing it back hilt-first to Xanxus.

"Let's go," Xanxus answered, taking the offered blade. Before following, Tsuna cleaned his gloves off with a burst of flame. The smell of burnt blood wafted into his face for a single moment when he dusted the dry remains off. His stomach flipped for a second before settling back down. Although his memory recognized the smell, it was no longer something he was used to. It rated almost as bad as the smell of burnt hair and skin.

A small moan from an awakening subordinate sent him following after Xanxus rather than dwell on the sickening stench any longer. For Whister's men's sake, he had to be gone quickly. Whister would put him men in line when he woke, but until then they would be looking for revenge.

"Come on, kid," Xanxus said predictably. It was almost as if Tsuna had never stopped working with the man. "Lets go get a drink."

"Ah," Tsuna agreed. "One doesn't sound too bad right now."

* * *

Tsuna was grateful to the warmth of the V Special. It helped thaw the unnatural cold that had overtaken him during the assignment. Somehow, though, even after he regained feeling in his body, he didn't really care about what he'd just done to his target. It seemed like such a small thing compared to the pain he'd experienced. The beating had been quick and clinical. He'd given out temporary pain. The man probably wouldn't remember the details of his beating, only that he'd been beaten. Unlike Tsuna, who had the memory of his beating etched into his mind due to countless hours of repetition, Whister would probably forget about it the moment his wounds healed. 

With the exception of his tongue. That alone was the only thing that caused Tsuna to actually feel any remorse. Even then, he knew that it was a small disability in the larger scheme of things. The fact that it didn't really bother him upset him more than the thought of the bloodshed itself did. When and why had he become so cold-hearted?

"You seem calmer than normal, brat," Xanxus said. Tsuna jerked a bit, hearing his own thoughts come from his mentor's lips.

"Hmm," Tsuna mused to himself. He tossed back his second and final shot before answering. "I guess after being tortured, my perspective on pain is a little different now."

"Really now?" Xanxus replied, pouring Tsuna another. The man tossed back his seventh shot while Tsuna nursed his third without intending to drink it. As if he was going to let his guard down in public. The distant buzz from the two shots he'd already drank was enough to satisfy him. Any more and he wouldn't be able to relax despite the intoxicating affects. Getting more drunk would only make him more tense rather than relaxed. Xanxus, on the other hand, felt immortal enough to let his guard down anywhere without fear. Even drunk, the man was dangerous enough to wipe out a whole town.

"I guess," Tsuna repeated. "It just doesn't seem like a big deal. I mean, Whister will be back on his feet by tomorrow and he'll probably be talking again before the end of the week."

"You think we should have given the scum a stiffer penalty?" Xanxus asked, for once intrigued by Tsuna's words.

"No," Tsuna mumbled. "What he got fit his mistake."

"Che," Xanxus replied in disappointment. Tsuna smiled when the man slammed back a eighth shot.

"What made it easy for you to do this kind of thing?" Tsuna asked in curiosity.

"Who said it was easy for me, brat?" Xanxus replied grumpily. "I just do it because it has to be done."

"Oh," Tsuna responded in surprise. A content silence fell between the two and Tsuna took the time to file the knowledge away for future reference. Xanxus wasn't one to open up very often, but the slip told Tsuna one thing that he hadn't noticed before. Xanxus and he were more than simply mentor and student. They were partners. Maybe that was why Xanxus had been willing to attempt to answer the Ninth's request to be nice. He probably wouldn't admit it, but he had actually missed Tsuna. The knowledge made Tsuna chuckle to himself.

"What's so fucking funny?" Xanxus slurred slightly, disconcerted by how Tsuna seemed so happy.

"Nothing," Tsuna replied with a knowing smile. "Nothing at all."

* * *

"Little bro!" Ryohei yelled in surprise. Tsuna jumped a bit at the unexpected presence in his room, although he should have predicted it. It was his first assignment since the incident. 

"How's it going, big bro?" Tsuna asked, kicking off his shoes and stripping off his shirt. Although it wasn't quite the end of the day, Tsuna wanted out of at least one piece of his restricting clothing. Since he was in his own room, Ryohei could either accept it or just leave.

"Your dynamic duo were worried about you," he answered. "I told them to go work out and let off a little steam down in the gym. They were pacing trenches into your floor."

"Well, you can tell them no worries," Tsuna replied with a smile. "I'm perfectly fine." Ryohei raised an eyebrow in doubt at his words.

"Well, you definitely don't have that extremely empty look and you're not shaking," Ryohei admitted. "Are you sure you're fine, though? Any stomach aches?" Before he could answer, Yamamoto and Gokudera came flying through Tsuna's door. They both stumbled to a stop when they saw Tsuna already present.

"I'm fine," Tsuna smiled. "It actually wasn't as hard as I thought it would be."

"What did that bastard make you do?" Yamamoto said. Tsuna raised an eyebrow at Yamamoto's aggressive tone.

"The assignment was a punishment," Tsuna answered without giving away any details. "We went in, did the work, then went for drinks. I didn't know you guys were waiting on me or I would have come back sooner. I had forgotten about Xanxus' habit to take me out after a task." His three friends seemed flabbergasted at how calm Tsuna was. Having noticed it already for himself, he wasn't surprised at their slack-jawed reactions.

"He seems too calm," Gokudera whispered.

"Tell me about it," Ryohei hissed in return.

"Delayed reaction, maybe?" Yamamoto guessed quietly.

"No," Tsuna interrupted, having heard every bit of their private chatter. "I just don't think it bothers me anymore. So I knocked the hell out of some guy. Big deal. He'll be back up and around in no time." Tsuna still got a nagging feeling that something was wrong. He was capable of talking about it too easily. His three friends seemed to come to the same conclusion, but with a different reaction.

"Damnit, Tsuna," Yamamoto yelled, pinning Tsuna's bare shoulders to a nearby wall. "You're shutting your feelings away again! You've can't do that anymore!" Angry at the uncalled for roughness, Tsuna looked at Yamamoto with a dangerous glare.

"Let me go," he growled softly.

"Not until you accept what you're really feeling!" Yamamoto begged. "You did this before, remember? You bottled everything up until you nearly had a meltdown."

"Let me go," Tsuna repeated in warning, ignoring Yamamoto's words. The rough feeling of Yamamoto's hands restraining him made him surge with anger and revulsion. Even though his friends knew he still didn't like to be touched, the swordsman had thrown it away in his misguided attempt to help his friend. Although Tsuna knew that Yamamoto was only trying to help, Tsuna wasn't going to hold back if he continued to ignore the warning.

"Tsuna!" Yamamoto pleaded.

"This is the last time I'm going to say it, Yamamoto. Let. Me. Go." The anger in his eyes was clearly visible, but still his friend held on. Despite the look of sadness and pain in his friend's eyes, he reached up and grabbed both of the swordsman's wrists. Yamamoto let go when a warning squeeze sent pain up his arms. Rather than breaking them, Tsuna let go and gently pushed his friend away before the swordsman got any other bright ideas.

"Tsuna..." Yamamoto said, not understanding his sudden cruelty.

"I told you I'm fine. Unlike when I said it before, I actually know it to be fact this time. I honestly could care less."

"That's not like you, little bro!" Ryohei objected. "You're too kind to not feel anything after having to do such dirty work. Unlike me, who beat people up in the ring, you're...you're just Tsuna! There's no way that you don't feel anything! You have to be hiding it from us! Why?!"

"How long was I constantly attacked for?!" Tsuna yelled in reply, irritated by their unwillingness to accept his words. "I was captive for eight damn hours! That means I was tortured non-stop for at least seven hours straight! You think that after that, I'm supposed to get upset over knocking someone around for a few minutes? Get real! It's not like the guy will remember it for... for the rest of... his... life..." Tsuna trailed off and covered his mouth as the reality of what he'd said hit him.

Walking over to his private sitting area, Tsuna collapsed into his couch. He was still covering his mouth in shock when his three friends joined him, finally understanding what was going on. Tsuna was still letting the memory of his own pain control him. Rather than feeling disgusted with himself, he was apathetic due to the memories still housed inside him.

Instead of looking at it from Whister's point of view, Tsuna was locked in his own perspective of pain. Even though he'd already told it to Xanxus, the reality of it only now hit him. He'd allowed himself to go almost completely cold-blooded.

"Don't worry, Tenth," Gokudera encouraged softly, speaking for only the second time since entering the room. Tsuna blinked up at him, still trying to decide whether it was a good thing or a bad thing that he had become this way. "As long as you still have a warm heart where your Family is concerned, a little bit of coldness is expected in business."

"You sound like you know," Tsuna replied in surprise.

"Well, considering I'm the only one that's been doing Gauntlet runs for the past several months, you might say that it's experience," Gokudera mumbled. Before Tsuna could formulate a reply, his right hand glanced at his watch. "Speaking of which, I've got to go eat or else I'll be late. Sis is supposed to come early today."

"Thank you, Gokudera," Tsuna muttered before his friend left the room. Hearing Gokudera's encouragement actually did give him a bit of relief despite the knowledge of how it had been gained. With a wink, the silver-haired boy disappeared out the door, leaving a stunned Ryohei and Yamamoto behind him. Tsuna merely got back to his feet, his momentary lapse gone from his mind. Yamamoto and Ryohei would have to accept what Gokudera already did.

People and perspectives change and it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. As long as Tsuna remained himself at the core, he could be as cold as needed when dealing with matters outside the Family.


	32. Chapter 32 Acceptance

Ryohei wasn't sure what to think. His little brother had changed even while under the watchful eyes of his friends. Although, looking at him, he didn't seem any different. He still smiled and laughed like he had back in Namimori. That alone had taken him a while to accomplish. When he'd regained his cheer, Ryohei had truly believed that Tsuna was back to his old self.

But he wasn't. His little brother had never been the type to coldly talk about hurting others. Even when protecting his friends, he'd never before went past the line of minimal force. Back when he'd frozen Xanxus in the Ring Battles, his little bro had known that Xanxus would be alive and unharmed under the ice. Yet now...now he was able to coldly talk about punishing offenders like he was one of the Vendiche himself.

"Tsuna," Ryohei mumbled with conflicting emotions. "You are Tsuna, aren't you?"

"What are you talking about, big bro?" Tsuna looked up from where he was browsing through several volumes of manga on a shelf. Yamamoto had left a while ago, silently disturbed by the very problem that Ryohei was trying to overcome.

"You haven't been past the limit, have you?" Ryohei continued seriously. "Or maybe you were possessed by aliens or something?"

"Eh?" Tsuna replied in confusion. He set down the little volume he was holding and walked over to where Ryohei was taking up a large chunk of his couch. "I'm still me, big bro."

"Can I ask you something to check?" Ryohei asked doubtfully. Tsuna smiled and sat, willing to go along with whatever Ryohei had planned.

"Sure, ask anything you want."

"Do you like working with Xanxus?"

Tsuna blinked in surprise at the odd question. He had expected something like his mother's name or his favorite food after Ryohei's previous thought of him being possessed. Something that only he would know. Instead, Ryohei was asking a purely perspective-based question.

"I don't know," Tsuna answered, trying to be as honest as he could. "If you asked me if I liked the work, I'd tell you definitely no. I can't stand that I have to go out and hurt people. Even though I can deal with it now, it still bothers me that those type of things need to be done. I wish that people could just live and let live without the need for guns and knives. I wish that there was some other way that I could keep Vongola, as a whole, safe without having to hurt our enemies." He chuckled at his own naivety. "Too bad the enemy wouldn't stop from hurting us in return if I did that, though. As for Xanxus, I think he's probably the best person I could have partnered up with. He doesn't try to hide me from reality and I know that he can be trusted to watch my back. We might have been enemies in the past, but I feel like we've settled our differences. Does that help?"

Ryohei nodded slightly, thinking over everything that Tsuna had said. It wasn't the answer that the old Tsuna would have given, but it was just as heartfelt. The old one would have simply blurted out 'NO' without thought for the why's and how's. Simply, his little brother wasn't so little anymore.

"One other question, little bro," he continued. "What do you think about Kyoko?"

At the unexpected question, Tsuna blushed brightly and was openly flustered.

"I...um...eh..." he spluttered. In response, Ryohei laughed and cut him off.

"Alright, you're still you," he conceded. "I'll go tell Yamamoto not to get his panties in a bunch."

"Thanks...I think," Tsuna replied, trying to control the redness in his face. Ryohei took his leave, but Tsuna stayed on his couch. Thinking to himself, Tsuna was a bit confused by the strange talk with the boxer. He got a nagging feeling that it had been important, but decided to shrug it off when he couldn't figure out why.

* * *

_Thump, Thump._

Yamamoto jerked awake at the sound. He blinked sleepily and glanced out his window to see that it was still the middle of the night. With a groan, he threw the pillow back over his head and tried to go back to sleep. Strange sounds were a common occurrence around here. Especially in the middle of the night. For some reason, at least once a week, several squads would practice night maneuvers like they were soldiers instead of mafioso. Then again, for some of them, there was no difference.

_Thump, Thump, Thump, Thump._

The swordsman raised his head, noticing this time that the sound had come from the hidden door next to his bed. Someone was in the secret passage and wanted into his room. Wondering if it was Tsuna, he jumped to his feet and went over to his room's control panel. The dull pounding stopped when he flipped the switch to open the wall.

"About time," Gokudera grumbled, ducking his head past the tapestry hiding the open passageway. "I've been knocking for nearly ten minutes now. I was starting to wonder if I needed to go through the front."

"What's wrong?" Yamamoto asked groggily. "It's the middle of the night."

"Well," Gokudera replied with a sheepish grin. It was only then that Yamamoto noticed the bright red splotches on his face and hands. "I was hoping you could help me," he admitted.

"What happened to you?" The swordsman asked. All thoughts of returning to sleep fled from his mind when Gokudera lifted his shirt to reveal more rashes covering his chest. Yamamoto immediately ran for his medical kit while Gokudera explained.

"Sis decided to test throw a Chaffing Bomb in with my test run tonight. I was only supposed to have to deal with Poppy Smoke, but she thought it would be interesting to see if I could handle two at once."

"Sounds painful," Yamamoto sympathized. He motioned for Gokudera to undress so that he could put on some antibiotic counter-agent. The dynamite specialist groaned a little bit every time his shirt touched one of the multitude of rashes on his body. He willingly sat down on Yamamoto's bed while the swordsman carefully applied the cream to every inch of his back. Simultaneously, Gokudera took a hefty bit and started applying it to his own chest, sighing in relief when the pain eased.

"Thanks," Gokudera mumbled grudgingly when Yamamoto began working on his arms and shoulders. Trying not to enjoy the soothing feel of Yamamoto's hands too much, he went to light a cigarette. It was immediately snatched out of his hand with a warning look.

"Not in my room," Yamamoto warned. Gokudera growled a bit, but didn't argue. Ryohei didn't allow it in his room either, citing how bad it was for the boxer's health. Considering how the swordsman was helping him without question, the silver-haired boy didn't want to push his luck. The kneading motions Yamamoto was using eased the pain far better than his own attempt at treatment had. He raised an eyebrow when Yamamoto sat beside him and pushed him flat on the bed to reapply the medicine to his chest where his own sloppy administrations had left much to be desired.

"I'm really worried about Tsuna," Yamamoto said, sensing Gokudera's unease. His attention diverted, Gokudera loosened up enough to let Yamamoto begin to rub the ointment into his chest.

"I don't think you have to be worried about the Tenth," Gokudera replied, trying to ignore the sensual sensation he was getting from Yamamoto's clinical massage. He put his hands behind his head to let Yamamoto have access to his sides before continuing. "He's just finally separated out his home life with work. What happens in one place doesn't affect the other."

"Are you the same way now, Gokudera?" Yamamoto asked curiously.

"Kind of," he admitted. "I've been around it as long as I can remember, so going to the next level wasn't really any big thing for me. The only difference is that the things I'd only heard about, I'm actually doing now. The Tenth has it a bit harder, I think, since he grew up in a normal family. That, and he's not the type to go out and serve judgments for fun, money, or reputation. Even though he doesn't get shell-shocked over it anymore, I still don't think he likes it."

"Heh," Yamamoto sighed. "Ryohei said the same thing."

"The Tenth is still the Tenth," Gokudera replied.

"All done," Yamamoto said suddenly. Gokudera blinked before realizing the swordsman meant he was done with the treatment. "I think I'll let you take care of any rashes below your belt," he teased.

Gokudera groaned a bit. Despite his efforts to not enjoy Yamamoto's ministrations during their talk, his body had obviously ignored him. The bulge in his pants and his hardened nipples couldn't be hidden from Yamamoto's knowing eyes.

"It's a biological normality due to the skin contact," Gokudera said in defense. He sat up and grabbed his shirt, throwing it over his shoulders despite the likelihood of lingering Chaffing Gas on it.

"In other words, you couldn't help yourself?" Yamamoto grinned. In response, Gokudera growled and stalked out of the room before he hurt someone. Namely a smart-ass swordsman with a death wish. Aid or no aid, some things shouldn't be joked about. He didn't...couldn't be...that way...with Yamamoto. Yamamoto was a _guy_ and Gokudera liked girls. No matter how good the swordsman's touch had felt.

Gokudera wanted to smack his head into the wall when he realized what he was thinking. Pushing such thoughts to the back of his head, he paused halfway down the passage to his own room. He'd forgotten to grab the leftover ointment from Yamamoto so that he could treat his legs. The thought of going back made him blush due to the lingering reaction in his body, but his own medical kit had been out of anti-agent cream for several days now. He turned around, intending to go back when he realized that Yamamoto was standing behind him with a knowing look on his face.

"You forgot this," Yamamoto said, holding up the required half-empty bottle. Gokudera turned red in embarrassment, but reached out for it anyway. He'd never get to sleep unless he treated the rest of his rashes. Unfortunately, Yamamoto was feeling goofy from being woken up in the middle of the night and finding Gokudera in such a strange state. He raised it up over Gokudera's head and slightly outside of his reach.

"Say please," the swordsman teased. Wanting to get back at his friend for making him so flustered, Gokudera dropped his eyelids down to a sultry level and gave Yamamoto a daring look.

"Please, Yamamo-chan," he begged softly with a fake quivering lip. Gokudera wondered if maybe he'd overdone his revenge. Yamamoto turned red and was struck speechless with a gaping jaw. The ointment dropped out of his suddenly numb hand and Gokudera snatched it mid-air. "Thanks, sword-freak," Gokudera grinned, tossing away the facade the moment the bottle was in his hands.

"N-No problem," Yamamoto said, trying to recover his poise. He would have said more, but a soft cry echoed down the hall. Knowing that Tsuna was the only one that left his passage door open at all times for them, both of their heads snapped up in that direction. In silent agreement, the two boys put aside their teasing and joking in order to find out what was wrong.

Darting into the room unannounced, they found the Tenth writhing in his bed. Trapped by a nightmare, he let out another soft and unintelligible cry. With a single look from Yamamoto, Gokudera excused himself and left the swordsman to do his thing. This wasn't the first, nor was it the last, of the nightmares their friend would have. The things that didn't bother him in the light of day always showed their true face in the darkness and Yamamoto knew how to deal with it. However, the longer the Tenth worked for Vongola, the more he would sleep fitfully. No longer would he simply be haunted by his torture, but by the faces of those he hurt.

While he could be woken from dreams, memories lasted a lifetime.

The sad reality followed Gokudera all the way back to his silent and empty room.

* * *

"You guys don't have to do this," Tsuna pleaded. Xanxus was waiting next to his car impatiently while Tsuna tried to talk his friends out of their plans. They'd almost gotten away with it, but Tsuna had recognized the drivers of the two cars behind his own. Both were Vongola subordinates, therefore they could only be here for Yamamoto and Gokudera. 

"Don't worry, Tenth," Gokudera soothed. "It's the same thing I've been doing for a while now. I'm just doing it during daytime instead of night now. We should all be at home around the same time this way."

"B-But--" Tsuna spluttered, unable to think of anything to keep Gokudera from working as a hitman. He turned to Yamamoto, trying to at least get one of them to go home instead of following the plan he'd dragged out of them. "You'll at least return to the mansion, right? That's why there are two cars...Gokudera will go with Bianchi and you'll go home, right?"

"Sorry," Yamamoto said sheepishly. "I talked to the Ninth and got permission to start doing Gauntlet runs again. I realized that I was loosing my touch after yesterday."

"Your touch?!" Tsuna squealed. "Since when did you have a touch?! You sound like Reborn!"

"Heh," Yamamoto grinned. "I told you before that you weren't the only one allowed to take one for the team."

"I didn't know you meant you were doing this!" Tsuna yelled. Somewhere, somehow, he'd forgotten about the hint Ryohei had given him about the fact the boxer had been down in No-Man's Land regularly. He'd intended to talk to the three, but time had slipped away from him.

"We've got to go, Tenth," Gokudera mumbled when Bianchi stepped out of her car with a disgruntled look on her face. Tsuna wasn't going to let it drop like that, however.

"No, no, no, no, no!" Tsuna stomped. "That's it! You two and Ryohei need to go home and pack! You three are going back to Namimori first thing in the morning!"

"Let's go, brat," Xanxus growled before the objections began. His impatience was beginning to turn into anger, leaving Tsuna no choice but to listen. Before ducking into the car after the man, Tsuna looked back at his three friends.

"Go home and pack!" He repeated with every intention to send the three far away. Both Yamamoto and Gokudera were looking at him with shocked expressions which followed him when his car pulled away.

Xanxus gave him a cruel and knowing look once the car was out of view of the school. Tsuna ignored it in favor of calming himself. It was one thing to think peripherally that his friends were working for the mafia, but it was another to have the fact throw into his face. Now that it was clearly true, Tsuna had to act to protect his friends. Foremost, by sending them back to their peaceful hometown.

"You do know that since you claimed that half-breed scum as your right-hand, he won't leave no matter what you say," Xanxus commented.

"I'll make him leave," Tsuna replied with determination. Xanxus laughed at Tsuna's simple-minded answer.

"Do you think the old man will let you do that?" Xanxus continued cruelly.

"Doesn't matter," Tsuna said half-heartedly. He grimace a bit to himself, knowing that it did matter. The Ninth wouldn't let him cut off ties with his Guardians in order to protect them from a little bloodshed. Xanxus laughed mockingly at Tsuna's answer, sensing how his questions had rattled his charge.

That mocking laugh was still ringing in his ears when Tsuna returned home after completing his assignment. He prepared himself for an argument with his three friends before walking into what he expected to be a filled room. Strangely, however, his room was devoid of his three friends. He sighed in relief. Maybe they had decided to do what Tsuna wanted and were all packing.

In his dreams.

A small scroll on his dresser signaled the very thing Xanxus had warned him of. It was a summons from the Ninth, ordering him to report to the man's office the moment he finished reading it. Tossing it aside, Tsuna steeled himself and tried to think quickly. There had to be something he could say to the Ninth in order to get his friends safely sent back home. Now, before they were in too deep.

Not a single thing came to mind but his own selfish desires to keep them from doing the very things he was.

He slowly walked to the Ninth's office, knowing exactly what was going to happen.

* * *

"Tsuna, this has gone on long enough! Say something!" Yamamoto said, thumping a hand down on Tsuna's desk. Tsuna ignored it, continuing his silent treatment. He had refused to talk to any of his three friends until they returned to Japan. Not only was he angry at the fact the three of them had went over his head, but he was upset that they were still working as hitmen despite his open displeasure of the fact. It was a waiting game to see who would give in first and Tsuna refused to give in. 

Two days had passed since he'd stopped talking to them. He was willing to go on for weeks if needed. Whatever it took for them to go to the Ninth and ask to return home since Tsuna no longer had the power to force them.

"Tenth, please forgive me," Gokudera pleaded. Tsuna almost told his friend that he would forgive him if he went home, but that would mean he had spoken to the man. He refused, turning his head away from the kneeling form of his right-hand. Despite the entrance of the teacher and his calls for the class to come to order, Yamamoto and Gokudera didn't stop their attempts to get him to give up. Several members of the class snickered openly when Gokudera started crying around his pleas.

"Now look what you did, Tsuna," Yamamoto admonished. "This is childish. Just accept it already!"

"What the hell is going on?" The Bovino teacher complained when the disagreement between the three became noticeable. Everyone else in the class had taken their seats, leaving his two friends the focus of attention.

"The Tenth has forsaken us!" Gokudera whined.

"Oh, shut up, Gokudera. He hasn't forsaken us." Yamamoto said in open irritation. "He's just pissed because we won't give into his demands."

"Well, whatever the reason, sit down and let me start my class or else you three can explain to the Dean why my lesson plan wasn't followed," the teacher warned. Ignoring the warning, Yamamoto continued his attempts to coax Tsuna into giving in while Gokudera continued his pitiful begging.

"That's it!" The teacher yelled after several minutes of noncompliance. Grabbing Yamamoto and Gokudera by the collars, he threw both of them out in the hallway. "You go too, Sawada, since they're your problems," he ordered. "All three of you go talk to the Dean."

With a grimace, Tsuna silently got up and followed the path of his two friends. He could have kept them from getting in trouble by asking Yamamoto and Gokudera to listen to the teacher, but that would have meant he talked to them. He refused! Leading the way, he silently walked to the school offices. He knocked hesitantly on the door to the Dean's office. After a moment, a small voice inside gave them permission to enter. Tsuna wanted to pound his head into the wall when he saw who the Dean was.

"I'm Dean Rebinnichi," Reborn said, sporting a disguise made up of a fake comb-over, glasses, a pipe, and a blue suit.

"Hello, Dean," Yamamoto and Gokudera said respectfully. Tsuna gaped for a minute before rubbing his temples. How? How could they still fall for Reborn's disguises?!

"Hello, Dean," Tsuna said with a groan, deciding to play along.

"I hear you three are having some problems that are interfering with your classes?" Reborn prompted. Tsuna clamped his mouth shut, refusing to admit to any such thing. It was Yamamoto and Gokudera that had a problem. He hadn't done a single thing. He'd been silently sitting in class while they'd caused a ruckus.

"Tsuna refuses to talk to us," Yamamoto explained. "We were trying to get him to accept that we are free to work under the Ninth just like he does."

"What do you have to say to that?" Reborn asked Tsuna.

"Say to what, _Dean_?" Tsuna stubbornly replied, pretending not to have heard Yamamoto.

"See!" Gokudera cried. "He _has _forsaken us!"

"He has not," Yamamoto repeated.

"I see," Reborn interrupted. "The heir of Vongola is creating internal discord within his Family." Tsuna bristled at the accusation, but stayed silent. "Too bad," Reborn said. "If this keeps up, we'll have to have the Vendiche take charge due to traitorous actions."

"Vendiche?" Gokudera gaped. Tsuna clenched his jaw, not giving into Reborn's threat.

"Tsuna," Yamamoto pleaded, "This is going too far. Just accept that we're not leaving and talk to us already. Before it's too late!" In answer, Tsuna crossed his arms and turned away. He would never accept what his friends were doing. Never, never, never! He knew he was being childish about it, but due to the Ninth's orders he couldn't do anything else. He had to resist lest his friends loose their last chance to return to a normal life.

"Very well," Reborn said. He snapped his fingers. To the horror of everyone in the room, a Vendiche entered at the cue. The man's face and body was hidden from sight among layered wrappings, but the calm and dangerous aura coming off of him marked him as legitimate. However, even faced with certain imprisonment, Tsuna refused to speak. It might be traitorous, but he couldn't accept the thought of his friends hurting people for his sake. If it wasn't for him, they'd both be living normal and carefree lives. He'd rather be imprisoned than willingly allow them to continue.

"Tsuna!" Yamamoto yelled, tears in his eyes at his friend's stubbornness. "Please! I don't want to see you hurt again!"

"Who said anything about Tsuna being hurt?" Reborn interrupted. The heads of the three boys snapped toward the imitation Dean. "He's the only heir for the Vongola Family. I was talking about you two."

"Us? Traitors?" Gokudera gasped. His eyes welled up with tears. Not only had his beloved Tenth turned his back on them, but now he was going to be imprisoned away from him. He knelt down and continued to beg forgiveness from the Tenth with renewed vigor.

"Wait...wait...!" Tsuna told Reborn when chains dropped out of the Vendiche's sleeves. He panicked when they flew forward and clasped around his friend's necks. "You're going too far, Reborn! This is between me and them. It has nothing to do with the Vendiche! Let them go!"

"Perhaps," Reborn agreed slyly. The Vendiche didn't move from where he stood, apparently waiting on Reborn's cue to take them away. "But you seem to be punishing them for something and I thought you might appreciate my help."

"I'm not punishing them," Tsuna said, knowing only honesty would free his friends. He got quiet when he continued, finally voicing the reason he was so upset. "I just want them to go home. I don't want them becoming hitmen for my sake. I'll admit I'm mad that they went over my head, but I'm not punishing them for it."

"Then why have you forsaken them?" Reborn prompted.

"I-I haven't..." Tsuna mumbled. "I just thought if I stopped talking to them they would get mad at me and go home."

"Seems like they're just as stubborn as you are," Reborn chuckled.

"Tell me about it," Tsuna groaned.

"Let me ask you something, Baka-Tsuna," Reborn replied seriously. "Why is it okay for you to be in the mafia but not these two?"

"I don't have a choice," Tsuna answered sadly. "You never gave me one. But they do. They can go home and live normal lives."

"You have a choice," Reborn asserted. "You can always choose to give up the mafia and let Vongola destroy itself."

"That's not a choice!" Tsuna squealed. "If I did that, how many people would be hurt?! How many people would die? I can't have that on my conscience!"

"I didn't say it was a _good _choice," Reborn admonished. "I simply said it was a choice. Both Gokudera and Yamamoto knew they had a choice and still chose to join the Family."

"Only because you tricked them," Tsuna mumbled under his breath. Reborn, thankfully, pretended not to hear it.

"Are you going to deny their freedom to chose how they want to live?" Reborn asked. "They know they have the option to never raise a finger for Vongola, but it was their decision to train as hitmen and serve the Family."

"Only because of me," he replied in guilt, looking over at his two silently chained friends. "If it wasn't because of me, they'd both still be in Namimori and wouldn't be working for the mafia."

"But they are. Since they are already affiliated with Vongola whether you like it or not, you can do one of two things. You can abandon them or accept their loyalty. Although, I'll only release them if you accept them. If you don't, my only option is to imprison them so that they don't interfere with your training anymore."

"Fine, I accept their loyalty. Just let them go," Tsuna answered with clench fists. No matter how he felt about it, he couldn't let his friends get hurt because of him.

"Very well," Reborn agreed. He snapped his fingers again and not only did the chains disappear, but so did the Vendiche himself. A man in a black suit smiled sheepishly before seeing himself out of the room. Tsuna blinked, realizing it had been an illusion and the man had been an illusionist.

"Bastard," Tsuna grumbled through clenched teeth. He'd played right into Reborn's hand. "I said I accepted their loyalty," Tsuna said stubbornly. "That doesn't mean I like it."

"Good enough," Reborn agreed, not rising to Tsuna's bait. "It's not the first time you accepted something you didn't like. Now, all three of you can go."

Tsuna took the dismissal immediately. He fled the room before either Yamamoto or Gokudera could stop him. Tsuna darted away the moment he was in the hall. Right now he didn't want to talk to either of them for more reasons than one. Unfortunately, Yamamoto and Gokudera had been training as much as he had. Since he hadn't used his flame boost, they caught up to him using nothing more than the extra length of their legs.

"Tsuna!" Yamamoto yelled, grabbing his arm.

Tsuna paused with his jaw clenched against the tears he was holding back. Was there nothing he could do to protect his friends? Even this, his last hope, had failed. Roughly, he yanked his arm away from the swordsman, stubbornly refusing to look at him. Anger welled up in him, momentarily replacing his dismay. Why did they have to be so thick-headed? Couldn't they see he just wanted them safe and happy and living normal lives?

"Look, Tsuna," Yamamoto tried once again. "I understand why you're so upset now, but it's really okay. This was my, Gokudera, and Ryohei's personal choices. We're together not just to protect you, but for each other. Isn't that why it's called a Family?"

"Please, Tenth," Gokudera begged. "We're your Guardians! Without you, even if we went back to Namimori, none of us would be happy!"

"I don't know about happiness," Hibari said, butting into the conversation on his way past. "But I will admit that there is no challenge." Tsuna looked up at his Cloud Guardian in surprise, meeting his eyes for a single moment before he continued on his path past them. None of them had a clue what the man was doing in the empty halls during class, nor did any of them ask.

"See," Yamamoto said once the dark-haired boy was out of hearing distance. "Even Hibari wouldn't be the same if you sent us all back to Namimori."

"I already said I accepted it," Tsuna growled, overcoming his surprise at Hibari's interruption. He still refused to look his friends in the eyes, knowing that he would give in completely if he did. "But I still don't like it. It's one thing for me to do assignments but it's another for my friends."

"Why, Tenth?" Gokudera asked, honestly not understanding. "We all have the same goal. We all want the same thing."

"Just...Just because!" Tsuna stomped, unable to put words to the reason.

"Fine, you don't have to like it," Yamamoto agreed. Tsuna looked up, finally meeting his friend's eyes. "But we're still friends, right?" Yamamoto asked with a soft smile.

"No," Gokudera corrected, bringing Tsuna's eyes to him. "We're still Family, right?"

Covering his face to hide his frustrated tears, Tsuna finally conceded at their determined and caring looks. No matter how red it meant his friend's hands would be and no matter how much it hurt to admit it, he couldn't deny his own heart in front of those faces.

"Yes," he cried softly. "We're still Family."


	33. Chapter 33 Cracked Ice

Tsuna was glad he'd given in and accepted his Guardians' presence over the following months. As the Ninth quickly picked back up his training, satisfied with his actions during the banquet and following tests, he had found himself immersed once again in the bloodshed and underground dealings of the mafia.

After a few months of satisfactory performance, the Ninth had opened the scope of his tasks. He slowly gave Tsuna the freedom to make the decisions of what should be done after being briefed with the situation. So now, Tsuna not only had to deal with the remorse that came with extreme bloodshed, he had to deal with the fact that he was the very person that decided it was needed in the first place.

The current target was a stupid fool that had accepted a hit on Dino. He was a hitman for a rival Family and Tsuna had been sent in with Xanxus to deal with it as soon as Vongola spies had found out. Literally the moment they found out. Xanxus had pulled him out of his afternoon class so that he could personally handle the matter. How was left up to Tsuna's decision.

Tsuna's heart clenched as he followed Xanxus up to where the man was sleeping, trying to make up his mind. He knew a simple warning would be useless. This was a professional hitman. He got death threats all the time. So, it was either punishment or execution.

Xanxus waited in front of the door while Tsuna tried very hard to think which one would be the better choice. He didn't want to kill the man, but would punishment be enough to keep his friend Dino safe? Tsuna's resolve hardened. He couldn't chance it. He couldn't chance loosing an important friend because he didn't want to kill. If Dino got hurt because he was weak, he'd regret it.

"Execution," Tsuna ordered, his eyes growing cold. Xanxus smiled in satisfaction and Tsuna kicked in the door at his signal. The target was definitely a professional, he realized within a moment. Bullets started flying, piercing the door and outer hallway even as the man rolled off his bed. But something like a bullet wasn't enough to stop Tsuna. Not anymore.

Flame-shield spread out before him, melting the lead before it could get close, Tsuna advanced. There was a look of fear on the man's face when he realized his Glock was useless. Tsuna didn't give him time for anything more. With a flaming right hook, Tsuna destroyed the man's gun and knocked him unconscious in one fell swoop. Quenching his flame, he drew his own weapon and fired before the man hit the ground.

It's what had to be done.

* * *

Xanxus tossed back another shot while Tsuna smiled at the look of drunken contentment on the man's face. He doubted that any of his Guardians would believe him if he tried to tell them what Xanxus was like with most of a bottle of V Special in him. They were in Xanxus' favorite bar in No-Man's Land, having finished their assignment and left their mark on the corpse. Tsuna doubted any other hitmen would be sent after Dino for a while. He'd tried to keep it clean, but they had still left a pretty messy warning. Staging the body hadn't been easy, either, considering they couldn't leave any evidence behind. 

"So, kid," Xanxus said, trying very hard to keep his glazed eyes focused on Tsuna. Tsuna smiled even more broadly. There was something to be said for limiting oneself. For starters, the ability to remember how Xanxus was when he was drunk. "So, kid," Xanxus repeated, forgetting he'd already said it, "You having a big fucking party or what?" Tsuna sipped on his third shot and looked at Xanxus curiously.

"What are you talking about?"

"Big fucking shindig," Xanxus slurred, waving his arms wide to emphasize the 'big' part. Tsuna fought a laugh. Seeing Xanxus like this made him believe that they really had played dodge-ball with a car once upon a time.

"What are you talking about?" Tsuna repeated with a chuckle.

"Par-ty," Xanxus repeated, looking at Tsuna like he was a fucking idiot. "Birth-day. You're legal in a week, right?" Tsuna smiled, knowing that legalities had stopped mattering with him a long time ago.

"Ah," he agreed, "my eighteenth birthday is next week." Xanxus motioned him to answer the damn question while he threw back yet another shot of the Vongola pride. "It's not an odd one, so I figure I'll just sleep through it. I don't have to do any traditional party or anything. It's really not a big deal. It's not like I get anything special from it." Tsuna raised his glass, pointing out how he could already drink without being the legal age.

"You're no fucking fun, kid," Xanxus said. "At least once in your damn life, cut loose and enjoy yourself. Makes me wish you were a snot-nosed brat again. At least back then you could blush." Xanxus grinned evilly as he suggested, "I could always take you down to Pink's again and get that little red-haired witch to--"

"That's okay," Tsuna interrupted. "I'd rather stay in one piece." Considering how affectionate many of his co-workers down at the club had become over the past year, he had a feeling that given any sort of permission, he'd be ripped to shreds before he could say Vongola.

"You're no fucking fun, kid," Xanxus repeated. "Well, here's to being tried as an adult!" He toasted, slamming back yet another shot. As he reached for another, Tsuna decided he better interfere before he ended up carrying Xanxus home...again. Although he already looked to be at that point. After paying the tab, he smiled to himself when Xanxus began loudly began singing an Irish drinking song, half of the words being incomprehensible in the man's intoxication. Tsuna helped him out the door and into the car, secretly touched by the fact that Xanxus had even known about his birthday.

As Tsuna pushed him over and got into the car with him, he started to wonder what he really should do for his birthday. He hadn't had any time to relax and simply enjoy himself since his training had started back up. The image of Kyoko flashed into his mind and in an instant he decided.

"Oi, Reborn," Tsuna called, knowing the hitman was somewhere nearby, even in a near-empty car. The car's stereo system slid into the dash and Reborn's car-ride hidey-hole was revealed in response, proving Tsuna's theory correct.

"What do you want, Baka-Tsuna?" Tsuna smiled. Even after everything, Reborn was still the same Reborn.

"Any chance I can take a trip back to Japan for my birthday? I haven't been home in a year."

Reborn seemed to think about it for a minute. "You wouldn't be able to stay in your parent's house anymore," he warned. Tsuna nodded in reply. He'd expected as much. Even if he went back to Japan temporarily, the mafia would follow him. He was too visible a person to be able to hide in peace like his father had. That was one of the prices of power.

"We need to set up a headquarters in Japan anyway," Tsuna agreed. "The main headquarters might be here, but I'm still going to be going home a lot even after the Ninth retires." Reborn sighed, silently giving his agreement.

"I'll see what I can do." The stereo system slid back out of the dash, hiding his former tutor once more. Tsuna smiled to himself, knowing that Reborn would make it happen considering he never asked for anything for himself. He leaned back, enjoying the thought. He was going to get to go home for a while. He didn't need a party. Kyoko's smile would be enough of a celebration to make him happy.

* * *

The Guardians were all surprised and pleased to hear that they'd suddenly be taking a trip to Japan. The Ninth had asked for a few days to get the basics set up for them, but they were going to get to go. Even better, a new house and grounds were being prepared for them so they didn't have to leave Tsuna's side even during the trip. 

The laughs of happiness became tears of joy and the joy became excitement for the Guardians as the next few days passed. Meanwhile, Yamamoto noticed Tsuna becoming more and more withdrawn. Thinking back to how much blood they'd all spilled over the past year, he could understand why. Even Yamamoto was uncertain of their welcome back to Namimori, knowing how jaded he was compared to his old self.

The Ninth had kept them constantly busy, only giving them breaks when the Allied Families had run out of requests completely. Together, the four of them with their escorts had almost completely taken over the hitmen assignments in the region around Headquarters for the whole alliance. And although Tsuna had long come to terms with their determination, his nightmares had increased exponentially at the knowledge of his friends staining their hands beside him. Yamamoto knew that Tsuna feared more than anything the day when the Ninth asked him to start assigning tasks to them.

Even if it was what had to be done.

* * *

Another scream cut into the air when Tsuna's nightmare continued. Yamamoto ran through the secret passage linking the Guardian's rooms and their boss'. Within seconds, he pulled Tsuna into his arms and shook him awake with practiced hands. As Tsuna's left hand, Yamamoto had kept a vigilant watch over his friend's emotional and spiritual well-being, leaving his physical safety to Gokudera. Over the past year, he had continued to be the shoulder that brought Tsuna's rain of tears gushing forward when he released his pain, fear, and heartache in secret. 

Vongola the Tenth might need to be strong, powerful, and feared, but Tsuna needed to be supported, cared for, and given friendship. Tsuna had two faces these days and only one of them seemed to appear behind closed doors. The one that hurt constantly at the daily activities of the mafia wasn't something that could be shown in public. It would be considered showing weakness to the other Families waiting to feed.

But that weakness was still there, eating Tsuna alive from the inside. Yamamoto, Ryohei, and Gokudera were probably the only ones that knew Tsuna to such an extent to see it. See how even now, he suffered. Even now, how he hated being touched. Even now, how he hated completing orders that brought pain and agony to others.

Yet he continued to do it because he cared for his Family more than anything else. He accepted the things he disliked and hurt him because it was what he had to do to protect them all. Yamamoto wasn't a fool anymore. He wasn't the baseball-idiot that could solve everything with a dimwitted response and a cocky smile. Things had changed too much for that.

And because he'd changed, he knew why Tsuna had nightmares. By changing, he'd had to accept the same pain. The same heartache. Yet he didn't have the fate of hundreds resting on his shoulders. He didn't have to deal with the knowledge that a single mistake could harm whole Families instead of merely his own. That his actions could change alliances and destroy lives in an instant.

That knowledge allowed him to support Tsuna without being overwhelmed with his own heartache. His knowledge that Tsuna's suffering was multiplied by hundreds allowed him to keep himself in one piece and focus on helping the friend he cared about more than any other.

"Tsuna," he whispered when the other boy stopped screaming. Tsuna trembled slightly and opened his eyes in response to the soft voice of his friend. "It's okay, it's just a nightmare," Yamamoto repeated the same litany that he'd said a over the course of hundreds of nights before, pulling Tsuna to his chest to comfort him. Sensing that it was going to be a while this time, Yamamoto leaned back against the headboard. "What was it this time?" He asked when Tsuna's tears eased.

"Mosca Lake," Tsuna told him with a small sniff, giving him the keywords to identify the dream.

It was another one of the repeat dreams that Tsuna had at least once a week. Something to do with feeling safe while he was resting in a special place that he considered safe and a Gola Mosca coming out of a lake. Then supposedly the Gola Mosca would start spitting out corpses of everyone Tsuna cared about and then lake turns into blood and tries to suck him in. It only made half-sense to Yamamoto, but he understood enough that it was a gore-filled dream. Frightening enough to send Tsuna into screaming, tear-filled spasms in his sleep.

Yamamoto mumbled encouragements to Tsuna while he ran his hand soothingly through his hair. Part of him ached to see Tsuna like this constantly, but he knew he couldn't let Tsuna know that. If Yamamoto did, he might try to bottle everything inside again rather than inconvenience his friend. So Yamamoto did the only thing he could do and gave comfort until Tsuna felt ready to go back to sleep.

Tsuna grew quiet where he lay huddled against Yamamoto's chest. His breathing slowly became softer as he calmed down in the swordsman's arms. Yamamoto felt him shift a bit in effort to get more comfortable. Or so he thought. He felt the soft but distinct touch of Tsuna's lips brush up against his chest where his sleeping-robe had fallen open. He ignored it, assuming it had been accidental. Then he felt it again, the touch becoming firmer and more determined.

Yamamoto stiffened in surprise, but Tsuna wasted no time in growing bolder despite his friend's reaction. The previously weeping boy wrapped his arms around Yamamoto and continued to kiss the swordsman's chest. Yamamoto froze, unable to move. Tsuna shifted again to increase his range and pleasure ran unrestrained through the swordsman despite his surprise. Tsuna continued caressing him with his lips, his kisses becoming hesitant sucks and licks. When Tsuna's tongue encircled his nipple, Yamamoto began to realize how his body was reacting.

Tsuna worked his way upward while Yamamoto tried to decide what to do. His body was becoming more excited by the moment regardless of the way his mind was screaming. A small part of him wanted to give into the direction Tsuna was going, but an even larger part told him he shouldn't. Clenching two large chunks of covers to keep himself from returning touch for touch, Yamamoto tried to speak. He had to stop this before it went any farther

His attempt failed with the words lodged in his throat unspoken.

Tsuna's lips and sweet breath near his ear sent a shiver down his spine, tightening his loins to a harrowing degree. Yet Tsuna didn't seem to notice or care, continuing his surprising caresses without any hesitation. Yamamoto tried to control his ragged breathing and gasps when Tsuna began to move lower again, his lips and tongue moving down his chest and stomach with determination. For a single moment, Yamamoto once again played with the thought of giving into Tsuna's actions. The pleasure could easily go both ways.

Yamamoto clenched his eyes shut, shamed at his own desire. This wasn't Tsuna. Tsuna wouldn't normally do something like this. He had to stop him _now_. Then Tsuna nibbled along the waistband of his pajama pants and Yamamoto attempted to suppress a moan. Amid his attempt, Yamamoto grabbed Tsuna's shoulders in panic and held him away for a moment until he got his voice working.

"W-what are you doing, Tsuna?" The swordsman panted.

Tsuna looked up and froze. His eyes reflected his own confusion at his actions and at the same time the desire to continue. There was a need there that Yamamoto had never seen before. He looked at Tsuna in understanding, finally grasping what was going on. For the first time since his torture, Tsuna actually wanted to touch and be touched. And as his pillar of comfort and support, he had naturally went to Yamamoto.

It was probably the fact that they were going to be going home for the first time in a year that had caused the sudden change. Ever since his torture, he'd disliked being touched. His three Guardians were the only ones that knew of it since he didn't cringe or flinch externally. But it was as if Tsuna had come to expect pain to be a natural occurrence when something touched him. Nothing his friends had tried had helped relieve that in the past year. Yet the simple idea of going home had fixed the last lingering problem Tsuna had.

Yamamoto wanted to beat himself black and blue for not seeing it earlier. For letting nearly a year pass without seeing it. They'd tried a woman's touch, but only that of the ones at Pink's. Every single one had been rejected by Tsuna, no matter how drunk they tried to get him. He just didn't want to be touched. Even the mere thought of Kyoko or Haru hadn't been enough to cure him before. Instead, the thought of seeing them in person had brought out the desire.

The only problem was that Tsuna didn't know how to deal with it anymore. The sudden urge had overwhelmed him since it wasn't something he'd felt in almost a year. So he had vented the feeling to Yamamoto, the bringer of comfort and his emotional support; one of the saddening few people he trusted with his life. But there were limits to what Yamamoto could do for Tsuna.

"I'm not the one you want to be touching like that, Tsuna," Yamamoto said softly and carefully, letting Tsuna see the understanding in his eyes. He didn't want Tsuna to push the desire away, he just wanted him to restrain it until the real target was nearby. Tsuna crumpled in Yamamoto's hands despite it and he looked away in shame. His face was bright red in embarrassment even while his eyes continued to reflect his confused emotions. Yamamoto ran his hands through Tsuna's hair and gave him a brotherly kiss on the head.

"Don't worry," he told his friend, "It'll be our little secret. Otherwise Gokudera might get jealous." Tsuna turned a brighter shade of red at Yamamoto's soft chuckle. Silently leaving Tsuna to tuck himself back in, Yamamoto prayed that he would be able to make sense of his confused emotions on his own for once.

He wanted to stop and sag in relief when he was safely back in the secret passage between the rooms. Not because he was out of such a tense situation, however, but because of the knowledge he held. The last lingering aftershock of the torture had hit. The one thing that White had warned him would be the final step in Tsuna's recovery had started. Finally...Finally! Tsuna would be completely whole again.

But before he could think about that, Yamamoto had to do something about the throbbing ache in his pants. It wasn't the first time he'd had an erection, but it was the first for getting it in such a fashion. He hoped that a cold shower could deal with it like it dealt with the ones he'd gotten from adrenaline rushes in sports and close calls in spars. His blood was pumping in the same way and the only difference he felt was a slight needy sensation that he wasn't sure how to deal with.

Carefully walking down the hall in order to minimize the amount of rubbing his cotton pants gave his hard extremity, Yamamoto sighed openly when he saw his own open doorway. He groaned in dismay, however, when he saw a bare-chested Gokudera sitting on the side of his bed. From the rashes on his body, Yamamoto could guess the reason he was there. For some reason, the dynamite specialist ran out of anti-agent cream with frightening regularity.

"There you are," Gokudera said enthusiastically the moment that the swordsman ducked inside his own room.

"You're later than usual," Yamamoto replied, trying not to show how flustered he was. He was silently grateful for the restraining force of his waistband and the loose cotton pajamas he had on. If he was careful, he could get rid of Gokudera before the man realized Yamamoto's affliction.

"Yah, well, sis decided I needed to make up for the work I'm going to be missing during our trip. She made me do a ton of assignments and even test-fired a Prickling Pepper Bomb on my last one."

"Prickling Pepper Bomb?" Yamamoto asked from the bathroom where he was digging through his medical kit. He purposely took longer than normal in order to try and control himself.

"Some kind of vegetable that sis used in a recent Poison-Cooking. She claimed that she had been curious about the affects of the ground up peels on human skin. Instead of testing it on herself or in a lab, she turned it into a bomb and used it on me. Turns out I'm slightly allergic, though."

"Hence the rashes," Yamamoto grimaced in understanding. Bianchi was strangely cruel when it came to her brother despite her open displays of pride. "Um, Gokudera," he said hesitantly, walking back into the room. Gokudera looked at him expectantly, wondering what was on the swordsman's mind. "I-It's kind of late," Yamamoto pointed out, grasping at the first thing he could think of. "Any chance I can just give this to you instead of helping you put it on like normal?"

"Sure," Gokudera replied with a disappointed and pained look. Yamamoto grimaced again, knowing the reason behind the look. Gokudera had once stubbornly tried to treat himself and ended up being red for three days before giving in and letting Yamamoto apply the ointment again.

"Never-mind, I'll do it," Yamamoto decided, pushing away his own problems. He could always take a cold shower after Gokudera was treated. He couldn't let his friend suffer through a rash right when they were supposed to take a vacation back to Japan. He only hoped his own self-control was up to the challenge. The feel of Tsuna's lips was still vivid in his mind, sending occasional spasms back down to his lower half.

Climbing up on the bed behind Gokudera, Yamamoto tried to summon his serious and dispassionate side. Focusing more on his internal control, his hands shook slightly when he hesitantly began rubbing the anti-agent cream on his friend's back. The heat that his hand encountered made him pull away for a moment before attempting to treat his friend again.

The more he tried to massage the ointment into Gokudera, the more he became shamed at himself. This wasn't like him. First nearly giving into Tsuna and now the surges of desire toward Gokudera. What was wrong with him? It slowly became harder to touch his friend in a clinical manner. Despite suppressing the urges to wrap his arms around the man and pull him close, his hands slowly started loosing their focused determination and became soft caresses across the dynamite specialist's back.

He couldn't blame the silver-haired man for suddenly jumping up and walking across the room when after a half-hour, Yamamoto still hadn't covered half his back. He was surprised that Gokudera had been patient for that long. Yamamoto stayed put on his bed, looking at his hands while he tried to control his breathing. He was too riled up and it wasn't like him _at all_. Then again, not much of this night had went according to normality.

"S-Sorry," Yamamoto muttered with a bright red face.

"Che," Gokudera replied, flipping off the switch for the room's surveillance and the one to shut the passageway. "What's going on with you?" He asked blandly once he knew they weren't monitored in any way. "First you try and send me away and now you're touching me like...well, not like you." He lit a cigarette to cover how flustered he was, completely ignoring Yamamoto's rules against it in his room. Yamamoto forgave him, knowing how strange the situation was.

"S-Sorry," Yamamoto repeated, his shame plain on his face. He huddled in the middle of his bed, trying to control the intense sensations running through his body. "I-It's j-just that..." He paused, remembering his promise to Tsuna not to tell anyone. "I can't say other than something happened and I'm not myself right now. Just go back to your room and pretend you didn't come here tonight."

"Not until you tell me what's wrong," Gokudera replied stubbornly. He walked over to the bed, putting himself in dangerous proximity to Yamamoto. Unable to control himself, he began breathing raggedly again and gave Gokudera the very clue he needed. "Y-You're..."

"Yes, so please get out," Yamamoto begged. "I'll be fine after a cold shower."

"No, you won't," Gokudera informed him after walking to the balcony and flipping his cigarette butt out the door before shutting it closed again. He could read the signs now that the swordsman wasn't hiding it as much. Yamamoto had passed the point of no return a long while ago. "Unless you let it out, you're going to end up hurting yourself."

"Let it out?" Yamamoto repeated without understanding. He began panting openly when Gokudera moved closer in worry. Knowing that he could touch warm flesh if he only reached out his hand, Yamamoto trembled in desire. He gasped in pleasure when Gokudera laid a hand on his shoulder and began to soothingly rub the back of his neck.

"You really do only have baseball and swords in your head, don't you," Gokudera mumbled without expecting an answer. He looked like he was trying to put his thoughts in order so that he could explain something, but Yamamoto barely noticed. He ignored the insult, his self-control completely shattered by the silver-haired boy's friendly touch. The next thing he knew, he was melting against Gokudera's chest, locked in a passionate kiss. From the surprised expression on Gokudera's face when he opened his eyes, Yamamoto assumed he, himself, had initiated it. He pulled back, instantly apologetic despite his now-visible need.

"Screw it," Gokudera said, looking deeply into Yamamoto's eyes. "I'll help you this once since it doesn't look like you're up to listening to an explanation, but you better not tell a single fucking soul. Got it?"

Yamamoto nodded even though he was clueless about what his friend was talking about. Maybe Gokudera was going to go start the shower for him? He did, however, understand when he saw the deliberate way that Gokudera crawled up on the bed behind him and ran his hands around his sides.

Powerless against the sensations wracking his own body at the touch, Yamamoto gasped and moaned in pleasure. Completely giving in, he let Gokudera carefully pull his 'problem' out of his pants. At Gokudera's hiss of dismay, Yamamoto looked down at himself. Rather than pink flesh, a dark red erection looked back at him. Seeing it, Yamamoto suddenly understood Gokudera's worry.

"You've been aroused too long without doing anything about it," Gokudera whispered in his ear, unintentionally sending extra shivers down Yamamoto's spine. "You should have been honest with me instead of trying to hide it. I would have waited until you calmed yourself down," he admonished softly. Yamamoto whimpered softly in return. He could feel his own pulse throbbing in his erection and the cold air hitting it only made it worse.

"H-Help," he managed to beg.

"You owe me big time for this," Gokudera replied, encasing the appendage softly with a single hand. He pressed his other hand against Yamamoto's chest, forcing him to stay upright. Tilting his head back against Gokudera's shoulder when he wasn't allowed to lean forward into the touch, Yamamoto moaned loudly in pleasure. It was the first time anyone had ever touched him in such a fashion and the experience sent incredible spasms of pleasure into his brain.

Caressing him gently as if he was a newly released type of dynamite, Gokudera began pumping the hard erection. In response, Yamamoto's breathing began to hitch and his body trembled with pure need. Within a few minutes of Gokudera's steady ministrations, Yamamoto clenched his eyes shut and silently screamed with his release.

"All better now?" Gokudera asked calmly after a few silent minutes. Yamamoto mumbled in contentment, enjoying the newly-experienced feeling of endorphins flooding his body. Then he realized what had just happened and how he'd just let another guy touch him so intimately.

"G-Gokudera...I-I..." he stuttered, unsure of how he should feel.

"It's our little secret," Gokudera whispered in his ear from behind. The understanding in his voice left Yamamoto feeling strangely relaxed. "I'm guessing the Tenth is ready to open up again?" Yamamoto jerked in surprise at the words but didn't pull away. "Considering the only place you'd be this late is dealing with one of the Tenth's nightmares, I knew where you were," Gokudera explained. "And the only reason you'd come back in this state was if there was some kind of encounter during that time. I'm not an idiot. I can put two and two together."

"I promised not to say anything," Yamamoto moaned at his failure.

"Don't worry," Gokudera replied softly. "I won't let him know as long as you don't mention what just happened. Consider this my thanks for coming back unsatisfied rather than taking advantage."

"Deal," Yamamoto agreed instantly. At the reply, Gokudera shifted, obviously wanting up. Supporting himself long enough so that the silver-haired man could get out from behind him, Yamamoto crashed down to the soft bed the moment the area behind him was empty. He closed his eyes, still content from his orgasm. He heard the sound of running water coming from the bathroom for a minute while Gokudera cleaned his hands. After a moment, there was silence again and Yamamoto tried to stay awake, knowing that Gokudera still needed treatment. He felt the bed shift, signaling Gokudera's return.

"Give me a minute," Yamamoto muttered. "I'll finish applying the ointment before you go." He was silenced with the unexpected pressure of Gokudera against his lips. His eyes snapped open for a moment before he closed them again and sank into the sensation. Unlike Tsuna's touch, this one didn't feel wrong in the least bit. The incredible rightness of it made him melt into the kiss. Yamamoto sighed and mumbled a bit in disappointment when Gokudera broke away. Opening his eyes, he looked up into his friend's earnest ones, noticing for the first time how bright they were in the shadows of his silver hair.

"If you're ever in trouble again, just let me know," he offered softly. "No strings attached."

"Are you saying that so I don't give in to Tsuna?" Yamamoto asked suspiciously. "If so, don't bother. If he makes any more advances, I'll deal with it on my own. This was j-just because I wasn't prepared for it."

Gokudera leaned down and whispered into Yamamoto's ear before getting up and leaving the room via the secret passage with the bottle of anti-agent ointment in his hand. Yamamoto froze, unable to comprehend his friend's answer for a moment. When he did, a slow smile passed across his face for a moment before he rolled under his covers and gave in to sleep.

Interesting. Very, very interesting.

* * *

**Author's note:** Yes, this chapter was for you Jack, if you ever make it this far. The extra yaoi addition at the end was also a bonus for those of you who are actually reading every bit of the rewrite. 

Sigh...I know some of you are disappointed that I gave into the smut-factor, no matter how brief I made it...but Gokudera X Yamamoto is something that's even hard for even me to deny. Don't expect it to be prominent, however. Think of their relationship as being close friends with secret benefits rather than a serious man/man couple. I mean...what do you expect with two close guys working closely together for an extended period of time without the ability to get into a serious straight relationship due to multiple factors? There's got to be some suppressed sexual tension there.

Anyways, enough for explanations. Hope you like the next chapter. We're finally going back to Japan!

And thank you for those of you taking the time to read through the rewrite!!! I'm glad you guys have appreciated my additions so far! Hehehehe...lets see how many people review this chapter...


	34. Chapter 34 Heartbreak

Tsuna had been relieved when Yamamoto pretended nothing had happened over the course of the following days. He occassionally got a gleam in his eye that might be temporary insanity, but he treated Tsuna normally. His interactions with Gokudera were a bit strained at first, probably due to his fear of spilling the proverbial beans. But by the time they were ready to take their trip, even that bit of strangeness disappeared.

As an early present, the Ninth had given Tsuna his own jet. Tsuna was still staring at it in shock. He and his companions stood on the runway, looking at the behemoth, while their luggage was loaded. He'd gotten some pretty extreme gifts over the years but to give him his own plane?! Even more shocking was the plane's paintjob. It was painted grey and blue and had scale-like impressions along it's sides with a very large Vongola crest on it's tail.

"What's it's name, Tsuna?" Yamamoto called over the sound of the engines. Tsuna looked down at the registry papers in his hand and groaned.

"Bluefin," he answered with a half-smile. Yet another play on his nickname. "Well, at least I can go back to Japan any time I want."

His three friends gave large grins in return before boarding. The plane was large enough to hold at least fifty people if it had normal seats, but had been outfitted with comfortable couches and tables, televisions and other entertainment facilities instead. Tsuna looked around in awe. It was almost as luxurious as the Ninth's jet. Tsuna's eyes widened at the large fishtank inset into the entertainment facilities. There was a small shark in it!

Tsuna could only sit down in shock on one of the many couches as the rest of the group looked around. This wasn't a plane, this was a home away from home. Iemitsu sat down next to him, already outfitted in his road-work disguise.

"Well, what do you think?" He asked with a large smile.

"I-It's definately big, dad," Tsuna said, his eyes still darting around at everything inside.

"Well, as time goes on, you're going to be travelling more. No reason you shouldn't do it in comfort," he replied. Tsuna just nodded, his eyes still wide.

"So have you decided what you're going to tell Nana?"

Tsuna looked over at him, his shock at the plane's interior warring with the sadness from the question. Sadness won out. If his dad was going to be able to retire and come back home one day, Tsuna couldn't ruin that by allowing his mother to know the truth. Couldn't let her know about the mafia side of him.

And the only way to do that would be to lie.

Tsuna wanted to grit his teeth. It shouldn't be a problem. He'd have to do it with Kyoko eventually so that she could be at his side constantly. Figure out some way to bring her into the Family's estate without letting her know what he really did. This would just be prep-work.

But he still hated the need to lie. To his mother or to Kyoko.

"I'll tell her I'm an international translator for a very generous and wealthy man," Tsuna said with a bowed head. "That way, if I need to make any calls in the house, she won't find it strange if I switch languages. Plus, she won't be surprised if she sees us in suits."

Itemitsu nodded. Over the past year, between effort and his flame's ability to pull out his learning potential, Tsuna had learned no less than five languages and was quickly on his way to a sixth. The Ninth had assigned him to study them during his lunch break in school, citing the need for a boss to be able to tell when a translator was purposely mistranslating. Many deals went sour because of a vengeful translator.

"And about the scars," Iemitsu asked carefully.

"Accident at a part-time job at the zoo before I started working as a translator," he smiled. At least that part would be easy to lie about. As long as he didn't let her see what was under his clothes, he should be fine. Even if she did eventually see them, the shock should have already passed by then.

"You should like what we got set up for you," his father said, trying to break into his contemplative mood. Tsuna looked at him in open curiousity. "I know how much you always liked watching fireworks from the shrine, so we placed the Japan Headquarters not far from there. You'll be able to watch them from your own porch from now on." Tsuna smiled. Just like a father to think of special touches like that. "Instead of building upwards, it's built low into the ground just like the main Headquarters. Only the two top floors are visible and that will be the core Family's playground and public areas. Under that we have training facilities, bunkers, weapons storehouses, staff lodging, pretty much everything you had in Italy. We have security already set up, too."

He looked over at Tsuna's look of surprise and worry. Iemitsu laughed, "It'll be okay. It's all hidden from view. Only those that need to know it's there will know it's there. The staff will be able to come and go to the underground facilities without ever stepping foot in the upper floors." Tsuna sagged with relief. Even if it's a Vongola base, it was to be his home in Japan. He wanted to at least pretend to be free of the mafia while he was there. Iemitsu patted his son's shoulder as the plane began to take off.

"You'll like it," he encouraged.

Tsuna merely nodded silently, hoping for it to be true.

* * *

As Yamamoto got out of their black sedan, the only vehicle large enough to hold Tsuna and his three Guardians, Ryohei could tell how nervous Tsuna was getting. Yamamoto had requested to be dropped off so he could surprise his father, leaving Tsuna in their care. The reason he was nervous seemed to be focused around an item he was clutching in his jacket pocket constantly, despite his efforts to keep his anxiety from showing.

"Where would you like to go now, Sawada-dono," the driver asked. Tsuna looked down, pretending to think for a moment before answering.

"I'm sure Ryohei wants to see his sister, so lets go to Okari High." Ryohei smiled, knowing the truth. It wasn't for Ryohei's sake, it was for his own. His little-bro had loved his little-sis for ages. The idea couldn't make the boxer happier. Tsuna was a strong man that was worthy of Kyoko in his eyes.

"What's in your pocket, little-bro?" Ryohei finally asked to break the silence. Gokudera looked over in curiosity, tossing his cigarette out the open window before shutting it again. Tsuna pulled the hidden item out in response, bringing mutters of shock and awe to his two friends. It was the ring he'd had Patchwork make him over a year ago.

"Tenth..." Gokudera muttered, too speechless to say anything else.

"I-I've had this for a long time," he explained, looking at Ryohei in hopes of acceptance. "I was just waiting until I could be strong enough to keep Kyoko safe before I gave it to her." Ryohei let out a large woop of joy and jumped over the seat in happiness.

"About time, little bro! Go all the way!" He cheered.

"Why are you all nervous then, Tenth?" Gokudera asked. "There's no way she could turn you down." In answer, Tsuna put his hand on his chest and looked down. He was scared of her reaction to his scars. Was scared she wouldn't want him since his body might not be appealing to her anymore. Ryohei and Gokudera fell silent as they looked at each other. Ryohei shook his head, signaling that he didn't know how she'd react.

"Don't worry, they're not that bad, Tenth," Gokudera said in effort to soothe him. Tsuna gave him a look that told him how stupid he was being. They all knew how bad it was. "She didn't seem to mind back about your hand, remember?" Gokudera reminded him. Looking down at his hand where his first scar was hidden beneath his gloves, Tsuna still felt worried. Kyoko hadn't minded that, but it was small in comparison to the ones he had now.

He stashed the ring back in his pocket when they came within sight of the school. He'd deal with it when it became a problem. For now, he just wanted to see his beloved Kyoko. The presence of people walking out of the grounds told him that school must have just let out. The car pulled to a stop on the road in front of the courtyard.

Tsuna didn't move to get out.

He couldn't.

The two boys looked at Tsuna with wide eyes for a moment before his heart began breaking. No less than fifty feet from where they sat hidden behind black-tinted windows, Kyoko was standing, obliviously talking to Haru and Hana. Behind her, Mochida stood with his arm possessively wrapped around her waist. Even as he watched, Mochida leaned down and kissed her cheek in what looked to be a practiced gesture while he continued the conversation. She smiled her bright smile at him in return and they laughed together at whatever he'd said.

Tsuna's face crumpled and Gokudera hurriedly told the driver to just drive.

She hadn't waited on him. He could understand why, considering their last interaction a year ago. He'd never been able to apologize or explain despite numerous unfinished letters he'd tried to write. Part of him had expected this to happen. When he'd first went to Italy, he'd told his father that Kyoko was better off with someone else if he didn't get stronger.

But he had gotten stronger. He had gotten to the point where he thought he could protect her from the doings of the mafia.

But she hadn't waited. She had forgotten about him. She hadn't had faith that he would come back.

She had found someone else.

"I guess if a lot can change in a few weeks, a lot can change in a year," Tsuna sniffed, wiping away the tears that kept welling up in his eyes. As he looked up at the two worried boys hovering over him in the sedan, he gave a faltering smile. "Is it bad that I want to kill him?" Ryohei and Gokudera looked at each other. Tsuna had the power to do it, they knew. Before either could formulate a reply, he waved their anxiety away.

"Don't worry, I wouldn't do that. No matter how much I want to," he sniffed again. He looked at Ryohei with heartache filling his eyes. "I don't want to make Kyoko cry, after all." With that, he finally gave into his desire to weep. Of all the things he'd lost over the past year, he had never expected to lose this. To lose his sun. He thought she would shine in his life forever, lighting the path that kept him human.

But now...now there was only darkness.

* * *

Tsuna ignored the painful clenching of his heart as he tried to pull himself back together. Ryohei had taken over giving the driver directions half an hour ago while Gokudera kept trying to find the right thing to say. As if there was something he could say. One of the silver-haired boy's ramblings caught Tsuna's attention though, as he wiped yet more tears out of his eyes.

"Back when you first left, I told Yamamoto we needed to be more aggressive in keeping that bastard away from her. He started trying to make a move as soon as you were out of the country, Tenth." Gokudera slammed a fist into his hand, angry at himself for not protecting Kyoko for his boss better. "Yamamoto didn't think she'd actually accept his confessions, no matter how many times he tried. I knew I should have taken him out back anyway."

Tsuna was grateful for Gokudera's anger even though he tried to calm the cursing boy down. He had a feeling that if he hadn't focused on Gokudera's show of anger for him, his own would overwhelm the sadness crushing his heart. Finally he sat back, deciding to just let Gokudera vent for him. The dynamite expert was currently listing all the things he'd wish he'd done to Mochida and Tsuna couldn't help but feel pleasure at a few of the ideas. At Tsuna's silence, Ryohei looked back from where he was sitting next to the driver.

"Octopus-head, shut up," he said, bringing silence. He pointed his chin to where Tsuna was looking out the window calmly; too calmly. Several of the ideas had obviously sounded a bit too good and Tsuna was thinking to himself that maybe it would be worth it to...

Tsuna shook his head at his own jealousy while his heart clenched tighter. Even without his sun, he wouldn't become a monster. He should be happy that Kyoko was happy. He should be, but he couldn't find it in himself to think that way just yet. The sudden shock and knowledge didn't allow it.

"Lets go back," he said softly, bringing surprised looks to his two friends. "Even...even if she's with someone else, I still want to see her. Plus, she's still your sister, big bro."

Ryohei nodded, giving instructions once more to the driver. As the sedan pulled up once more to the courtyard, Tsuna spared a silent thanks that Mochida didn't have his hands all over her anymore. The three were still talking obliviously, ignoring the fact that school had been out for almost an hour. They stopped their conversation when Tsuna's vehicle pulled up. The black sedan was a showy, top-of-the-line model; the Ninth wouldn't allow his heir to use anything less. A curious crowd was forming even while Ryohei got out and went around to open Tsuna's door.

Tsuna could hear Kyoko's yell of surprise and happiness when she saw her brother, making Tsuna's heart pound faster. He watched as Ryohei waved to her before continuing to do his job by opening Tsuna's door. The Ninth had ensured they'd all been trained in security and procedures during the summer recess from Don Girarde, since exiting a vehicle was one of the likeliest times for a hitman to attempt an assassination.

Gokudera got out before him, scanning the rooftops while Tsuna tried to calm himself. Gritting his teeth at his own weakness, he finally flared his flame a bit to fortify himself. Then he exited. They all breathed a sigh of relief when no bullets came automatically flying down. Tsuna nodded to Ryohei that he didn't sense any killing intent and the boxer shut his door. Gokudera took his place at Tsuna's right side, walking only a few steps behind him while Ryohei led the way through the curious crowd to where Kyoko was watching curiously with her friends.

Tsuna wanted to laugh. Half the crowd was made up of his former classmates, but none of them seem to recognize him. They recognized Ryohei and Gokudera, but he just continued to get curious glances. Gokudera seemed to pick up on his surprise at their reactions.

"It's your aura, 10th," Gokudera explained with a whisper. Tsuna nodded in understanding. Unlike "No-Good" Tsuna's approachable aura, he had been trained to always emit an aura of restrained power. He'd been doing it so long that he didn't even realize it anymore. After his entrance into the banquet so long ago, the Ninth had wanted to ensure his presence couldn't go unnoticed again. So he had trained until the training became second nature.

He tried to restrain it, pulling the aura back into himself. He knew he succeeded when a few faces showed sudden recognition. He was a bit surprised at Mochida's reaction to recognition. Tsuna stopped walking, standing firm as the boy started walking up with a clenched fist and a look of rage in his eyes. Tsuna put on his poker face of boredom when a fist was pulled back and he started to punch. He continued to look at Mochida in boredom, letting either Gokudera or Ryohei step in with the intention to dodge the obviously untrained strike if needed. It wasn't needed, however. Ryohei grabbed Mochida's wrist before the punch could close more than a few inches of the distance.

There was a creak of leather as Ryohei's gloved hand squeezed around Mochida's wrist. Mochida's face filled with pain and Ryohei squeezed tighter. The bones in his wrist creaked like they were starting to give. Tsuna played with idea of letting Ryohei break it, but looking over at Kyoko's shocked and scared face, he decided not to. He laid a hand of restraint on his friend's arm, telling him silently to stop.

Ryohei looked at him for a moment, his eyes reflecting his own anger that Tsuna had been too hurt to notice before. Ryohei wanted to hurt this guy. Who the hell had given him permission to touch his sister? What made this guy think he was worthy to be with his sister? How dare this guy hurt his little brother. Former schoolmates or not, this guy was scum for taking advantage of their absence.

"Ryohei, stop," Tsuna ordered, clenching his hand around his friend's arm forcefully in warning. Ryohei continued to look at him, not understanding why Tsuna was wanting him to stop. Why Tsuna was passing up punishment not only for Mochida's attack on himself, but for revenge. A glance from Tsuna pointing his attention to the frightened Kyoko finally explained. Ryohei let go, letting Mochida fall to the ground to nurse his hurt wrist. Tsuna knelt down next to him and whispered so the crowd couldn't hear over their mumblings.

"I don't know why you're angry, nor do I really care. I will warn you, however, that I won't be able to restrain my men if you try something like that again." Mochida looked him in the eyes, anger warring with surprise at the words. He started to say something but Tsuna stopped him. "If you want to talk, we can in private, later. There's quite a few things I'd like to say to you myself, Mochida." Tsuna purposely didn't add the -sempai honorific when talking to him, silently telling the boy that he was no longer someone that Tsuna looked up to.

Tsuna stood when surprise won out in Mochida's eyes. He nodded for Gokudera to help the boy up and Ryohei led the rest of the way through the crowd to where Kyoko, Haru, and Hana were standing in surprise.

"Why did you do that, big brother?" Kyoko yelled. She rushed to help Mochida, totally ignoring Tsuna in her focus. Tsuna suppressed another surge of jealousy toward Mochida as the boxer answered his sister.

"He was trying to hit Tsuna," he said simply. Tsuna started to say something, but Mochida interrupted and turned to Kyoko.

"It's my fault. I shouldn't have attacked him." Kyoko looked at him in accusation for doing his part in the altercation before finally looking at Tsuna.

Tsuna's heart clenched again when she met his eyes. She was happy to see him, but it was a long-time-no-see type of happy, not the I've-missed-you-so-much kind that he'd dreamed of. He wanted to grit his teeth. It was his own fault she didn't see him as anything more than a distant friend now. He had hoped she had understood the real meaning behind the letter he'd left her, but seeing her reaction to him proved she hadn't. More than that, the incident during their last visit had probably driven her away.

"Hello, Tsuna," she said finally. "No one told us you were coming back." Before he could formulate a reply, his waist was tackled by a very excited Haru who'd finally overcome her shock.

"Tsuna!" She yelled happily. He stumbled and tried to keep his balance from the impact. She suddenly looked up saying, "Ha-hi?" as she reached for his face. He pulled his head out of her reach, not wanting her to touch his scars. "What happened, Tsuna?" She asked worriedly before detaching herself.

He smiled, his broken heart warmed a bit by her obvious caring. She had immediately focused on him, noticing the changes to him before Kyoko had even gotten past the surprise of the fight.

"I was in a bit of an incident," he replied softly.

"Ha-hi! Are you okay?"

"I'm alright now," he answered while he looked around at the others. "I got permission to return for a while. We just got back and I wanted to see you all before we inspected the new Headquarters."

"Headquarters?" Hana asked suspiciously.

"Our new home in Japan," he explained honestly. "Our benefactor is pretty generous. He set up a permanent estate for us."

"Aren't you going to come stay at home, big-brother?" Kyoko asked Ryohei in confusion. She was openly disappointed when he shook his head no.

"Tenth," Gokudera said in warning. For some reason, Mochida jerked at the word, but Tsuna ignored his reaction. They'd been in the open for too long already. No matter how much he wanted to stay here and chat with his friends, he couldn't chance it. Tsuna nodded in disappointment, wishing he hadn't wasted so much time with Mochida. He began handing out cards that his father had given him before they'd split up in separate cars. One he handed to Kyoko, one to Haru, one to Hana, and with a prolonged look, he handed one to Mochida.

"These will get you through the gates to the estate if you want to visit," he explained. He gave Mochida another look, silently telling the man the reason for his access card. Tsuna still wanted that private conversation with him.

"Ha-hi?" Haru asked for the group when she recognized the address written on the card. "You mean that big place up by the shrine is yours?" Tsuna nodded, wondering what she meant by 'big place'. He didn't ask though. He'd find out soon enough.

"Feel free to stop by anytime," he offered. He quickly said his farewells and had Ryohei lead the way back to the sedan. Once he got inside, his chest clenched once more when he glanced back at Kyoko, seeing how she was worriedly hovering over Mochida's wrist. Haru was doing little twirls in excitement as she looked happily at the access card, but Tsuna barely noticed. Seeing and talking with Kyoko had drove it into his head and heart that she was out of his reach now.

His sun was really gone.

* * *

Tsuna didn't take the time to admire the high restraining wall surrounding the sprawling mountain-side estate. He barely noticed how well-tended the yard and grounds from the wall to the front door were. Nor did he notice the small fish pond and zen garden on one side of the path. Once inside, he didn't take time to show pleasure at the lavish yet simplistic interior design of his new home. He didn't take the time to enjoy any of it.

He did take time to find out where the house's bar was. He did take the time to search through it until he found where they'd stashed the V Special. And he did take the time to take three shots before even bothering to greet Yamamoto who was waiting for them inside. He sagged with relief into a barstool as the alcohol hit hit him, his hand still clutched protectively around the bottle. He didn't like resorting to alcohol anymore, but right now he needed it to calm his raw nerves.

"What happened?!" Yamamoto asked in shock, his eyes wide at Tsuna's mad rush.

"This isn't the birthday homecoming I imagined," he replied quietly, pouring himself another. "I completely lost her." Yamamoto looked at Gokudera and the still seething Ryohei in askance, wanting someone to explain where he could understand. Ryohei growled at the silent question, going to join Tsuna at the bar. Tsuna tried to offer the V Special, but the boxer shook his head and reached for a whiskey.

"Gokudera...?" Yamamoto asked, wanting answers. He didn't care who, someone had just better tell him what was going on. Tsuna was obviously in mourning over something, considering he was on his fifth shot and he never drank more than three anymore. It was Yamamoto that pulled the bottle out of Tsuna's hands before he could get past his sixth shot; the seventh being where he went from pleasantly inebriated to downright drunk.

"The Tenth went to go see Kyoko. He was going to...to propose, but it seems that she's with that bastard Mochida now." Gokudera pulled up a stool, joining Tsuna in getting drunk.

"I screwed up, Yamamoto," Tsuna said sadly. "I thought she understood, but she didn't. I should have taken more time out to explain it all to her so she would know I would come back. That I wanted to be with her more than anything," he wiped away the tears forming in his eyes in frustration. He buried his head into his arms on the bar, his shoulders shaking from trying to hold it all in. He stopped trying when Yamamoto laid a comforting hand on his shoulder and Ryohei laid one on the other. "I lost so much going to Italy," he sobbed, "but I thought it was okay because she would be here when I came back."

As he continued to bawl, pouring out the pain from his broken heart to his friends, Gokudera silently took the bottle from Yamamoto's hand and poured Tsuna another. Yamamoto let him, understanding that this was one of those things that Tsuna would have to come to terms with on his own. And if Yamamoto decided to join in the drinking for once, no one commented on it.

Yamamoto was the only one that officially knew how large a blow this was to Tsuna. Just when he had finally started reaching out again, he had found out that the one he was reaching for wasn't there anymore. And worst of all, Kyoko probably didn't even know what she'd done. How she'd painfully rejected Tsuna and broken his heart by her actions.

As the day continued and they broke in the house's bar, Yamamoto could only find himself agreeing when Gokudera started giving drunken insults to the air, moaning about clueless women and the men who steal them away.

"It's not fair," Tsuna moaned before he started to pass out on the bar.

"Ah," Yamamoto agreed from where he sprawled drunkenly on the room's couch.

It wasn't fair.


	35. Chapter 35 Reach for the Moon

Tsuna raised his head off the bar and wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth. Hoping that no one had saw him, he looked around with a faint blush. Thankfully, his friends were all still passed out throughout the room. He hadn't been out long. He could tell from the sun setting outside that only a few hours had passed between the point that he'd started drinking and the current time. Rubbing his cheek where a faint imprint of his watch resided, Tsuna grabbed up his bottle and stumbled out onto the connecting deck so that he wouldn't wake anyone.

The fresh air cleared his head a bit, although he was still feeling pleasantly buzzed from the alcohol still inside him. With a sigh, he stumbled his way over to where his eyes lighted on _the _perfect place to sit. Passing several porch chairs, he sat on the bare deck with his back leaning against the house and his legs sprawled out before him. It was here that Iemitsu found him a half-hour later, still occasionally sipping on his bottle while he looked out at the harnessed wilderness of the mountain behind the estate.

"What happened to them?" His father asked, chucking a thumb back at the room where his Guardians were still snoozing away.

"We decided to get drunk," Tsuna smiled sadly, taking a sip and looking up at the stars.

"Makes me glad I didn't bring Nana over," Iemitsu said, running a hand through his short blond hair. "I know it's your birthday, but don't you think you went a bit overboard on the celebration?" Tsuna shook his head in response.

"We weren't celebrating," Tsuna replied softly. Iemitsu looked at him curiously when the sadness in his voice became obvious. "Kyoko found someone else while I was gone," he explained.

"That's got to hurt, son," Iemitsu said, restraining himself from pulling the boy that wasn't a boy into a hug for support. His father knew how much he'd always cared for Kyoko and held her in his heart.

"I'm okay, dad," he sighed, tired and finally accepting of his loss. He took a large swig from his bottle, trying to push away the pain that was still trying to crush his heart regardless. "It's my own fault she went to someone else. I assumed too much." He ran a hand through his own hair, clutching a handful for a moment before letting go. "At least, she's happy. I saw that much. Even if it hurts, as long as she's happy then it'll be okay."

Iemitsu would have said something, but the sound of the doorbell being pressed repeatedly stopped him. He patted Tsuna's leg before going to answer it in his stead. Tsuna smiled after a moment. Whoever was at the door was energetic and due to the alcohol, it seemed incredibly funny how the bell kept going off. It wasn't stopping. He could hear half-drunken moans coming from in the entertaining room in response.

He grinned widely. He only knew one person that was that energetic in everything. Sure enough, within seconds he heard a loud "Ha-hi?" as Haru came in contact with the room of drunken Guardians. He smiled in greeting when Iemitsu showed her outside to where Tsuna was drinking and sitting hidden in the shadows of the house. Iemitsu quietly took his leave while Haru joined him in holding the house up.

"I brought you some cake, Tsuna," she said presenting him a box of assorted cakes and goodies. He smiled, feeling ardently pleased at her token. Whether it was because of the light buzz he had or not, Haru's open affection suddenly seemed to be so much more important to him.

"Did you find someone else while I was gone, too?" He found himself asking bitterly as he took another swig.

"Of course not! Haru is going to be a mafia boss' wife!" She was smiling playfully as she said it, but Tsuna didn't think it was something to smile about. The smile left his face as he took another drink, trying to push away the pain her words caused.

"That used to be funny, Haru. A year ago I might have laughed, but do you have any idea what you're saying anymore?"

"Ha-hi?" She asked, hugging her knees. She looked to Tsuna for an explanation.

"Do you really want to be a mafia boss' wife?" He asked bluntly. "Do you have any clue what a mafia boss has to do every day? The type of horrible, horrible things they do? How the hell can you want to be with someone like that?!" He stopped as he realized he'd raised his voice unintentionally. Haru was had a look of fear on her face that Tsuna hadn't meant to cause. He paused while he tried to get his mouth to connect with his brain again.

"Don't be scared of me too, Haru," he begged with a pain-filled look. He thought she understood how much her fear hurt him, because she relaxed and it slowly went out of her eyes.

"Are a lot of people scared of you, Tsuna?" She asked quietly while she laid her head back down on her knees, patiently waiting for his answer.

"No," he lied around another drink. He knew he was getting drunk again, but it hurt too much not to.

"Is that the truth?" She continued.

"No," he said. He stopped and silently cursed himself. Once again his heart had connected with his mouth without going through his brain. He bowed his head after taking another drink.

"Why are they scared of you, Tsuna?"

Tsuna stopped himself before he answered this time. Part of his mind wondered if she knew how drunk he was and was taking advantage of it. He shook his head to himself in wonder. Unlike Kyoko, Haru wasn't as easily lied to. Her energy blew through falsehoods like they were nothing. Where Kyoko would have already dropped the subject carelessly, Haru wasn't letting it go.

"If I told you, you'd never talk to me again," he said finally, unable to meet her gaze. "You'd be too disgusted to even look at me."

A sudden hand on his cheek startled him. He stiffened at the touch, then realized she wasn't trying to hurt him. She wasn't slapping him, she was caressing him. And it was warm. Maybe it was the alcohol, but her hand was incredibly warm to him. He found himself leaning into the touch, wanting to feel the warmth her hand held. It felt nice. He closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation of being touched again. He hadn't felt a touch like hers in so long.

"That's not true," she said quietly while he blissfully nuzzled her hand. "You can tell me anything, Tsuna."

Tsuna opened his eyes in disappointment when she pulled her hand away. He knew he was drunk now. He was willing to tell her anything if she would only touch him again. He sighed. But if he was going to tell her, he needed to make sure she truly understood. He didn't want her to touch him then regret that she had.

Regret was bad.

So he did the only thing his drunken mind could think of. He unbuttoned his shirt. Her flustered blush turned into a gasp of dismay when the his shirt fell open to reveal the countless scars still marring his chest. He grabbed her wrist when she reached to verify that they were real. His mind was screaming to himself that he was an idiot for stopping her instead of letting her touch him. Yet he had to make sure she understood. So, holding her wrist with one hand, he put down his bottle with his other and pointed to the scars.

"You see these," he said after two tries. He waited for her wide-eyed nod before continuing. "I give these to other people," he said simply. He wanted to grit his teeth and cry when she pulled her hand away. He let her go. She had wanted to know the truth. "This is what a mafia boss does, Haru. They hurt people and cause pain to other people in order to protect their own Family." He raised his gloved hands and showed them to her, looking at her with eyes full of anguish. "Can't you see how red these are?" He laughed as he put his hands back down into his lap. It was a short, mocking sound he couldn't help but let out. "And you say you want to be a mafia boss' wife," he finished sadly.

She was silent and her eyes were wide with shock. He looked away in shame. She knew the truth now. He wanted to smack himself. Why had he told her again? There was no way she'd want to touch him now.

He wanted to weep when her hands started wandering over his chest, tracing the scars there.

"Someone hurt you, Tsuna?" She asked quietly. He nodded while watching her hand wander lazily across his chest. "And you've hurt other people like this?" Again he nodded. "And it was to protect people?" He nodded once more, suddenly feeling dizzy from all the head shaking.

"Haru is going to be a mafia boss' wife," she said firmly, making him look up in surprise. "You wouldn't hurt people unless you had to, Tsuna. You're too kind for that," she explained as she wrapped her arms around him and hugged his bare chest.

He almost moaned in pleasure, the sensation of her warmth overwhelming everything else. He was beyond surprise. He was beyond shock. She was more than he'd ever expected. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close, and he questioned himself.

Why had he never seen it before? Why had he never seen how special his Haru was? How special special his moon was? He knew why, in a moment of drunken inspiration. He'd been blinded by his sun for all these years. But why had he thought that the sun was better than the moon? The moon was so soothing and comforting. It felt good to have the moon shining on him.

He still had a light, even in the darkness. He just hadn't realized it before now. She was the one that could come into the darkness with him and keep him from straying down the wrong path.

He wasn't alone.

The knowledge made him hold Haru tighter, letting her warmth soak into his chest and warm him. She wiggled when he started to hold her too tightly and he blushed, knowing how possessive he was feeling at the moment. Forcing himself to loosen up, she sighed a bit and laid her head on his shoulder in contentment. They might not have seen each other in a year, but it suddenly felt like they'd been together for a lifetime.

Turning his head slightly toward her, he rubbed his cheek against her head. She smiled in response while her hand began wandering across his chest again. For the first time since he'd gotten them, he was actually grateful for his scars. The simple reason being that Haru seemed to want to trace and touch every one in order to 'make it better'. Since there were so many, Haru's hands kept loosing track of which one she was on and would begin again. To and fro across his exposed chest her fingers wandered, leaving goosebumps and warmth in her wake.

Emboldened by the first ever open appreciation for her touch, she wiggled out of his arms completely. He felt a moment of disappointment, quickly ended when she straddled him. She put her hands on his cheeks and pulled him into a passionate kiss before he could do more than look up. He was already heady with alcohol. Her warmth became heat as she completely overwhelmed him. Her lips felt hotter than the flames of his gloves could ever be. He sat up a bit, wrapping his arms around her in a tight embrace while he returned passion for passion with his lips. Holding the back of her head with one hand to keep her from breaking it off completely, he leaned forward against her. He wanted more. More of her touch. More of her warmth. More of anything she offered him. He hid none of his desires from her.

His desire for more was answered when she licked his lips before wrapping her tongue around his own. He closed his eyes to let the sensation wash over him, encompassing everything in his mind. The feel of her arms wrapped around his neck. The feel of her chest pressed against his own bare one. The feel of her lips against his. The heat from her tongue as it intertwined with his own. He began aching with need when she finally managed to break off the exchange, leaving him breathless and panting.

But still he wanted more. Without hesitating, he kissed along her exposed collarbone. Gasping in surprise when he nibbled the base of her throat before running his tongue up her neck, she dug her nails into his shoulders. This only served to urge him into doing more in hopes that he could make her gasp again. The sound had affected him almost as much as the heat from her body did. She stopped him when he carelessly tried to slip a hand under the back of her shirt.

"Not here," she panted into his ear, making his heart leap at her implications. She jumped out of his lap and yanked him to his feet before he could wrap his mind around it. He continued to try and wrap his mind around it while she led him down a hallway he'd never seen before. Then again, he'd only been in one room of his new house so far, so it wasn't surprising that he didn't recognize it. He shook his head to try and clear it. Whatever. He'd follow her anywhere if it meant she'd touch him again. He wanted her to touch him again so badly.

"Ha-hi!" She said, apparently finding what she wanted. Tsuna didn't care what she was looking for. He yanked back on the hand that was pulling him along, pulling her back into his arms in an instant. After a short exchange, she pulled away again, leading him beyond a door with a small fish emblem on it. After a moment, he realized it was his own room. He reached for the control panel he knew his father had probably installed on the door, flipping the switch to turn off the surveillance. He didn't know who the security crew was, but he doubted this would be a good way to say hello.

He smiled to himself and put his arms back around Haru. She had been looking around his room in amazement but Tsuna quickly pulled her attention back to him. Like a falcon, he swooped down and locked her in another passionate kiss. Pressing her tight against him, he tried to let her know exactly how much he was aching for her touch in return. Apparently she understood since she helped him shrug off the shirt that was barely hanging onto his body and let her hands wander across his bare back. Still he wasn't satisfied. He wanted more.

But more would have to wait. She squeaked a bit and broke off their kiss when her wandering hand brushed up against the deadly metal holstered in the small of his back. Having been used to wearing his Glock for so long, he'd forgotten it was even there. She looked up at him in confusion while her hands tried to figure out what she was touching. He merely looked at her sadly, trying to decide how to best handle it.

"It's a gun, Haru," he whispered softly after a minute passed and she still didn't seem to recognize what she was touching. She pulled her hand back like it had been burned and looked up at him in surprise and panic. He didn't, however, let her go. "I told you, a mafia boss does bad things, Haru. Even though you think I'm kind, and even though I don't like doing those things, I still have to do it. If I don't, the Family would be in danger." Sighing a bit in heartache, he let her go. There was only confusion in her eyes instead of any speck of understanding.

His mind was clear now due to the fast rate his heart was pumping blood through his body. He couldn't have her if she was only chasing an imaginary person; a fictitious hero that her mind had made him into. She had to accept him as he truly was or else become something other than the moon he had painted her as. Fearing he was going to get his heart broken for the second time in a single day, Tsuna couldn't look at her. He walked over to the side-table next to his bed and unholstered his Glock. Placing it on the table where she could see it clearly, he tried to get her to understand what he'd become.

"I've hurt more people than there are hairs on my head, Haru. All in the name of protecting the people I'm responsible for. I have to follow orders without caring who my target is and I'm rarely allowed to check to see whether or not they'll live after I'm done. I wasn't lying when I said my hands were red, Haru. They're so soaked in blood that even in Hell I'll probably be mistaken for a red-skinned demon. But I can't stop. I've went too far in order to protect the Family. I have to keep going and become stronger, because I _am _going to be a mafia boss. If I were to fail after becoming the boss because I hesitated or was too weak, then the Family as a whole could be destroyed. Do you know how many people would be destroyed with it if that happened?"

"A lot...?" Haru answered hesitantly. He nodded, still looking only at the black metal beneath where his hand rested.

"You see now why I said you'd never want to look at me again?" He mumbled softly. "I'm not some shining hero that rescues the damsel in distress. I'm the flame-spitting dragon that eats anyone that tries to break into the castle."

"But the damsel isn't distressed because of the dragon," Haru objected suddenly, making Tsuna jerk in surprise. "She likes the dragon because he keeps the witches and bad guys away."

"She does?" Tsuna asked, frozen in shock.

"Of course she does," Haru said quietly, walking over to him. "She was just a little startled when she saw how sharp his teeth were, but it was okay once he promised not to use them on her."

"I would never--!" Tsuna squealed, finally turning to her. Not realizing how close she had gotten, he stopped when she pressed a finger to his lips.

"So now that the damsel knows the dragon only hurts others in order to protect the castle and would never harm her, the damsel is happy and accepts him. What does the dragon need to be happy in return?" She asked with a small smile. Tsuna's inner flame flared in response to not only at how close she was, but the understanding look in her eyes that accompanied the question.

"Could the dragon turn into a human for a little while so that he could steal a kiss?" Tsuna asked with a hopeful smile.

"I think that can be arranged," Haru replied with a chuckle, wrapping her arms around him once again. Leaning down, Tsuna kissed her in joy and passion before holding her against his pounding chest. She accepted him. _She accepted him!_ Even though he hadn't been detailed for her sake, he couldn't have made it any clearer that he wasn't a saint. Yet she still accepted him!

Never in his life had he been so happy. This type of acceptance was something that Kyoko could never have given him. This feeling was something he'd never dreamed possible. He wanted to hug her and hold her and never let her go. In return for the simple gift she'd given him by accepting him despite his flaws, he would do anything for her. If this wasn't love, he didn't know what was.

"You're amazing and wonderful and--" He told her, ending his sentence by placing his hand behind her head and pulling her into yet another kiss. He tried to put all the words he didn't say into the embrace, silently telling her how much she meant to him. He moaned low in the back of his throat when her hands dug into his back again and his own feelings were reflected back toward him effortlessly. It left him momentarily feeling lightheaded like he was drunk again. Giving into the sensation, he closed his eyes and let his desire run free.

Knocking her hair loose, his hand quickly became entangled in her dark waves. His other hand wandered up and down her spine, making her gasp in pleasure around his lips. Every time the sound escaped her mouth, Tsuna would lick and nibble on her bottom lip to better hear it. As if they'd never stopped to talk, their passion escalated quickly to the point that they were kissing and touching each other like long-time lovers. Any hesitancy Tsuna might have had was dispelled completely by the way Haru fearlessly returned his caresses and slipped off her shirt. His gloves and her bra quickly followed suit in being tossed aside.

When her skirt fell down to her ankles, leaving her wearing only a petite pair of lace panties, that signaled the end of Tsuna's self-control. Before Haru could even squeak, he tossed her onto his bed and pinned her down with a kiss. He moaned in pleasure when the parts of him aching most rubbed against her through his pants. He wanted her. He wanted her more than he'd ever wanted anything, but he forced himself to calm down. This being the farthest he'd ever been with a woman, he wanted to remember every moment of it. He wanted to explore her and touch her and be touched in return.

Hoping that she didn't mind the sudden change of pace, Tsuna started again where he had left off. Slowly, so as to savor every lick, suck, kiss, and nibble, Tsuna slowly made his way from her neck down to her exposed breasts. With every caress, she gasped and twitched like it was a new sensation. The very thought made him pause, realizing that she was just as new to this as he was. He almost panicked, suddenly worried about whether he was doing the right things. Her hand suddenly clenching his hair, begging him to continue, made him relax. Whether it was the right thing or not, she was enjoying it and so was he. In the end, that's all that really mattered.

After several minutes of exploring her soft chest with his hands and lips, he learned that she especially enjoyed the way his tongue could caress her hardened nipples. This taught him the difference between Haru's gasp and her moan. While one hand continued to aid him in his exploration there, his other hand traveled down her side and legs. When his hand ran up her inner thigh, he was pleasantly surprised by how easily she opened up for him. Curious, he left off his exploration of her soft chest and tested her other leg. It, too, responded easily to his touch. He looked up at Haru's flushed face with his eyes half-way closed in pleasure at her reactions. She didn't notice considering her eyes had long been closed to better enjoy what he was doing to her.

He sat up and with one hand on either leg, he slowly massaged his way upward. Becoming engrossed with the expression on her face, he barely noticed when he ran out of thigh and started caressing the area between her legs instead. All he really knew was that she seemed more and more pleased when he continued to touch there. But he wanted more. He wanted more of her moans and more of that blessed expression of pleasure on her face. When he realized his fingers were becoming wet through the material still covering her, Tsuna became greedy. He wanted more. She gasped loudly when he pushed her panties aside in order to dip a finger inside her and feel her without hindrance. Even that didn't satisfy him. Even when he had two finger covered in her, he still wanted more.

His throbbing erection would be denied no longer. Realizing it, he fumbled for his belt buckle and stripped his pants off in record speed. He didn't even bother to pull off her panties in one piece. Instead, he popped the seams and pulled it off in pieces, causing her to gasp as his sudden rush. He didn't just want her...he wanted her _now_. Stopping himself for a single moment, he forced himself to calm back down.

"This is your only chance to tell me to stop," he warned her with a ragged breath. She shook her head, unable to speak. She didn't want him to stop.

Relieved a bit at her continued willingness, Tsuna leaned forward and kissed her. While their lips and tongues met in a passionate embrace, Tsuna took the opportunity to hold her legs open and shift his hips until he was in place. He waited until he had her completely engrossed in the warmth of their lips before slowly thrusting forward.

It was with half-lidded eyes that Tsuna watched Haru throw her head back and cry out. Her nails dug into his back and her back arched while he continued to slowly penetrate her. Being a first, Tsuna could only assume it was from the very pleasure he was experiencing. Her wet warmth surrounded him and aroused him beyond the point he already was. Having not thought it possible, Tsuna single-mindfully continued to drive forward until he had his full length inside her. The moment it was, he let out his own moan of pleasure with a tremble and paused, knowing that a single movement would trigger his need for release. He waited until he thought he could control himself, simultaneously giving Haru a few moments to get used to the feeling of him inside her.

It was torture considering how badly he wanted to give in and yet, at the same time, didn't. He couldn't let it end yet no matter how good it felt. The thought triggered something inside him that let him regain the upper hand against the needs of his own body. The pounding of his heart took on a familiar pulse and his determination to not give in made him grow momentarily cold. He nearly pulled away from her when he realized what was happening to him. The dark side of him that took over during tense situations, namely during his hitman assignments, was being triggered. Training that had been used daily for over a year was hard to overcome despite his efforts to push it to the back of his mind. In a moment of inspiration, however, he thought of a way to work with it instead of against it.

"Rule one," he recited with a wicked smile. "Never loose control."

"Ha-a-hi?" Haru panted. Her eyes snapped open for a moment and met his in confusion. Flames reflected out of his half-open eyes, striking her speechless.

"If you're going to be a mafia boss' wife, Haru, you might as well learn some of the unwritten rules of a hitman's world," he whispered into her ear. "These are the ones for what we call 'Information Gathering'."

"W-What?" She gasped as he shifted inside her.

"Rule two," he continued, ignoring her question. "Never do anything halfway." Pulling back until only his tip remained in her, he began to thrust. Each time, he ensured that he slowly pulled out as far as he could before quickly driving himself into her down to his hilt. Within moments, Haru's gasps of pleasures became soft screams. Slowly increasing the speed of his rhythm, he closed his eyes and enjoyed the sensations of being inside her body. He could feel her wet warmth increasing with every thrust and her hands on his back dug into his skin without mercy. Not that he minded. When her breathing started to hitch and her screams began to sound silently, Tsuna's eyes snapped open. Sensing that she was on the edge, Tsuna did the cruelest thing possible. He pulled out of her completely.

"Rule three," he said calmly while she clawed at him desperately in an attempt to get him to continue what he'd been doing. "Never give the final blow until you have what you want."

"Please!" She panted in open desire.

"Rule Four," he replied softly. "Don't listen to any begging or pleading. Follow the other rules without fail." He ignored her attempts to force him back inside her. He still didn't want it to end yet. There was still more he could give her. There was still more he wanted to do to her. More that Tsuna wanted her to do to him in return. He couldn't stop himself now. Having taken this route, he had to follow through or his body would never find release.

While waiting for her body to calm down some, he ensured that he didn't stimulate her in any way that would push her over the edge. When she started to react to the small butterfly kisses he'd been placing across her stomach and sides, he leaned forward again. There was a hesitant look in Haru's eyes. She had no clue what to expect anymore.

"Rule Five," he warned her. "Bring them to the breaking point repeatedly to ensure quality."

"T-Tsuna...?" Haru said with wide eyes and a quivering lip.

"Don't worry," he assured her after a passionate kiss. "I won't break you," he whispered, almost to himself. He began to kiss and caress her again, warning her of his intentions. Her still unsatisfied body responded quickly and before long he was delving deep into her once again. Over and over again he brought her to the peak without letting her go over. More and more he came to want her screams of pleasure rather than his own release. And while there was always a moment of disappointment when he pulled away, the moment he closed back in on her made it worth it for both of them. Especially when he found new ways to arouse and please her.

That all changed, however, when she let out an incredible scream a moment before he had planned to pull out again. He screamed with her from the combined force of her sinking her nails into his back and her teeth into his chest. She did _not _want him to stop this time. Seeing her ferocious side, Tsuna decided he didn't want to stop either. Not because he was scared of her, but because he believed she truly was at her limit. There would be nothing else she could give or take after this.

The moment he realized it, the cold chill left his body and hours worth of stimulation hit him at once. His own breathing began to hitch. He tilted his head back and moaned when wave after wave of pleasure hit him in a delayed reaction, increasing the size of his inner flare with each strike. Haru was already screaming in her own long-awaited orgasm while he continued to thrust deeply inside of her at an incredibly fast rhythm. He could barely hear the pounding of his hips against her flesh over her screams.

Paying attention to none of it, Tsuna tried to suppress the rapidly increasing force of his inner flame while the waves of pleasure continued to overwhelm him. Never...never in his life had he felt such intensity. Then his flame broke free at the same moment he reached his own limit. His head tilted back with a silent scream and his body trembled with the force of his release. He could barely manage a few more erratic thrusts while he filled Haru until she was overflowing from their combined climax.

The moment he was done, the flame on his head fizzled out so that it was back below the surface and he collapsed. He barely managed to control his fall and tumble to Haru's side to prevent from squashing her. He hoped that she hadn't seen the burst of flame on his head. That hadn't been something he'd expected in a million years. He knew his flame was affected by his emotions at times, but it had never been to such a degree before. He'd have to be more careful next time in keeping it under control. Then again, he mused in contentment, it really had been to die for.

Using his last bit of energy, Tsuna pulled the covers up around them. Once both of them were warmly snuggled under the blankets, he noticed that Haru had already given in and was sound asleep. With a smile, he pulled her against his chest and gave her a kiss before willingly giving in to his own craving for slumber.

It had been a long time since he had fallen asleep to find such good dreams waiting.

* * *

**Author's note:** Yup, another one. Smut-fest is pretty much over after this though. The only reason I added this one in is because I had so many people emailing me and begging me to see it when I had cut it from the original story. It's slightly altered from it's original version, but not that you'd know. If I get any complaints from management, I'll re-cut it back down to the sex-free version.

I _did_ warn in Chapter One that this story involved sexual encounters, however, so I hope that no one flames me for this. M is for Mature, after all. Hence I hope you guys can be since you're reading a Mature-rated fan-fiction.

Anyway, thanks again for all the great reviews! lol


	36. Chapter 36 Family

All thoughts of a hangover flew out of Tsuna's head in the morning when he felt Haru snuggle closer to him under the covers. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. He remembered everything that happened and was incredibly happy she was still there in the morning. It hadn't been a dream; she was real and all his. He only hoped that she didn't regret what had happened between them since he didn't.

He spared a moment to hope that the room had mafia-grade soundproofing around it. Otherwise everyone in the house probably knew what he'd gotten for his birthday. He looked down at her, trying to suppress a grin at the thought and failing miserably.

Seeing her now, she didn't look like she had minded his actions, but he couldn't tell for sure. He thought he'd done alright for his first time, but he didn't have any experience to base it off of. He started to get worried about it, but thankfully Haru choose that time to wake. Her smile of delight when she opened her eyes and saw him washed away all of his fears in an instant.

"Good morning," he whispered softly, kissing her forehead. She snuggled against him with a cute little noise of contentment and smiled.

In the middle of returning the greeting, the sound of someone flying through the door made Tsuna react. Tsuna knocked back his covers and automatically reached for his Glock, which he had thankfully remembered to un-holster and place on the side table at some point. Pushing Haru behind him, he pointed it toward the intruder without hesitation, only barely stopping himself from firing when he recognized the moving target as Yamamoto.

For his part, Yamamoto was blushing brightly as he faltered to a stop, his eyes on the second person in Tsuna's bed instead of the gun aimed at his head. Tsuna turned red when he realized how obvious their current state of clothing was and managed to fumble the covers back up over his bedmate before Yamamoto got more than a glance. She ducked her head under the covers to hide in embarrassment.

"Don't you know how to knock?! You're lucky I didn't shoot." Tsuna yelled finally, trying to control his blushes while he put his gun back on the table with the safety on. Yamamoto scratched his head, unsure of what he should do while he tried to find somewhere, anywhere in the room to look other than Tsuna's bed. At least Tsuna knew the state of his room's soundproofing now.

"Um...eh..." Yamamoto mumbled. He obviously had a reason for coming in to get him, but he couldn't seem to remember what it was.

"What is it, Yamamoto?" Tsuna growled.

"Well, there's a few guys from Momokyo-kai here that want to pay their respects," Yamamoto finally said. Tsuna narrowed his eyes. He had hoped they wouldn't find out about his presence for at least a few days, but it looked like today wasn't going to be his day.

"Yakuza already," Tsuna muttered to himself in thought. "Do we have a conference room in this place?" He asked after a moment. Yamamoto nodded, relieved when Tsuna turned to business and let him ignore the girl still hiding under the covers beside him. "Have them wait there," Tsuna ordered. "If they don't want to wait, they can see themselves out."

Yamamoto nodded again and quickly let himself out. Tsuna peeked under the covers at Haru, giving her a look of apology. She was bright red, but there was still an incredibly large smile on her face. The Momokyo-kai could wait, he decided as he kissed her playfully on the tip of her red nose before pinning her to the bed with a passionate one on her lips.

He'd shown her how long and exhausting Information Gathering could be. Now he could show her has quick yet satisfying an Execution was. Momokyo-kai be damned.

Power has it perks at times.

* * *

The three men in black ski-masks at one end of the room grumbled quietly to themselves while Gokudera laid back in his chair, enjoying a manga with his feet on the long table covering sixty percent of the room. The Tenth sure was taking his time. He looked at the men again out of the corner of his eye. It must be for the insult of the masks, he decided with a smile.

Tsuna entered the room, smoothing down his beige suit as he walked calmly to the seat at the head of the conference table. Gokudera immediately flew to his feet while his boss openly ignored their guests and sat.

"How many times over should these guys be dead?" His boss asked him nonchalantly when Gokudera sat down beside him.

"Two times, Tenth?" He replied with a smile. The standing men stiffened in surprise.

"I'd say three," he corrected. He raised three fingers, lowering them as he enumerated the reasons. "Once for coming unannounced. Once for the insult of masking themselves before me. And once for their arrogance in general." He finally looked at the three men, pinning them in place with a single gaze before they could object. "Why are they still alive?" Gokudera immediately pulled out a stick of dynamite lazily and began flipping it through his fingers like a coin.

"I can fix that for you, Tenth," he offered. Tsuna leaned back in his chair, making it look like he was playing with the idea. The men didn't relaxed momentarily when he finally made his decision.

"No, I'm in a pretty good mood right now." He ignored the three and played with a hangnail with his thumb to test them. They were trained well, however, and waited for his permission before speaking. "So, what do you want?" He finally said.

"Our boss wanted us to pay his respect to you in his absence, Vongola the Tenth," the foremost man said with a low and respectful bow. As he rose, Tsuna pinned him in place with another dangerous look.

"I find it odd, I seem to remember wiping out the Momokyo-kai while I was still at Nami-chuu." Again the men tensed at his words.

"We've been rebuilding, Vongola the Tenth," the speaker for the group explained. Tsuna paused for a moment before he nodded in acceptance.

"I see. So your boss wants to know whether I plan to wipe you guys out again." Before the men could get any more tense, he gave them the information they'd come for. "Play nice and I won't bother. However," he added as his tone darkened seriously, "If you play in a way I don't like, you'll find me when you least expect it." The men bowed low, once again paying their respects although this time with gratitude. They seemed to take his words as a dismissal, but he stopped them with a single word.

"Wait," he ordered. The masked men paused uncertainly. Their boss hadn't given them orders on what to do for anything else.

"Is there something else, Vongola the Tenth?" The speaker asked hesitantly.

"Take off your mask," Tsuna ordered calmly, "Mochida." He could sense Gokudera stiffen in surprise, but he merely wanted to laugh. He'd seen through them the moment he'd walked in. The flames reflecting in his eyes weren't for nothing.

"The only reason the guards let you get past the front gates unannounced is probably because of the card I gave Mochida," he informed them lazily. "Since I doubt any of the girls would have handed it over to the yakuza. I also assume Ryohei saw that card when you came through the front door and decided to leave your fate to me." He looked at them, his lazy expression becoming a hard and dark one. "I don't think you know who you're dealing with anymore, Mochida," he stared at the man trying hard to hide behind the large spokesman.

"All of you, remove your masks," Tsuna ordered once more. "If you refuse, I'll take them off myself," he lit the flames in his gloves in warning and immediately three sets of hands flew up and pulled off the ski-masks. Tsuna nodded to himself when Mochida's sheepish and fearful face came into view. "Gokudera, see the other two out. Me and Mochida have some unfinished business."

Gokudera only hesitated a moment, not liking the idea of leaving his boss alone. Tsuna simply waited until he realized the futility of it on his own before he escorted the wary spokesman and the other guest through the door. Tsuna smiled and stood the moment the two of them were alone. Mochida looked like he wanted to wet himself when Tsuna slowly closed half the distance across the room. Before he could actually decide to do it, Tsuna hiked up a leg and sat on the table.

"So, you're with the Momokyo-kai, Mochida?" He prompted. He motioned the other man to sit. Mochida hesitantly did as Tsuna waited for him to calm himself enough to answer.

"Y-yes," Mochida answered. Sweat began forming on his forehead. "One of the other guys saw you give me the card, so I couldn't hide it from my boss."

"Do you want to tell me why you were so angry?" Tsuna asked. He lowered his inner flame and pulled back his aura of power. Mochida's shoulders sagged and he bowed his head when he realized Tsuna was being Tsuna and not the feared Vongola the Tenth.

"I was jealous," Mochida replied in a small voice. "I messed up a long time ago by thinking Kyoko was a prize and lost my chance." Tsuna couldn't hide the surprise on his face as Mochida continued. "You had her by your side for so long and no one else could really get close. Then you left..." He sighed and Tsuna overcame his surpris. His eyes filled with sadness. It was no different than how he had felt before Reborn had come to him; always thinking that there was no chance that Kyoko would look his way because Mochida had been always standing by her.

"I see," Tsuna said softly. Mochida looked up in surprise, finally seeing the understanding in Tsuna's eyes. "When I went away, you filled the hole I didn't mean to leave. And when I came back, you thought she'd automatically come running to me, so you got angry." Tsuna's shoulders sagged when it hit him once more that Kyoko was out of his reach. It was okay, he reminded himself, because he still had Haru. Haru, the one that could join him in the darkness and still shine. The one he didn't have to lie to.

"I made too many mistakes where Kyoko was concerned, Mochida. Make sure you don't make the same ones. Keep her smiling," he paused for a moment to let Mochida grasp his words. Mochida looked at him in surprise and shock at the implication. Tsuna wasn't going to try and take Kyoko from him. He didn't have to fight for her anymore. Tsuna snapped him out of his joy.

"If you make her cry," he said in warning as he flared the flames in his gloves again, "I _will _punish you." Mochida instantly started shaking his head in agreement. He wouldn't make her cry. Never. Tsuna smiled and let the flames in his glove go out. He stood and Mochida stood with him. "I hope we can still be friends, then, Mochida-sempai."

Mochida's jaw dropped, not only from the offer but the honorific. Tsuna smile reached his eyes and he waited for Mochida's gaping mouth to actually emit words. The other man smiled in return when he finally overcame his surprise.

"You really are a lot different than the 'No-Good' Tsuna I remember."

"We all change to do what we have to," Tsuna replied sadly while he led the way to the room's only entrance.

"I can understand that," Mochida replied, the same sadness filling his eyes. Tsuna wanted to ask, but he had a feeling he already knew. If Mochida was with the Momokyo-kai, he'd probably lost his blood innocence just like Tsuna had. It was a cruel world.

"Well, I'll leave a year's worth of catching up and your explanation of how you joined the yakuza to later. Your friends probably think you're dead by now." He smiled, the expression mirrored by Mochida. "For now, keep that card I gave you. You can be the liaison between me and your boss. It'll keep the authorities from getting suspicious since you're with Kyoko." Tsuna was proud he managed to say it without his heart clenching for once. Mochida nodded and Tsuna led him through to the front door. "But next time," he continued, "come alone or with her. You can leave the apes at home." Mochida chuckled and turned to Tsuna when they finally reached the estate's front entrance. It was Tsuna's turn to be surprised when Mochida raised a hand to shake.

"Friends?" He asked. Tsuna smiled and took the proffered hand.

"Ah," he affirmed. "We need all the ones we can get in this world."

* * *

His three Guardians walked up, openly curious. Tsuna threw off his beige blazer and loosened his tie, trying to cover his blushes. He tried to decide which thing they were curious about. Mochida or Haru.

"_SO_?" The three prompted. He blushed brighter, deciding to let them know about Mochida first since he didn't know if Yamamoto had said anything to the others.

"It's okay. Things are settled between me and Mochida. He'll do his best to make Kyoko happy." His hopes that they were satisfied were dashed in an instant as the three glared at him.

"Haru," Yamamoto prompted blandly. Tsuna's bright red face turned crimson and he couldn't suppress the sheepish grin that broke out.

"Um...eh..." He was momentarily relieved when the three traded their glares for large smiles but still his blush deepened. It seemed like he was making up for a years' lack of blushes all at once. Ryohei hung an arm around his neck, dragging him toward the bar.

"This deserves an extreme drink," he bellowed.

"You're not mad?" Tsuna gasped toward Ryohei, trying to get air around the arm that was unintentionally strangling him. Ryohei should be angry, not celebrating. He'd not only let Mochida have Kyoko, but he'd found someone else the same day. Ryohei let him go and Tsuna lost his balance before he fell on his back at the sudden lack of support. As he held himself up on his elbows, he looked up at his three Guardians. All three still had bright smiles as they hovered over him.

"Why should we be mad, Tsuna?" Yamamoto asked, crossing his arms.

"My little-bro's happy, we should celebrate!" Ryohei cheered.

"We all knew you'd end up with one of them, Tenth," Gokudera explained. "If you say you want one rather than the other, who are we to disagree?"

"And if you say Mochida will make Kyoko happy, I'll trust that to the limit," Ryohei added.

Tsuna continued to sit on the ground, flabbergasted at their trust and support for his choice. When had the triangle supporting him become so solid? Before he could wrap his mind around it, Haru came in the room cautiously. She seemed a bit perplexed by Tsuna being on the floor, surrounded by his three friends. Tsuna couldn't help but smile broadly at the fact she was wearing one of his button-down shirts and had belted on one of his pairs of pants to cover her lack of undergarments; he faintly remember ripping hers to shreds.

"Good morning," she said to the group, faintly flustered when everyone's attention focused on her. Tsuna's trio left him as he hurriedly tried to get back to his feet. Before he could manage to get standing, they had surrounded the bright red Haru. Before she could move, Ryohei pulled her into a bear hug while Yamamoto and Gokudera gave wide smiles.

"Welcome to the Family," the boxer howled.

"Ha-hi?!" Haru shrieked. She found herself lifted into the air and spun around until she was dizzy. Tsuna smiled when Ryohei let her go with a small shove in his direction. He caught her when she stumbled against his chest, then smiled again as she looked up at him in askance. He kissed her lightly on the cheek as he explained.

"Aren't you going to be a mafia boss' wife?"

The surprise and joy in her eyes at that moment made all the agony and bloodshed seem like a far-away dream.

Tsuna smiled.

It wasn't required for once. It was wanted.

* * *

Over a late breakfast, Tsuna talked Haru into moving into the estate. He knew when, not if, word got out about their relationship, she'd be targeted. He tried to get that across to her, but even if she didn't understand that part it was okay. She gave agreement the moment he asked. Her repeated energetic 'yes' still resounded in his head making him smile every time he thought about it. There was something to be said about open affection. Something very nice to be said about it.

After she left with Yamamoto as an escort, Tsuna took the time to look through the rest of the two story estate before the moving vans started arriving. Iemitsu had shown up after breakfast and, after receiving the shocking revelation that his son suddenly had a live-in girlfriend, he informed them about the status of the rest of the Family. Everyone had agreed to move into the estate. Tsuna's mother had been a little upset at first, since it meant leaving the house they'd had for years, but Iemitsu had talked her into it. Tsuna was glad. He didn't want his Family outside of his protection if he could help it, even if he would only been here a month or so at a time.

There was actually three main wings to the estate. One wing was where the conference room was, along with Tsuna's overly-large private office and other public-related facilities. Tsuna was a bit surprised to find a banquet hall outfitted with a low, formal table in the traditional Japanese style instead of the Western-style he'd used while growing up. There was also a parlor for after-party drinks and cigars. Everything that Tsuna would possibly need in dealing with people outside the Family was there.

The next wing was that of the rooms and areas for the Family. He found rooms already prepared for Lambo, I-Pin, Fuuta, Bianchi, and a very large one for his mother and father on the second floor. The first floor held empty rooms for any guests or future additions to the Family and he was relieve to see that each had their own private bathrooms attached. This area also held entertaining rooms and public rooms for people of all ages instead of the adult parlor he'd seen in the previous wing. The deck outside this one held a large and lavish hot spring along with a water slide for the kids. This wing was also the one that held the Family's kitchen and dining area. While the dining room wasn't quite as big as the banquet hall, it could easily hold twenty people.

The final wing was Tsuna and the Guardian's wing when they weren't with the others. The first floor held a parlor for them to be able to drink and entertain without worrying about whether they'd be interrupted by outsiders. Tsuna recognized it as the very one they'd taken over the previous night. Looking out the deck attached, he was grateful when he saw a private entrance with a hidden path so that they could come and go without interfering or being seen by the rest of the house. He hoped the day never came when one of them had to return home with blood on them, but it was better to be prepared.

Curious about what else the deck held, he walked down a side-path and found a smaller, quieter version of the main hot spring. From the way the foliage around it was set up, Tsuna felt the need to blush at the implied intention behind it. Definitely intended for 'private' parties. Going back inside, he saw this wing's first floor also held three suites of rooms. One for Chrome and her two companions who had stayed behind in Italy. One for Hibari that Tsuna doubted would ever find a use. The last one was obviously intended for Lambo once he came of age. Going upstairs, he saw the second floor held rooms for his core trio as well as his own suite.

Tsuna went into his own room, curious to look at it when he wasn't either rushed or drunk. It wasn't much different than his room in Italy. There was a control panel next the door, familiar except additional intercom switches going to each of the Guardian's rooms. The dresser and private bar covered the wall next to the entrance to his private bath. The sitting area was set up exactly as he remembered from Italy. There was a balcony overlooking a meticulous sand garden instead of the maze that Italy had. Other than that, everything seemed to be the same.

Except one thing. Instead of the Vongola tapestry hiding a secret passage next to his bed, it held an elevator. Tsuna assumed it was his private access to the lower floors as well as being a panic room. The panel inside proved his theory correct once he placed his hand on the scanner. After choosing a floor, he was whisked downward where he inspected the staff's housing, the training facilities, the weapons storehouses, and other secret areas of the estate.

All was well, he thought to himself as he reemerged above-ground. He looked out the window where moving vans were starting to pull up. His father was playing up to his road-worker disguise by directing them with his arms. Tsuna wanted to laugh as he repeated to himself:

All was well.

* * *

"Tsuna!" Lambo yelled happily, running up and tackling his target. Tsuna couldn't help but be rocked backward when the boy plunged into his waist. Lambo had gotten much bigger over the past year. His chubby cheeks had begun to thin out and his curly mess of hair was now starting to resemble that of adult-Lambo. He hadn't matured any though; Tsuna could tell that when he immediately started looking for Reborn with a grenade in his hand.

"Lambo!" Tsuna yelled, taking the dangerous weapon away from the kid. He broke into a cold sweat at the item. Tsuna wasn't the naive boy that had left Namimori anymore. He knew what a grenade could do if it went off at the wrong time. How Lambo had managed to survive so long was a mystery _and_ a miracle. "No more grenades until you're older! You could get hurt," Tsuna told him seriously.

"Tsuna's an idiot," Lambo said, stuffing a finger deep into his nose. "Everyone knows that Lambo is invincible." Tsuna gritted his teeth. He knew that Lambo was arrogant, but someone had to put an end to it.

"Lambo," Tsuna said carefully, "If you touch another grenade, I'll have to punish you. I said no more."

"Like baka-Tsuna could punish the great me!" Lambo replied, sticking out his tongue. Tsuna smiled evilly in return.

"I don't know. I'm sure at the request of Vongola the Tenth, the market could sell something other than grape soda."

"You wouldn't," Lambo gasped in horror. Tsuna's evil smile got wider.

"No more grenades until you're older," he repeated. Tears started welling up in Lambo's eyes when Tsuna disarmed him and handed the weapons off to Gokudera to stash in the weapon's storehouse below. Tsuna ignored the fat tears. Lambo might hate him now, but it was better than seeing an arm blown off or worse. "And don't let me find out that you sent off to the Bovino's for more," Tsuna admonished.

"Gotta-Keep-Calm," Lambo started bawling as he ran down the hall. Tsuna sighed. One day Lambo would be powerful, he knew that much from seeing the effect of a double-shot of the bazooka during the Ring Battles so long ago. But right now, Lambo needed to be a kid. There would be enough explosions and injuries when he was older. Plus, the lack of explosives might help him better grasp his own abilities.

Tsuna turned to the rest of the arriving party. Fuuta was already settling into his room after ranking it number one out of all rooms Tsuna could have given him. Bianchi was still in Italy, although she was due to arrive within another day. She had said there was some things she had to do before joining them. All that left was I-Pin and his mother.

"Hello, mom," he said with a hug. He put a hand on I-pin's head, "Hello, I-Pin. Long time no see." Nana's eyes were looking around the place, surprised at how big their new estate was.

"Tsu-kun, how did you afford this?!" She asked in awe. Tsuna smiled sadly.

"I've been working hard, mom. Here, Ryohei can show you around. Him and the other guys will be living with us now." She looked at him in surprise before smiling widely. The more the merrier in his mother's eyes. "I've got to talk to I-Pin," he explained, "so I'll see you again for dinner. Just let one of the guys know if you need anything." He smiled reassuringly and Ryohei offered his arm gentleman-like to escort her. After seeing her off, he turned to I-Pin.

Like Lambo, I-Pin had matured. Her long pony-tail seemed to be longer and her eyes were wide and bright instead of squinting. Tsuna assumed it was due to finally getting used to her contact lens. He smiled at her reassuringly when she openly began to get nervous. "Don't worry, I-Pin. I just wanted to show you a special feature in your room." He led the way to where her room was, hoping that her time-bomb didn't start. She was starting that age where girls got strange. The age where guys can never tell what would set them off. But his father had predicted that and shown him a feature in I-Pin's room while the moving vans had been unloading.

"You just press this," he said, pressing a big red button on the wall, "and voila!" A door opened up out of a plain-looking wall. Inside was a steel-lined room with holes in the ceiling and walls. When I-Pin looked at him curiously, he explained. "It's in case your time-bomb starts counting down. This room is set up to withstand it, so you can go off without ruining the house." He wanted to run when the time-bomb countdown started on her forehead when she blushed in embarrassment, but instead he ushered her into the room before it got down to six. He stepped back after he showed her the button to close the hatch and it slid shut. Six seconds later, there was a faint pop and the door opened back up. Tsuna's shoulders sagged with relief. Testing complete.

"Thank you," she said in Chinese. For once, Tsuna understood her, since it was one of the five languages he knew now.

"You're welcome," he replied in the same language, bringing another blush to her face. As the door on the bunker slid shut again with her inside, Tsuna figured it would probably be a good time to retreat. Who knows how many times she would go off if he stuck around. She was definitely at that age.

Tsuna smiled again to himself as he headed for his room. His Family was finally all under the same roof. One, in particular, he wanted to see again before he surprised his mother with her. He wondered how Haru was liking his suite. Their suite. He couldn't help it as he opened the door to his room and called, "Honey, I'm home!" And as Haru jumped into his arms, he couldn't help the other cliche thought that flashed through his mind:

Home Sweet Home


	37. Chapter 37 New Beginnings

Tsuna's mother was openly pleased when she found out that he and Haru were an official couple. She wasn't too pleased that they were already living together, however, but she had dropped her complaints readily. It _was _technically his house they were living in now. His mother had actually puffed up a bit in pride over him when she realized the fact on her own.

Then had come the hard part. The lies.

"So, you've been working hard, Tsu-kun?" His mother asked once everyone sat down to dinner. They'd ordered out for several deluxe sushi platters due to the craziness of everyone unpacking and also in order to get Yamamoto's father to join them for dinner. For some reason, Tsuna himself was at the head of the table rather than his father. The rest of the Family had scattered themselves down the long table with Gokudera sitting as close to him as possible and Lambo sitting as far away as he could. Lambo still seemed depressed over his disarmament, not even harassing Reborn like normal.

"Yes, mom," Tsuna assured her around a bite of eel. "I'm working as a translator for an international corporation. It's pretty hard to get people that know five languages, you know."

"My Tsu-kun working as a translator?" Nana gaped. "And did you say _five_?"

"Yup," Tsuna replied with a small smile. "Dica prego alla mia madre ch'attualmente sto parlando italiano, Gokudera," he asked in Italian, knowing his mother wouldn't believe him otherwise.

"He just asked me to tell you that he's speaking Italian," Gokudera told Nana.

"Pouvez vous lui dire quelle langue je parle maintenant, Gokudera?" Tsuna continued.

"That time was French," Gokudera answered immediately, smiling at the way his boss was effortlessly switching between languages.

"Y ahora?" Tsuna asked. At Gokudera's blank stare, Tsuna continued until he recognized it. "Ahora, Gokudera, usted...sabe qué lengua...estoy utilizando." Although it was a bit broken, Tsuna thought he said it right.

"Oh, ah, Spanish," Gokudera decided with a blush. Tsuna's mother clapped at the display and most of the people around the table joined in.

"We're both still studying that one," Tsuna explained. "Gokudera picks it up faster than I do most of the time. He's the one that helps me study between classes and during lunch at school. Thanks to his help, I also know Chinese, English, and of course, Japanese. Spanish is the one we're working on right now, though, so it's not counted in the five. After that will either be German, Greek, or Russian. I haven't decided which yet." Gokudera's eyes were shining in devotion at the compliments and Tsuna grinned despite himself.

"Amazing, Tsuna-nii!" Fuuta clapped, pulling out his record-book. "I have to write this down!" Tsuna smiled at his enthusiasm, glad to have overshot the boy's predictions of him yet again.

"Wow," Haru agreed. "You learned all that in a year?"

"Hmm, more like half of one," Tsuna corrected, reaching for another sushi roll. "Like I said, I've been working hard."

"I never knew the schools up in Italy were so good," Nana said in wonder. Tsuna merely smiled, letting her believe what she wanted.

"But have you boys been getting into fights?" Yamamoto's father asked seriously. "From the looks of it, you got into a fight. Yamamoto hasn't been causing any trouble for you, has he?" Tsuna blinked in non-comprehension for a moment before realizing the man was asking about the thin scars on his face. He rubbed the one along his cheekbone absently with a sad smile.

"No, no trouble," Tsuna assured him. "This is from where I got attacked by a bear when I was working at the zoo over the summer."

"But, Tsuna, I thought you said--" Haru started to say in confusion.

"I know," he interrupted in effort to cover her words, "I said that I wouldn't work anywhere dangerous, but who knew that feeding caged animals would be that difficult?" She looked at him for a moment before it dawned on her that Tsuna didn't want the rest of the family to know what she knew. She nodded to herself and quietly went back to eating.

Tsuna sighed in relief when the subject changed to things he didn't have to lie about. One close call was enough.

* * *

"You don't have to go to school," Tsuna whispered into Haru's ear the next morning. She merely grinned and shrugged out of his arms yet again. 

"I already missed yesterday. Unlike Tsuna who can take a few weeks off of school without any problem, Haru would get in trouble," she admonished. Tsuna grimaced, knowing that Reborn was planning on tutoring them harshly to make up for the missing time. 'Without any problem' was a very large understatement.

"I could talk to the principal for you," he offered with a grin. She gave him a dirty look in return. Sprawling out on the bed while Haru tried to find where she'd put her uniforms, Tsuna sighed in defeat. Possessiveness aside, he just didn't want her to leave. Even for school. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and hide from the world forever. Too bad that doing such a thing was literally impossible.

"Don't you dare, Tsuna," she squealed. "If you make him mad, I won't be able to go to the gymnastics meet this afternoon."

"You're still doing that?" He replied in surprise.

"Yup," she said simply. "So I won't be back until late."

"Can I come watch you at least?" He asked softly.

"Ha-hi," she exclaimed. Whether it was for his question or that she'd finally found her uniforms, he wasn't sure. There was a loud bump in the closet before she reappeared, darting over to the bathroom to change. Tsuna had already warned her not to change in the main part of the room, although he suddenly wished he hadn't. Cameras aside, Tsuna was finding it hard to control his desires around her. Like a rabbit that just found out how good the farmer's carrots were, Tsuna wanted to sneak into the garden every chance he got.

"Are you sure you have to go?" He tried again when she came out of the bathroom in her uniform. She smiled and walked over to the bed. Tsuna tilted his head around from where he was sprawled out, giving her his best puppy dog face. With a laugh, she kissed him then tweaked his nose, dodging his attempt to pull her down with him.

"Haru has to go. I'm already late," she admonished again, skipping happily out of the room. Tsuna groaned the moment she was gone. It was his fault that she was late in the first place. He hadn't used an alarm in a long while and had gotten used to Cress waking him up. Without realizing it, he'd become accustomed to having a servant.

With that thought in mind, Tsuna left his room and walked to the main Family wing in hopes that his mother would still be willing to make him some breakfast. Gokudera appeared along the way, also still dressed in his pajamas with a growling stomach. Unfortunately, when they reached the kitchen, Tsuna's mother was absent.

"She's upstairs unpacking," Iemitsu told them. "She's been trying all morning to get used to this place, so I wouldn't bother her. If you're hungry, though, we have chefs down in the staff cafeteria. They'd probably be more than willing to help you out."

With a wave of thanks, the two boys backtracked to Tsuna's room and quickly descended in his elevator. The chef hidden down below chuckled a bit when he saw the pathetic looks on Tsuna and Gokudera's faces. Glad that the area was empty and the chef wasn't busy, Tsuna sat down and waited for his breakfast while chatting with his friend.

"I shouldn't have overslept," Gokudera moaned.

"Well, you usually sleep through target practice anyway," Tsuna pointed out.

"But that would have been three hours ago, Tenth," he replied. Tsuna put his elbows on the table and supported his head with his hands.

"We really are spoiled, aren't we," he sighed. "Maybe I should hire some servants for upstairs. We can't expect mom to take care of all of us, no matter how much she might want to." Tsuna quickly did the math in his head, coming to a conclusion. "Even when we go back to Italy, I can't let her take care of the public wing or our rooms. Who knows what she might find if she decided to do some spring cleaning. Plus, there's laundry for all of us when we're here and that would take most of the day if we left it to her alone."

"How many do you think we'll need, Tenth?" Gokudera asked expectantly. Tsuna thought about it, trying to decide.

"The easiest way would probably be to just give some of our men permission to enter the house and maybe hire a helper for mom," he said with a dissatisfied groan. "As long as I restrict our men from going into the Family wing and the helper from going out, it should be okay." He smiled in relief when the chef finally finished and handed them two extra-large breakfasts. Tsuna wasn't surprised when the man joined them with a cup of coffee while they ate.

"You're looking for a helper?" He asked. Tsuna nodded, his mouth full of omelet. "Well," the chef mused, "You probably don't want any outsiders, since they could always be a spy. And you don't want anyone that would scare your mother, since the person will be with your Family when you're not here. So, that only leaves the retirees and the kiddos."

"Mom probably wouldn't take their help if they're too old," Tsuna said after scarfing down the last bit of his eggs. "She'd be trying to make them comfortable and would only end up working more."

"So that only leaves a young one," the chef finished for him.

"Too young and they'll be just as useless as the cow," Gokudera added, wanting to help. Tsuna pushed his empty tray away, but didn't move to get up.

"That doesn't leave many options except for outsiders," Tsuna groaned. "Then again, if they only stay in the Family wing to help mom, that shouldn't be a big problem. Security can handle it if they try and go into any of the other wings."

"So what now, Tenth?" Gokudera asked.

"Now, we get dad to assign some people to take care of the areas we don't want people snooping around in and keep and eye out for our helper. I just wish I could duplicate Cress," he chuckled. After giving their thanks to the chef, the two went back upstairs to where Tsuna's father was still reading a newspaper. After explaining the problem, Iemitsu laughed.

"I'll take care of it, son," he offered. "I'll leave finding Nana's helper to you, though."

Satisfied that he would at least be woken up when he should be, Tsuna smiled and went to his room to change. He reveled in the feel of a sweatshirt and jeans, having worn nothing other than button-down shirts and dress slacks over the past year. Then he went back downstairs to where Gokudera, Ryohei, and Yamamoto were lounging around. All of them had looks of boredom on their faces and Tsuna realized how they all were used to non-stop activity. Rather than being appreciated, the lull was driving them nuts. Tsuna smiled when an idea came to mind.

"Why don't we go out? I haven't been down to Black Glove Mountain in forever," he suggested. "After that we can go check out the shopping district until the others get out of school."

"Extreme!" Ryohei yelled, jumping to his feet.

"Sounds good," Yamamoto agreed immediately.

"Whatever you say, Tenth," Gokudera said right on their heels.

Laughing, Tsuna led the way out of the estate. Rather than taking a car, the four men walked in order to release their pent up energy. Half-way there, someone suggested a race. With a smile, Tsuna took the challenge. The looks they received when they flashed to a panting stop in front of the gym were incredible, but none of them minded. Completely uncaring of who had won, they all fell into breathless laughter and went inside.

The empty atmosphere inside was depressing and stopped their laughter in an instant. Only one of the rock walls had anyone on it and the staff had been considerably downsized. Ryohei went up to see how his gym was doing and Gokudera went to get the books from the manager on Tsuna's behalf. Without waiting on his return, Tsuna went to the juice bar, curious as to what had happened to the gym's popularity in the past year. Mr. Guru was still running the drink stand, but the forlorn expression on his face brought Tsuna to a standstill.

"What happened?" He asked softly.

"Sawada-dono!" Mr. Guru exclaimed. His face became covered in a desperate joy for a moment while he busily started making Tsuna's old favorite. Not wanting to interrupt the man's sudden burst of happiness, Tsuna quietly leaned against the counter and waited. "Here you go, Sawada-dono," he said with a flourish. Tsuna took it with a nod of gratitude, not wanting to reject the poor man's offering.

"What happened around here?" He asked again.

"It's horrible," Mr. Guru explained. "After everyone transferred out of Japan, all of your fans stopped coming. After that, a brand new indoor water park opened up and the people that came here because the old water park was only open during the summer stopped coming. Then a boxing gym opened up down the street with a world-renown trainer. Not that we lost any customers over that, but we lost any potential customers we might have gained. The final blow was when a place called the Year Fest opened up."

"Year Fest?" Tsuna asked, narrowing his eyes.

"It's an indoor festival that's open all year around. They have rock-walls as one of the games. Theirs are three times the size of ours and the cash prizes for anyone that can beat the time records is insane. So now, " he said sadly, gesturing to the empty room, "we rarely get any customers." Before Tsuna could think up a reply, Gokudera returned with the ledgers and the manager. He took a seat at one of the many tables and started to look them over while the manager hovered anxiously.

"This is bad," he said finally, seeing how it was actually costing money to keep the place open. "We've been in the red for several months now. Why didn't anyone call me?"

"We tried, Sawada-dono," the manager said with a small tremble. "They kept saying you were too busy training to be bothered." Tsuna gritted his teeth, making the man jump unintentionally.

"Well, I'm here now," he said firmly. "I want you to start making calls and I want at least six proposals for fixing this delivered to my house first thing in the morning. Suggestions for renovations, advertising, whatever it takes. No holding back," he ordered. He stood and thumped his hand down on top of the closed ledgers. "We can't let Black Glove Mountain die just because I wasn't here."

"Yes, Sawada-dono," the manager replied in open relief. Without wasting a second, he went running for his office. Mr. Guru looked extremely pleased at his supervisor's motivation as well as Tsuna's determination.

"Thank goodness," Mr. Guru said. "I miss having customers. It's no fun to sit here all day without them." Tsuna blinked at him for a moment while he thought about the man's words. Unlike a normal working civilian, Mr. Guru was one of the many retired mafiosos working for him. The only reason he was working at all was because he craved the interaction of normal people. The same thing went for most of the rest of the staff. They weren't working for Tsuna for the money, but so that they could still keep ties with Vongola and satisfy their restlessness at the same time.

"Don't worry," he told the middle-aged man. "I'll do whatever it takes to fill this place up again for you." Mr. Guru smiled broadly in return, trusting Tsuna's words without question. After reassuring the rest of the staff, Tsuna ducked into the private area of the gym. The bitter taste of failure was in his mouth, regardless of the words he'd told Mr. Guru.

"Want to climb again for old times' sake?" Yamamoto asked, having followed him inside while Gokudera was tracking down Ryohei. He gave Tsuna a look of understanding when Tsuna looked back at him in askance. "There's no point in dwelling on what you can't change, Tsuna. You've already got the wheels turning toward a fix, so there's no reason to be upset over it."

Tsuna sighed in agreement. Like Yamamoto claimed, there wasn't anything he could do about it right now. He had to trust that the Mountain's manager was capable enough to find the right people to help. Besides, it might not necessarily be a bad thing that the place needed a change. Now that Tsuna didn't train here anymore, the main purpose behind the facility was gone. What Tsuna needed now was a place he could relax and be around normal people. That thought sent a burst of inspiration through him that lit his face up in an instant. He smiled broadly while Yamamoto looked at him with narrowed eyes.

"You've thought of something," Yamamoto stated. Tsuna nodded and started heading for the manager's office. There was one thing that Namimori didn't have yet and maybe, just maybe, they could create it. It would be a risk and the renovations would take a large chunk of his bank account, but it would be worth it.

Not only for him, but for the future. Once the Ninth retired, Tsuna would be running things more and more often from his Japan base rather than the one in Italy. That meant more and more wealthy men wanting contracts would be coming through Namimori. And those men would want a place to relax and spend their wealth while they were here. It might be difficult to get the permits, but their location was perfect.

"Club," he blurted, walking into the manager's office. The manager looked at him in surprise and hung up his phone. "Let's renovate this place into a club," Tsuna explained. "The movie theater is two buildings down, so we'd get most of their crowd afterward. And when people get tired of singing at the Karaoke Bar down the street, they can come here to dance. If we split up the floors for different themes, it would work perfectly. Mr. Guru is already good at mixing drinks, so we already have at least one bartender."

"That might work, Tsuna," Yamamoto agreed in enthusiasm. "Right now the only bars in Namimori are for the quiet, older crowd. If we target the younger adults, they'd probably come in swarms."

"How would we do it?" The manager asked hesitantly.

"Well, we can turn the first floor into a dance area with a live band. The second floor can be a secondary dance area with a good DJ. Let me think...the third floor has the pool, right?" The manager nodded. "Let's renovate that into a lounge or a cocktail bar. Somewhere that people can still listen to music without having to yell to talk. The fourth floor we can divide up into smaller private rooms that people can rent for parties."

"What about the top floor?" The manager asked. Tsuna mused quietly to himself, unable to think of anything. After a few minutes, Gokudera returned with Ryohei in tow to find the three of them trying to brainstorm. After a quick explanation, the two of them tried to help.

"Karaoke bar?" Ryohei suggested, but Tsuna shook his head no.

"I don't want to compete with anyone else on the strip," Tsuna explained.

"I've got a suggestion, Tenth," Gokudera said softly. Tsuna raised an eyebrow at the faint blush on his cheeks. "Well, it's nothing big. It's just something I've thought I might, maybe, try if I ever had a club," he temporized.

"What is it, Gokudera? I might like it," Tsuna encouraged.

"Well, we could take off the roof and turn it into a huge greenhouse and do a tropical paradise theme with a never-ending Hawaiian Luau," he blurted in a rush. "There was also this one place I heard about that had these huge timpani and bongos covered in glow-in-the-dark paint. People would play them and splash the paint all over the place while they were drunk. It sounded like fun." Tsuna blinked at Gokudera for a moment in surprise. At his silence, the silver-haired man blushed again. He started to say to forget it, but Tsuna interrupted him.

"Let's do it. It would definitely be unique. And if we got some fire-dancers on the weekends, I think it would be a huge success. We could maybe even divert the building's hot-spring up to one corner and set up a floating bar." Tsuna became more and more animated while he thought about it, making Gokudera's blush turn from one of embarrassment to pleasure.

"I'll get a hold of some designers and space planners," the manager offered with a wide smile. Even he was starting to gain enthusiasm for the idea of turning Black Glove Mountain into a multi-themed club. "I'll tell them all you've told me and see what they can do. Are we going to rename the place, though?"

"How about Club 27?" Ryohei bellowed enthusiastically.

"Eh?" Tsuna replied with a blush. Before he could say no, not only Gokudera and Yamamoto, but the manager enthusiastically backed the idea. Outvoted, Tsuna sighed. "Club 27 it is."

**

* * *

**

Tsuna smiled when he saw Haru take her place on the balance beam and struck her starting pose. She would probably kill him if she knew he was hidden in the audience. His relaxed clothing had allowed him to blend in with the crowd, despite his Guardian's worried looks. None of them had liked the idea of him in such a tightly packed area, but he'd shrugged it off. If there was going to be an attempt made on him during this trip, it would probably have occurred the moment he showed himself. Not only that, but he had three capable bodyguards with him that he trusted with his life.

Although, the looks on their faces when he told them they were going to watch a gymnastics competition had been priceless. Even more priceless was that after considering how it _was_ such a tightly packed event due to all the watching families of the contestants, none of them tried to beg off rather than worry about his safety.

The lights lowered and he leaned forward, praying that Haru wouldn't fall badly. He knew how fearless she was and that she would probably attempt something out of her ability. Plus, considering how she was several feet off the ground, Tsuna couldn't help but worry. Before he could get too worked up, the music started.

His jaw dropped, as did his companions'.

Haru gracefully danced along the beam like she was on solid ground. The flexibility that he'd learned about first hand was put to use while she bent backwards and grabbed the beam by her heel. With a soft thud, she flipped her body over and came back to a standing pose. In time with the music, she continued to flip and turn without a single faltering step. Before Tsuna could come to terms that this was _Haru_ he was watching, she dismounted with a sideways flip, twisting her body in a way he wasn't sure was physically possible. Sadly, she fumbled a small amount when she landed before standing erect with a finishing flourish.

Tsuna numbly clapped with the crowd, unsure of the miracle he'd just witnessed. When had Haru learned to do _that_? Once again she'd surprised him in an overwhelming way even though she didn't know he was there.

"That was Haru, wasn't it?" He whispered to his friends to double-check. Gokudera and Ryohei nodded with dumbfounded looks on their faces. Only Yamamoto had a secretive little smile with his affirmative head shake.

A half-hour later the final contestant performed and the awards ceremony started. Tsuna was a bit disgruntled that Haru only placed third after her incredible display, but her joyous smile when she recieved a bronze token wiped it away. She was happy and therefore he was happy. He made his way through the crowd the moment the ceremony was over, wanting to congratulate her on her victory. It was harder than it looked, however. Proud parents were much harder to slip past than burly mafiosos had ever been.

Stumbling on someone's carelessly placed foot, he nearly fell at Haru's feet. Thankfully, she didn't notice due to being engaged with a conversation with an older man and woman. Seeing the family resemblance, Tsuna nearly ducked back into hiding in the crowd. Too bad that the large forms of his three friends at his back blocked all escape routes.

"Tsu-kun!" Haru exclaimed happily when she saw him. Before he could reply, she threw herself in his arms. He caught her willingly with a broad smile on his face. "Did you watch?" She asked after hugging him.

"Sure did," he confirmed. "You've been practicing while I was away. I'll have to have you teach me that flip so I can use it against Hibari." She chuckled softly at his joke before pulling away and introducing her parents. Unsure of his reception, Tsuna respectfully greeted them, trying to hide his nervousness.

His worst fears were realized. Mrs. Miura accepted him readily and with the outrageous enthusiasm that Haru had gotten from her. Mr. Miura, however, immediately looked at him like he was a cockroach.

"So, you're the fellow that my little Haru is living with now," he said testily. "What makes you worthy of my little girl?"

"I--" Tsuna started to say, but he was immediately interrupted by a different, more rude question.

"What's you're financial prospects," he asked callously, unconcerned by the oblivious people around them. "How are you going to take care of my little girl? You're only in high school, aren't you?"

"Daddy!" Haru gasped, incredibly embarrassed by her father's probing questions.

"He's probably just some vagrant you met," Mr. Miura told his daughter. "I know how you like to pick up strays off the street."

"Haru won't have to worry about money," he interrupted in honesty. His eyes were narrowed at the man, insulted at the accusation that he was a vagrant. Then again, this told him why Haru sometimes jumped to conclusions. She must have gotten that part from her father. "I own Black Glove Mountain and work part-time as a translator for several international benefactors. It might not seem like much, but the revenues in the past are plenty enough to take care of at least a dozen people."

Tsuna grimaced internally. The truth was that only his and his Guardian's personal pocket money came out of his profits from the Mountain, which was about to be incredibly tight due to his planned renovations. Then again, he hadn't looked at the balance for that account in a very long time. It was highly possible that there was enough there to renovate the place three times over and still pay for anything he or his friends wanted. But what made him cringe more inside was the fact that his and his Families' living expenses all came directly out of Vongola's very deep pockets. Yet he couldn't tell the man that he was living off of dirty money.

"I see," Mr. Miura said with a raised eyebrow, obviously doubting his words. "So you own that gym down by the movie theater."

"I got it a few years ago," Tsuna said defensively.

"Isn't that place on it's last leg?" He replied with a knowing look.

"Indeed," Tsuna agreed bitterly. "But we're going to be renovating it as soon as I get a floor plan I like."

"Renovating?" Mr. Miura asked curiously. Tsuna blinked at the suddenly warm tone in the man's voice.

"He's turning it into a dance club," Yamamoto confirmed for him. "Since other businesses have popped up and taken all our customers, he decided a new direction would be better than fighting for control."

Mr. Miura started asking Yamamoto questions, quickly falling into a private conversation with him. Yamamoto took advantage of the man's sudden engrossment and guided him to the door while they talked. Mrs. Miura gave him a small wink before following. Tsuna turned to Haru, wondering why the man had suddenly warmed up to them and at the same time noticing how few people were left in the gym.

"Daddy designs buildings for fun and Mommy designs cakes," she explained with a wide smile.

"And you design costumes," Tsuna said in sudden understanding.

"Yup," she agreed. "Give me a minute to grab my stuff and we'll go home." She dashed off the second that she finished speaking, leaving him standing with Gokudera and Yamamoto in a near-empty gym.

"That bastard," Gokudera mumbled under his breath. "Questioning the Tenth like that."

"It's okay, Gokudera," Tsuna replied absently. "At least he didn't try and say that Haru should move back home."

"You took care of him like a man, little bro," Ryohei said in encouragement. Tsuna shrugged. As long as Mr. Miura left him and Haru alone, Tsuna didn't care. As if the thought summoned her, Haru reappeared with her gym bag and his thoughts turned toward how tight her leotard was underneath her windbreaker.

With a hopeful smile, Tsuna took her by the hand and led the way home.

**

* * *

Author's Note:** No, I do not know that many languages. I hope they say what I wanted them to say. Translations were done via Altavista's Babelfish.


	38. Chapter 38 Plans

Tsuna rubbed his tired eyes with his thumbs. It wasn't even lunchtime and he'd already had a long day. It had started with him sending one of his men through the balcony doors by accident. Well, not accidentally, if truth be told. Tsuna hadn't recognized the man that woke him, so he'd instinctively went into combat mode. Fortunately, the man had landed harmlessly in the sand garden outside and Iemitsu had come running at the sound of the crash. His father had stopped him before he could do any permanent damage.

After apologizing profusely to the man and receiving a understanding forgiveness in return, Tsuna had returned back upstairs to try to see how bad the damage had been. The doors were shattered and glass was everywhere, but more importantly, Haru was sitting up in bed with a look of panic on her face. After explaining to her that he'd thought the man was an intruder, she calmed down.

After that, he'd sent Haru off to school and tracked down his office, knowing that renovation proposals were waiting on him to look over. When he'd gotten into his office, however, the stack of papers that was waiting took him by surprise. The manager had called every designer in a fifty mile radius and had made them work through the night in hopes that one of them would have what Tsuna wanted.

Not wanting to put the man's effort to waste, Tsuna had sat down and started reading through them one by one. He was currently on his twentieth proposal, detailed with floor plans, sketches, and even proposed budgets. Occasionally one of them would have a plan that he liked for a single floor, but not a single one seemed to cover all the bases on every floor. Several of them looked like the designer had put a lot of detail on one of the floors, but had haphazardly designed the remaining ones.

Not that any of them were bad, per se, but none of them had the level of detail that Tsuna wanted. Tsuna had meant it when he said he wanted to pull out all the stops. This would be a place that he and the Family could relax and have fun, not just some random investment. A few of the proposals seemed to understand that, but had still failed to meet his hopes.

A small beeping distracted him from his disappointment. Looking around, Tsuna tracked down the small intercom implanted into a corner of his desk. The beeping continued while he tried to decide which button would turn it on.

"Y-Yes," he answered hesitantly, hoping he'd hit the right one.

"There's a Mr. Miura at the front gates requesting entry, Tenth," a man said in reply.

"Oh, ah, let him in and have Yamamoto show him to my office, please," Tsuna answered in surprise.

"Yes, sir," the man said, closing off the link. Tsuna wondered what had brought the man and hoped that Yamamoto could put him in a good mood if he was feeling suddenly overprotective of Haru. Trying to put the thought out of his mind, Tsuna turned back to his proposals rather than waste time worrying. He still hadn't went through half the stack yet.

"So this is where you were hiding," Yamamoto quipped, walking in with Mr. Miura in tow.

"I've been working," Tsuna answered, gesturing to the large stack of papers on his desk. "The manager went a little bit overboard in trying to find me a renovation design." Putting the papers down, Tsuna stood to greet his guest. Mr. Miura was looking around the room in wide eyes, finally believing in Tsuna's claims that Haru wouldn't have to worry about money.

"So what brings you here, Mr. Miura," Tsuna asked, bringing the man's attention to him. After a quick handshake, the man smiled warmly at his daughter's lover, unintentionally making Tsuna uneasy. "Haru's at school right now if you wanted to see her," he said uncertainly.

"Actually I wanted to talk to you," Mr. Miura replied. "This young fellow here, Yamamoto, told me about what you wanted to do and I got a bit inspired." Tsuna raised an eyebrow when the man handed him a thick packet of paper. The man gestured for him to open it, which he did after motioning for everyone to sit. After looking at three pages, Tsuna smiled and sent for tea using his newly discovered intercom.

"These are good," Tsuna said in surprise. There wasn't any budget plans or other financial proposals. Instead, the man had drawn page after page of floor plans and had drawn sketch after sketch of how the rooms would look. "These are really good," Tsuna repeated, coming to a page that showed the proposed cocktail bar. The three dimensional sketch was done in tranquil blues and greens with innumerable water features. The bar itself was a giant fish-tank and the backdrop showed a classy display of wines and high-end liquors. Handing the page over to Yamamoto, Tsuna greedily looked to the next page.

Mr. Miura had made a dream club.

The first floor was done in wild shades of red and orange. Several freestanding bars were not-so-randomly place throughout the area as were tables obviously intended for standing patrons. Then Tsuna could see how it went into the old Dojo. The walls had been ripped out ruthlessly and the break between the five-story tall area and the twenty-story tall area had been separated using bundled curtains.

That's when Tsuna flipped to the next page and saw how the Dojo had been renovated. Raised platforms ran along either wall above the dance floor and a small stage was obviously set up for a permanent band. The dance floor was lit from below by a random light show and was cut off from the walkways by a hip-high wall of ebony. Along the walls, shadow dancers were placed behind thin cloth screens, their forms lit from behind.

The next page showed the two raised platforms in closer detail. One had seats and tables overlooking the dance floor, obviously intended for tired patrons. The other, however, was a private VIP area for Tsuna and his guests. He could tell from the red fish-shaped table and the plush couches set up around it. Tsuna raised an eyebrow at Mr. Miura when he saw the couches, looking at him for the first time since he'd become engrossed in the man's sketches.

"Do you like it?" Mr. Miura asked obliviously. "I figured with all the friends you had with you last night, you might want somewhere to relax with them without having to deal with crowds."

"I-It's amazing," Tsuna replied with a smile. He sipped the tea he hadn't even noticed being brought in and turned back down to the sketches after handing the ones he'd already looked at over to Yamamoto.

"I couldn't really draw it," Mr. Miura said, "but I had an idea for that really tall area." Tsuna looked back up at him in askance. "There's twenty stories of emptiness above the dance floor," he continued, "and I thought maybe you could put in some fog machines and lights. If you can set it up right, you can make it look like there's a storm about to break and you can have lazer light shows set up so that it looks like lightening."

"That's crazy," Yamamoto laughed. "We should do it, Tsuna." Tsuna nodded numbly. Mr. Miura's idea turned a twenty story area of blankness into an indoor attraction. He turned back down at the pages greedily, wanting to see what else Mr. Miura had thought of.

The next few pages showed Gokudera's fifth floor Luau. He'd taken it to the next level though. The bars looked like tiki-huts and the drinks on the bar were served with split coconut shells. There was a small stage for performances and tropical plants hid the break between floor and wall. Like Gokudera had suggested, the roof had been removed, as had the walls, only to be replaced with a large glass housing. It made it seem like they were outside even though they were safely indoors.

"You can use the glass that they use in big-city skyscrapers to make sure that no one gets drunk and busts through a window," Mr. Miura explained, seeing which page he was on. "Even if it storms, the glass should hold pretty safely. You can install remote shutters if you're still worried though."

With a nod, Tsuna silently went to the next set of sketches. This one was the second floor dance area. Although smaller than the first floor, it was just as lovingly detailed. Rather than lush reds and oranges, however, this one was drawn in earth browns and gold. To reiterate the idea of earthiness, the large wall behind the dance floor had several dinosaur skeletons embedded in it.

"Yamamoto didn't mention any type of theme you wanted for that one," Mr. Miura said hesitantly, "So I thought maybe a prehistoric theme." Tsuna raised an eyebrow at the man before chuckling at the next page. The bar seemed to be inset into the mouth of a fish skeleton the size of a semi-truck. Looking around it, Tsuna saw that the tables and benches scattered through the room were more than dark-brown lumps. They were molded, glazed rocks with fossils and shiny stones impressed into it. The dance floor, in order to keep with the non-techie feel, was made out of hardwood rather than being lit up like the one on the first floor.

Not unpleased, Tsuna went to the final set of pages which showed the rental-rooms. Each one showed a different room. Each one seemed to be themed wildly different. There was an obviously Japanese themed room in the traditional style. One in an ancient Egyptian theme. One that faintly made him think of an Irish pub. One, which Yamamoto smiled widely at, was themed in American baseball. Twenty different rooms, each themed after a different thing and sized perfectly for small gatherings of around twenty people were drawn.

Tsuna handed the last page to Yamamoto in satisfaction and sat back in his chair. Mr. Miura had drawn without thinking of the costs. He had completely let his imagination run free and hadn't bother thinking about what it would take to make it a reality. Curious if he had enough to afford all of it, since he'd fallen in love with the man's sketches, Tsuna reached for his phone. Mr. Miura was giving Yamamoto some of the finer points of the drawings and floor plans while happily sipping his tea. He hadn't yet realized Tsuna's open enthusiasm for his creation.

"Thank you for calling the International Bank of Don Giotto, Japanese Branch," the female operator said over the speaker phone, bringing both Yamamoto and Mr. Miura's attention his way. "How may I help you?"

"This is Tsunayoshi Sawada," Tsuna said, ignoring the presence of others. "I need the balance for my private account and I'd appreciate it if you could fax me a copy of the past twenty transactions so that I can verify."

"Can I please have your security code, Vongola the Tenth?" She asked after a moment. Tsuna gave her the incredibly long alpha-numeric code from memory and waited a few moments while she pulled up his file. Then she told him his account balance. Mr. Miura and Yamamoto choked, but Tsuna took it in stride. He'd seen the ledgers for Black Glove Mountain. Although he hadn't added up all the monthly profits in his mind, he knew that his account had been extensive.

"Anything else, Vongola the Tenth?" She asked while Tsuna's fax machine started going off. Tsuna went over to it and verified that the number was correct before answering.

"I need you to set up a second account and transfer a third of my balance into it. I also need access within four hours," he ordered.

"Yes, sir," she said, immediately getting to work. "I'll have it set up within three and your access card should arrive to you before then."

"Send it to Black Glove Mountain in my name please," Tsuna asked. After getting her confirmation, Tsuna said his farewells. With a press of the button, he shut the phone off and dialed another number. This time, the manager of the Mountain answered.

"Black Glove Mountain, Manager Uhura speaking."

"It's Sawada," Tsuna replied. "I've found the one I want."

"Really, sir?!" The manager replied in happiness. "Which one was it?"

"Actually," Tsuna replied with a grimace, "It was one that came on it's own. A Mr. Miura heard about our plans and brought me in some very nice sketches. I want you to look over them and tell me what you think. If you agree, I'll have your budget set up within the day."

"My budget...?" The man asked in surprise, completely uncaring of how useless his work had turned out to be. Tsuna smiled to himself.

"Yes, your budget," Tsuna reiterated with a small smile. "You've been running the place for a long time now. It's more your baby than mine, so I figured you'd want to watch over the renovations personally. If you like what Mr. Miura has to show you, I want you to personally take charge of it."

"Y-Yes, sir!" The manager replied enthusiastically. His voice suddenly became hesitant, though. "W-Wait, Mr. Miura? Isn't Miura the name of that girl that--"

"Don't worry," Tsuna interrupted, sensing the man's thoughts. "It's not favoritism. These sketches are really amazing. I'll send him over and you can see for yourself."

"If you say so, Sawada-dono," the manager said doubtfully. After saying their farewells, Tsuna hung up the phone and turned to the flabbergasted man sitting in front of his desk.

"W-What...?" Mr. Miura mumbled, unsure of what just happened.

"I like your ideas," Tsuna said simply. "If you're willing to go show this to the manager down at the Mountain, we can get started on renovations immediately. He'll be able to get the right contractors and do anything else needed to bring this to life," he explained, gesturing to the sheaf of papers Yamamoto was holding.

"Just like that...?" Mr. Miura asked.

"Just like that," Tsuna encouraged. "Once Uhura agrees, you can take whatever fees you want out of the budget for yourself."

Tsuna smiled openly when the man jumped up and leaned across the desk, kissing both of his cheeks in wild joy. He began thanking Tsuna and tried to restrain himself from kissing him again. Yamamoto chuckled at the faint blush on Tsuna's cheeks after the man's sudden burst of happiness.

"Sorry, sorry," Mr. Miura said once he calmed down. "Normally people tell me that my designs are too far fetched and expensive. I typically have to go back and tone them down several times so that it's affordable. This is the first time someone has wanted them like I originally envisioned and I didn't have to do a redesign."

"Well, I want Club 27 to be a success, so I'm not worried about the price. It's not like I have much else to spend it on." Tsuna rose and walked over to the man, giving him a handshake to seal their deal.

Escorting him to the front door with Yamamoto, Tsuna listened while the man continued to show his appreciation. It was as if he'd completely forgotten he was talking to his daughter's lover. He was reminded of the fact when Haru walked in the door as they arrived at it themselves. She blinked several times in surprise when she saw her father. Tsuna blinked several times when he saw her. He hadn't realized he'd been in his office so long and it was already time for school to let out.

"Daddy...?" She asked, frozen in the doorway.

"Haru, dear," he replied with a wide smile. He leaned down and whispered to her. Tsuna blushed when he accidentally heard the man's words. "Don't you go giving Tsuna any trouble. He's a fine young man and I don't want to hear that you made him unhappy."

Ha-HI?!" Haru squealed. Her father ignored her surprise and walked past, sending a happy wave back to Tsuna before darting down the path to the front gates. Tsuna was red in embarrassment at the man's words and wasn't quite sure what to say to Haru about it. She shut the door and turned to the sheepish pair of men. With a mumbled stream of incoherent words, Yamamoto ducked away and left Tsuna standing in front of Haru alone.

"Um...eh..." Tsuna mumbled, trying to think of what to tell her. "I...um...hired him for the renovations to the Mountain...and...um...it seems he likes me now."

"Really?!" Haru replied enthusiastically. When Tsuna nodded to confirm it, she jumped into his arms in happiness. While she gave him a passionate kiss which Tsuna didn't question, he silently sent his thanks to the heavens. If he knew he got kisses like this just for getting the man to like him, he might have agreed to the man's designs even if they'd been horrible.

Merely happy that the man's designs hadn't been horrible and everything had turned out okay, Tsuna swept Haru off her feet. She squeaked and opened her mouth to ask him what he was doing, but the dangerous smile on his face rendered her speechless. With a gleam in his eye, he carried her upstairs like she weighed nothing more than a feather.

* * *

"Cress...?" Tsuna asked, wiping the sleep out of his eyes. It was three in the morning on Tsuna's fourth day of his visit home. Cress had magically appeared late on the third day after what had happened with the previous manservant. Until Tsuna got to know the estate's staff better, everyone had decided it would be easier to just let Cress fly down to Japan with them. 

"I'm sorry to wake you, Lord Tsuna, but there is a phone call from the Ninth. I've already got it transferred to a secure line." Tsuna looked again at Cress, only then realizing that the man was hovering over him with a phone.

Tsuna turned pale. If the Ninth was calling in the middle of the night while Tsuna was supposed to be on vacation, it wasn't a pleasure call. Tsuna extricated his arms from where they'd been wrapped around a sleeping Haru and reached for the phone. The other hand reached for his sleeping robe that he threw on as he walked out onto his balcony to try to keep from waking her with the call. Cress stood to the side, awaiting either the phone when Tsuna was done or orders.

"Hello, Tsuna speaking," he said quietly, switching to Italian like it was second nature.

"Ah, Tsunayoshi, forgive me for calling so late," the Ninth replied. Tsuna automatically put his hands up to wave away the apology, forgetting that the Ninth was hundreds of miles away.

"It's fine, Ninth. Is there a problem?"

"Indeed," the Ninth spoke sadly. "I'm afraid there's a bit of a situation I need you to deal with."

"Me?" Tsuna asked, honestly surprised. "But I'm in Japan. Do you need me to fly back early?" There was an unhappy sigh from the other side of the line and the sound made Tsuna's stomach begin churning in worry.

"Actually, I need you to deal with it because you're in Japan. There's bad things happening in your new backyard, Tsunayoshi," the Ninth said, the sadness in his voice almost overwhelming the sudden clenching sensation in Tsuna's chest. "We finally tracked down the source of the Flare-labs. It seems that it's being manufactured there in Japan and distributed overseas before showing back up here in Italy. I need you to destroy them all. Flare is a challenge to the very existence of Vongola and we can not let it go unnoticed."

"F-flare..." Tsuna breathed in shock. He remembered vividly what had happened the last time he'd come in contact with the stuff. His eyes narrowed in anger. So people were still making the stuff even after all of the Wilde's Gola Mosca facilities had been eradicated. "I'll take care of it personally, Ninth," Tsuna promised.

"No, Tsunayoshi," the Ninth replied, making Tsuna's heart leap into the vicinity of his throat. "You can't chance being put in contact with it again. I'm ordering you to take care of it without going yourself. I'll be sending you the locations shortly."

"B-but, Ninth--" Tsuna stuttered as the implications hit him. He couldn't go himself. He had to make someone else do it. One of his friends to do it. The day he feared more than any other had arrived. "Isn't there another way," he begged, every word laced with his anguish.

"No, Tsunayoshi," the Ninth replied coldly. There was a moment of silence before the Ninth finished, "I'll leave you to it, then," and hung up, leaving Tsuna holding a dead phone. Tsuna's heart was pounding a mile a minute as he looked at the phone like it had just hit him. Then anger won over shock and he squeezed his hand around it, crushing it in an instant.

As he handed the broken remains of the phone over to Cress, his emotions took another sharp turn. Sadness and pain. He didn't want to send his brothers out to be immersed in the bloodshed again. He didn't want to be the reason they stained their hands red continuously until they were blackened. His emotions became confused when he realized it didn't matter what he wanted. It was required to protect the Family as a whole.

"Lord Tsuna...?" Cress asked delicately, seeing the multitude of emotions that passed over his face.

"It's okay, Cress. You can go. Thank you for waking me," Tsuna said, his eyes still wide with shock yet his face reflecting his sadness. "I'll be in my office, please don't let anyone bother me." Cress bowed in acknowledgment as Tsuna quietly walked past him and left the room. More than anything, Tsuna wanted a drink, but he didn't want to accidentally wake Haru and have her try to dig for information. He didn't want to talk to anyone until he'd put his thoughts in order, so the parlor was out, too.

Yamamoto had a way of knowing when Tsuna was hurting, but this decision wasn't something he could allow Yamamoto to interfere with. He had a feeling if he did, he'd never be able to be strong enough to do what was needed on his own. Pain was a part of life and he couldn't allow Yamamoto or the others to try to shield him from it anymore. He'd been a fool to allow it for so long. To allow his weakness to continue unchecked. Too many lives depended on him now for him to be weak.

He sat back in his desk's over-sized armchair, holding a cold glass of V Special against his head to try to slow the feverish thoughts that were rushing through it. Like the Ninth had said, Flare was a challenge to Vongola. The very existence of something that would obviously hurt the flame-bearing leaders of the Vongola Family wasn't something he could allow to survive. Yet, Tsuna and the Ninth both knew the truth. It was more than that. That was just the excuse to get rid of the stuff. To get rid of the drug that was intended for no use other than pain and suffering in it's typically innocent victims.

It wasn't something the police could handle, either. Flare would be nothing more than sugar to anyone without a strong enough flame. The flames that normal people had were a mere spark compared to the ones that the drug was intended for. People like Tsuna. The police wouldn't be able to wipe the labs off the map. The most they could do would be to seize it temporarily until the enemy brought in their lawyers. And Tsuna knew from experience that lawyers prepared a person to get off the hook for anything when paid enough. It was their job, after all. He could already see the enemy's lawyers claiming to the police that it was a new serum for a practical joke rash-cream, since for those without a strong inner flame would get no more than a mild irritation from it. Unlike the torture that those with a strong flame would receive.

He had to send his men in. It was the only way to ensure that the labs got destroyed. The only way to protect people with a strong inner flame from having it used on them. People like his father and Basil. Like Ryohei and Xanxus. Like the Ninth. Every person that had resistance to the very drink he was holding would be targets for the pain and suffering of Flare.

But was it enough to order murder? Tsuna wasn't naive. He knew if he sent his men in with orders to punish, there would still be the deaths of those who resisted. Could Tsuna give orders that he knew would lead to bloodshed?

He hardened his heart and hit the intercom on his desk. He was proud that there was only a slight tremble to his voice when he told Cress to wake Yamamoto and Gokudera.

Yes, he told himself. He'd do what was needed to protect the Family. Even if it mean asking his friends to stain their hands for him. Ordering them to, even. Better for a few stains to be added than to have the suffering of all the people that Flare was intended for on his conscience. He had the power to protect them. It was time for him to use it.

No matter how much it hurt.


	39. Chapter 39 Seclusion

Gokudera and Yamamoto looked at each other in worry as they entered Tsuna's office. For Tsuna to wake them in the middle of the night and ask them to come to his office instead of the parlor or his room told them that it was business. Unhappy business. That was only reinforced when they looked at the back of Tsuna's chair, where the man in question was looking out the window with a remorseful look on his face. Tsuna turned to them when they came to a stop in front of his desk. Tsuna looked at his glass instead of their eyes. He couldn't look them in the eyes, the two boys realized.

"Did you need to see us, Tenth?" Gokudera asked carefully. Tsuna nodded and let out a deep sigh. He finally looked up at them in resignation.

"There's something I need you two to take care of. It seems we have some wild dogs digging holes in our backyard that need to be punished." He handed them both a sheet of paper, the location of the 'wild dogs'. "I need the dogs leashed and the dog houses destroyed."

"Tsuna..." Yamamoto breathed, realizing what they were being asked to do by their friend and brother. The pain in Tsuna's eyes deepened.

"Please..." Tsuna begged as he looked away again. He wasn't begging for them to do it; he was begging for them to not make it any harder for him to give the orders. "I can't send Ryohei with you two, since he might get bit. I'm leaving it in your hands."

"We'll take care of it, Tenth," Gokudera said seriously. Tsuna was glad that he wasn't overwhelmingly enthusiastic for once. He didn't think he'd be able to bear it if the silver-haired man had been.

"Come home safely," Tsuna said quietly in dismissal, turning his chair around again so that they couldn't see him. Gokudera grabbed the shocked swordsman next to him and dragged him out of the room quickly. As the door shut behind them, the faint sound of crying could be heard; a testament to a boss' pain.

"Come on, sword-freak," Gokudera said as they walked. "The Tenth needs us to finish this and come back safely. For his sake, the faster it's done, the better."

Yamamoto looked at the dynamite specialist in surprise. After a moment, he nodded. Tsuna wouldn't ask for something like this unless there was no other choice. He knew that, but the surprise of Tsuna actually giving orders for bloodshed had been overwhelming. He had secretly hoped this day would never come, since it meant Tsuna could never turn back. None of them could.

The swordsman shook his head to himself. That point had been reached a long time ago. The time had already come and gone for them to choose another path. All they could do now is move forward.

* * *

Ryohei knew something was wrong. Yamamoto, Gokudera, and Tsuna were all missing from breakfast. Ryohei could understand the swordsman and Gokudera's absence. Yamamoto tended to get up early for sword-drills and Gokudera tended to sleep late, so the chances of them missing the main gathering was high. But Tsuna wouldn't miss a chance to eat with the Family if he could help it. Especially since Haru was here. 

As Ryohei picked through his breakfast, he looked around the table and wondered who he should ask. Considering the two had been almost joined at the hip for the past several days, he decided on Haru.

"Oi, Haru," he whispered, hoping his voice would reach her. When she didn't stop her conversation with Lambo, he raised his voice a bit. "OI, HARU." He gritted his teeth. The silence around the table as everyone's eyes focused on him told him that he'd said it extremely loud. He coughed in embarrassment before continuing, "Have you seen Tsuna?" From beside Haru, Lambo looked irritated by the question. Ryohei assumed he still hadn't forgiven Tsuna for being disarmed. Haru shook her head as she replied.

"No. He disappeared last night. When I asked Cress this morning, he said Tsu-kun had some sudden business to do so he would be in his office and that I shouldn't bother him." Ryohei dropped his chopsticks as his eyes widened. He glanced over at Iemitsu who looked just as surprised.

"Are you sure Cress said 'business', Haru?" Iemitsu wanted to clarify. At her nod, both Iemitsu and Ryohei jumped up from the table, their curses bringing blushes to everyone else still sitting.

"What's wrong, dear?" Nana asked, her eyes wide at hearing her husband spout such profanities. Ryohei was already charging down the hall while Iemitsu tried to calm the Family.

"It's nothing, Nana. Tsuna just tends to get a sore throat from translating and he won't remember to stop once he gets started. We're going to go check on him." He didn't wait to see if they were placated. Iemitsu followed in Ryohei's wake, running the moment that he was out of sight of the Family.

"What the hell happened?!" Ryohei yelled at Iemitsu when the man caught up. "Why didn't he call us?" Iemitsu shook his head. No one had informed him of anything. One of the bad things about being an Outside Advisor was that he had to find out about the internal doings through others. The two stopped in surprise at the two men guarding Tsuna's office door. Iemitsu started to walk forward anyway, but the large man on the left put up a hand in warning.

"The Tenth left orders that no one was to enter," the man said. Ryohei and Iemitsu looked at each other, trying to decide whether or not to bust through anyways. Reborn stopped them.

"Oi," he said, appearing out of a small, secret passage in the wall. "Didn't you hear them? They didn't say Tsuna asked for privacy, they said the Tenth left orders. You can't go busting in there unless you want to be marked as traitors." Iemitsu gritted his teeth. Having to go through formalities with his own son was irritating, but a necessity. He could see the same anger reflecting in Ryohei's eyes.

"Then can you ask the Tenth if he would permit us to enter?" He asked the spokes-guard. The man nodded and poked his head inside the door. Iemitsu's anger wasn't appeased even when the man opened the door wide and waved the three through. Having to ask permission to see his own damn son!

As the door shut behind them, his anger disappeared in an instant when they looked at the back of Tsuna's chair. He was turned, looking out the windows behind his desk. Even so, Iemitsu and the others paused at the aura of heartache they could sense coming from him.

"What happened, little-bro?" Ryohei asked carefully. Tsuna didn't respond, still lost in his own thoughts.

"Oi, Tsuna," Reborn called loudly. Tsuna turned and the three looked at him in worry. There were dark circles under his eyes from where he'd been up all night and although he looked calm, for a moment his eyes reflected heartache before he covered it.

"What happened, son?" Iemitsu repeated. Tsuna sighed as he leaned forward on his desk, folding his gloved hand in front of him.

"Nothing. Just a little problem with some stray wild dogs that's being taken care of. Don't worry yourself about it," he replied in a bored tone. Iemitsu wanted to growl. He knew that tone. His son was using his poker face with his own father. Iemitsu started to raise a finger to admonish his son for the tone, but Reborn interrupted before he could.

"I see, Tenth," Reborn said respectfully, pulling Ryohei and Iemitsu's surprised attention down to him. "We'll leave you alone, then." Reborn gave the two others a dangerous look, silently telling them not to argue before leading them outside. The two gritted their teeth until Reborn finally stopped halfway back to the Family wing. When the little hitman finally stopped, Iemitsu was ready to explode.

"Why the hell did you just leave? We didn't get any answers!" He yelled.

"Calm down, Iemitsu," Reborn replied as the leather of Ryohei's gloves began creaking in his clenched fist. Someone had better tell him what was going on and fast, the sound silently said. Reborn sighed. The fools were too close to the situation to look at it objectively. He turned to Tsuna's father. "What is the Ninth like when he has to send out orders he doesn't like?" Iemitsu was openly confused by the sudden subject change, but answered anyway.

"He tends to seclude himself--" He stopped, realizing the obvious. "Tsuna had to send out orders he didn't like?" he asked. Reborn nodded and asked the other question that would finish filling in the blanks for them.

"Ryohei, where's Yamamoto and Gokudera?" Ryohei looked at him curiously. He had no clue. Reborn sighed, deciding to spell it out for the brainless boxer. "They're not on the estate. I talked with the guys in the house's surveillance room. Not long after Tsuna went into his office, they went in, too. Surveillance doesn't reach in there, but they said afterward, the two immediately went to their rooms, got dressed, then left."

"Then Tsuna--?" Iemitsu found himself bracing himself against the wall when the shock hit him. His son really was the Tenth now if he was giving orders out to his Guardians. No wonder there had been the formalities in the public wing. "But that still doesn't tell us what--" Reborn interrupted him.

"He did tell us. Stray wild dogs. Pets of the Wilde Family that had gotten loose. The only ones left from the Wilde Affair was the Flare drug-labs that we couldn't track down."

"That was a pretty small clue for you to figure out so much, little-man," Ryohei said in awe of Reborn's information gathering skill. "But that still doesn't tell me why he didn't send me with them."

"Che," Reborn spat, "Use your brain, Ryohei. You might not have a big flame like Tsuna, but you can withstand a shot of V Special. Even stepping foot in a Flare lab would be a death sentence for you if any of it was airborne."

"That's why Tsuna couldn't go either," Iemitsu finished sadly. The three looked behind them, finally understanding the reason Tsuna was staying behind closed doors and not letting anyone near. He was scared and worried and didn't want that to leak out to the rest of the Family. So he was hiding his pain in order to keep everyone else obliviously happy.

"My poor son," Iemitsu mourned. Reborn and Ryohei couldn't blame him while they all went to get a drink together. It didn't matter if it was barely past breakfast, it hurt too much not to.

* * *

A knock at the door caught Tsuna's attention as one of the two guards popped his head in. 

"Tenth, there's someone out here that wishes to know if you want lunch. He has a tray ready for you, sir." Tsuna almost said no, but a growl from his stomach stopped him. Over thirty-six hours had passed since he'd sent them on assignment and he'd not been able to sleep or eat during that time.

"Let him in," Tsuna said finally. If he was going to keep up the vigil, he would need to eat no matter how much his stomach felt like lead. He was a bit surprised when it wasn't Cress that brought the tray in, but Lambo wearing a button-down shirt in his signature cow print. Looking at the boy, Tsuna could tell he was still mad about having his grenades taken away. The little glares that he kept giving Tsuna when he didn't think the other was looking was a sure sign.

Not wanting to see the look of hate in the little boy's eyes, Tsuna turned his chair around and looked back out the window. He heard a faint click as the tray was sat down and the sound of footsteps again. After a nearly twenty minutes, Tsuna turned around, intending to force down some of the cold food that was waiting. He was surprised when he saw Lambo sitting in one of the chairs in front of his desk, openly glaring.

"I thought you left," Tsuna said with his surprise openly reflected on his face.

"I have to take the plates back to Mamma," Lambo said, his glare deepening. Tsuna nodded. He should have realized it sooner. Quickly, he ate as much as his queasy stomach would allow, tasting none of it. Before even a quarter of the plate was finished, he pushed it back across the desk to the waiting Lambo. Lambo didn't get up to take it though.

"Lying is bad, Tsuna," he said quietly, his glare ever-present on his face. Tsuna again looked at Lambo in surprise.

"What do you mean?"

"Everyone was told that you were in here working, but you're just sitting there." Tsuna bowed his head. What could he say to the little boy that would make him understand?

"Waiting is part of my job, too," he said in honesty.

"Waiting on what?" Lambo asked suspiciously. Tsuna wanted to sigh. Lambo had only been with the Bovino's for the first five years of his life. He didn't really know what went on behind the scenes.

"Our little secret?" he asked. At Lambo's nod, Tsuna hid his hands under the table. "I'm waiting to find out if Gokudera and Yamamoto are alright." Lambo's glare was finally replaced with a look of curiosity.

"Octopus-head?" Lambo asked, not caring about Yamamoto. Tsuna let a sad smile play along his lips. Although the two would never admit it to one another, Lambo and Gokudera were more like brothers than anyone else in the Family. They had a deep bond hidden by brotherly-squabbling.

"Ah," Tsuna agreed. "They went to go do something for me and the least I can do is wait for them to return." He couldn't help but mumble quietly to himself out of worry, "If they return." Lambo's eyes widened when he heard the last bit that Tsuna hadn't meant to say aloud.

"Octopus-head wouldn't be beaten that easily!" He yelled, making Tsuna look up, hurt at his own mistake.

"I know that, Lambo," Tsuna tried to tell him. He did know that, but he was still worried. Who knew how well guarded the labs were? Yet Tsuna couldn't have chanced anyone else going in their place. More people meant more chances for mistakes. The only thing he could have done is to send the strongest eligible people and that had been Yamamoto and Gokudera. He hoped that between the two, Yamamoto could guard while Gokudera did demolition, but there was always a chance that the two got split up or injured. Lambo was seething at the idea that Gokudera might not come back and Tsuna was surprised at the overly-open display of caring he had for his silver-haired brother.

"Gotta-Stay-Calm," he said to himself. Lambo even managed for a full minute before starting to cry and reach for his Ten-Year-Bazooka.

Tsuna groaned to himself, knowing what would come next. Sure enough, after a loud crash and a puff of smoke, Adult-Lambo appeared. The guards came running inside at the sound, but Tsuna waved them away. Or started to. His eyes widened when he saw Adult-Lambo clutching his shoulder, holding a wound. In an instant, Tsuna was by his side and giving orders to his guards to get help.

"Where--?" Adult Lambo asked, with a look of surprise in his eyes. He relaxed when he recognized Tsuna.

"What happened?!" Tsuna yelled as several medics appeared and began to try to get the bleeding to stop. Adult-Lambo gasped in pain before answering.

"I was shot, as you can see. I think I'm managing to stay calm, however."

"What about the other you?!" Tsuna nearly screamed when he realized the situation Adult-Lambo had been in.

"It's okay. Me and big brother had just reached a hiding spot. I should be fine," he said with a faltering smile, trying to reassure Tsuna while blood continued to ooze out of his shoulder around the medic's probing.

"H-how...?!" Tsuna asked in shock, looking at Lambo's blood on his hands. Adult-Lambo hissed as the medic finally pulled the bullet out and started layering pressure-bandages on, wrapping gauze around him to hold it in place.

"Assignment, Vongola the Tenth," he said. The medic hit him with a needle full of adrenaline and painkillers before he continued. "It just went a bit south is all. Don't worry, we'll pull through like we always do." He put a bloody hand on Tsuna's cheek for a moment in a gesture of thanks for his caring.

Before Tsuna could respond, there was another loud crash and a puff of smoke as the effects of the bazooka wore off. Young-Lambo once again stood in the middle of the room, only this time he was surrounded by the medics and his own future blood. His face was tear-filled and pale when he looked up at Tsuna and realized he was back.

"Tsuna!" he cried and jumped into Tsuna's arms, bawling at what he'd seen on the other side.

Tsuna could only hold him in shock while the medics cleared the room and left the two alone. He continued to hold him in shock, grateful that they were in a different wing than the rest of the Family. Tsuna didn't know what to make of this, let alone explain it to the others. Finally, Lambo pulled away, tears still running down his face.

"I'm sorry, Tsuna," Lambo sniffed as he ran out of the room, leaving his bazooka lying on the floor behind him. Tsuna just stayed sitting where he was, trying to get his mind to wrap around what he'd seen and wonder: What was Lambo going to be doing in ten years?

* * *

The first two labs had been easily destroyed. After a bit of reconnaissance, Yamamoto had given Gokudera the thumbs up to blow the place. It had been filled with only armed combatants and research specialists obviously gleeful at the amount of agony their creation would cause. All people that needed to be punished. So, to save time, Gokudera had set his bombs on the outside so that the building would implode and collapse on itself in what looked to be a structural failure. After collecting any evidence that they had been there, they'd left the buried enemies to die or be rescued by authorities. Either way, the lab had been destroyed and the point gotten across to the enemy. 

The last lab wouldn't be that easy. First of all, they had to capture one man and ensure this was the final lab. Second, they had to leave a message to the owners of the lab to not start production up again. Third, and worst of all, it was hidden under a day-care. They had been forced to wait it out. Not only for the day-care to close and all the innocent kids to go home, but the staff to leave. The poor fools didn't know they were standing on top of a heinous facility intended to make torture aides. They were innocent bystanders.

So the two hoped.

This one was going to be tricky. They couldn't implode it without getting caught in a cave-in since it was underground. Access would probably be limited and guarded. Yet they couldn't back down. It was their job. It was what Tsuna felt needed to be done. Even more, after figuring out what the place was, the two Guardians had silently swore to destroy it completely. There was no way they could allow a chance for the stuff to be used on Tsuna again. Their memory of the pain Tsuna had went through had been the key factor in deciding to be merciless in eradicating the labs.

But they couldn't hurt kids or the innocent. They might be merciless against the enemy, but they were still human.

So they waited, their hearts pounding while the night continued on. To pass the time, they talked about random things. Yamamoto told him about how he'd gotten into baseball. At Yamamoto's insistance, Gokudera shared the memory of his mother's piano playing and the reason he'd learned to play. Teasingly, Yamamoto asked him to sing the song he said his mother had always played for him. His teasing smile became a soft one when Gokudera started quietly humming while looking pointedly out the window.

Maybe the wait wouldn't be that hard after all.

* * *

Haru sat in the Family's living room, moping. She knew she was moping, but she couldn't help it. It had been fun living with Tsuna's Family for the past week, but she hadn't got to see Tsuna at all yesterday or today. Then again, she knew she couldn't be with him every moment of every day. No matter how much she wanted to. Yet she still wanted to! 

Hoping she could find something to do to pass the afternoon, she started to get up off the couch. She was pushed back down as Lambo ran into her, crying, on his way through. Before she could even squeak, he was past her and running up the stairs to his room. Within seconds, everyone heard a loud crash when he slammed his door shut.

"What was that about?" She asked, looking over to I-Pin and Iemitsu. They both shook their heads. After a minute, Haru started to get up again, but this time she fell back in surprise when Tsuna walked into the room. His sleeves were red and there was a bright blotch on his shoulder where he'd wiped his face. Even more surprising was that he was holding a bazooka. "Ha-hi?" He completely ignored her as he threw the bazooka at Iemitsu.

"Send that back to the Bovinos," he said angrily. "Tell them the future isn't safe for Lambo anymore."

"What happened, Tsuna?" He asked in return. Tsuna just shook his head. It wasn't something he could explain here.

"Where's Lambo?" Tsuna asked instead.

"He went into his room, Tsu-kun," Haru replied, her eyes focusing on his red sleeves. He looked down to see what she was staring at, only then noticing the bright stains on his shirt from where he'd tried to help hold down Adult-Lambo's pressure bandages. He cursed.

"I better change before I go see if he's okay. I doubt--," he stopped, realizing everyone was looking at him with wide eyes. Silently, he turned and headed for his room. Iemitsu went with him and Haru followed behind. She wanted to know what was going on, but Tsuna obviously didn't want to say anything in front of women and children. So Haru used her ninja skills to try to stay close without being caught.

"So, are you going to tell me what happened?" Iemitsu asked once they were down the corridor.

"Lambo got shot," Tsuna replied quietly. Iemitsu jerked and started to walk back toward the living room, intending to go up the other set of stairs to see if Lambo was okay. Haru started looking around for a place she could hide better than simply around the corner. She covered her sigh of relief when Tsuna stopped his father, "Wait, dad. It was Adult-Lambo. Our Lambo is fine. Well, mostly. I don't know what he saw in the future, so I'm kind of worried about him. But, I--" He sighed as he raised his sleeve to show Iemitsu the bloodstain there. "I don't think it'd be good for Lambo to see this right now."

"I understand, son. Do you need me to talk to him?" Tsuna shook his head no.

"I'll try after I get cleaned up. I just wish Gokudera was here. Lambo would open up to him, I think."

"Well, there should only be one more lab to go. Two of the labs were in the paper this morning," Iemitsu explained. "Structural integrity failure."

"H-How many casualties?" Tsuna asked with a pale face. Iemitsu grimaced and gave Tsuna a look filled with sadness.

"Forty-five in one and twenty-nine in the other. Whoa, there," he said when Tsuna started to collapse. He caught his son while Tsuna tried to overcome a wave of dizziness from the combined shock and lack of sleep. "It's okay Tsuna, twice that many got out alive."

Tsuna didn't answer with anything but a tired and numb nod. He regained his balance and stumbled down the rest of the hall, in shock and pain at the news. Iemitsu watched him go. Once he finished going up the stairs, Iemitsu turned and looked back down the hall.

"You can come out now, Haru," he called.

"Ha-hi!" She squeaked as she fell out of her hiding spot around the corner. Iemitsu didn't seem to notice how flustered she was or how shocked she was at the idea that Tsuna had something to do with the deaths of that many people. The blond haired man walked down the hall calmly, pausing beside her.

"He's a mafia boss Haru. If you're going to leave him because of the things he has to do, you should go now. It would hurt him less than if you waited," he told her quietly. There was a sad note in his voice, telling her how hard it was for him to say something like that. She was the one that had gotten Tsuna to open up. She had gotten him to enjoy being touched again. Unfortunately that also made her the one that could break his heart. He was only human. Haru realized his intent and she screwed her face up with determination.

"I'm going to be a mafia boss' wife!" She firmly said. Iemitsu looked at her, surprise and happiness warring on his face. Before he could decide which emotion to settle on, she started stomping down the hall and up the stairs toward Tsuna's suite.

Behind her, Iemitsu smiled as happiness won out. Tsuna had chosen a fine woman.

* * *

Haru smiled, seeing Tsuna slumped over, asleep on a stool. He had decided to use the traditional bath in the room instead of the high tech shower-sauna combination facility taking up a large corner. From the soap still in his hair, Haru could see that he had been halfway through before the need to sleep had caught up with him. She chuckled and traded her clothes for an extra-large towel. He was a bit surprised when he woke up to the feeling of her pressed against his back, helping to finish washing his hair.

"H-Haru...?" He asked quietly.

"You seem tired, so I thought I'd help you," she explained. He sighed and gave in readily. Tsuna sat in silence, enjoying the feeling of Haru's hands massaging his head. After a while, he relaxed again and began to nod off. To keep him from falling asleep, Haru started rinsing his hair. She laughed again when he was left spluttering from the unexpected water that was poured over his head.

"You could have warned me," he growled.

"Where's the fun in that?" She laughed in his ear, sending unintended shivers down his spine.

"So you think it's fun to be splashed with water?" He smiled cruelly, making her wonder what he was thinking. He didn't give her the chance to figure it out. Within a second, he had spun in place and thrown her over his shoulder and stood. She squeaked when he walked into the shower and put her down, simultaneously throwing on all of the faucets. He pulled off her towel and threw off his own. He pinned her against the wall with a kiss, letting the water splash her as it hit their naked bodies. Then he commenced proving to her that it didn't matter how tired he was, he would always find the energy for her. In return, she helped him forget his problems, worry, and heartache.

If only for a little while.


	40. Chapter 40 Clean Up and Inspection

"Lambo, open up!" Tsuna continued to pound on the little boy's door, trying to keep calm at the insults that kept flying out the other side. After his shower, Tsuna had immediately went to check on Lambo. He was tired and worn out, but he had other problems to deal with first. Namely to find out what had happened on Lambo's side after firing the bazooka. He wanted to ensure that it wasn't anything that would scar the kid's mind.

Lambo wasn't having it. He refused to talk to anyone. After locking himself in his room, he had yelled at anyone that tried to get in. A boy's pride, Tsuna decided. Lambo didn't want anyone to see that he was still crying, even after the half-hour Tsuna had given him to calm down. Instead of telling them that, though, he tossed out insults. Tsuna looked over at the rest of the hovering Family. They all knew something was up and wanted to know if Lambo was okay. Tsuna gritted his teeth. He didn't want to have to do this, but he would.

"Lambo, if you don't open up, I'm going to kick the door down," he warned. The only reply from the other side was a string of insults that Tsuna really wanted to know how he learned. Tsuna backed up and raised his foot, about to place a kick that he knew from experience would break a door down in one blow. Before he could, however, he heard a voice that made his heart skip a beat.

"What's going on, Tenth?" Tsuna turned as he lowered his foot, both in surprise and relief.

"Gokudera, thank goodness," he mumbled, looking at the immaculate dynamite specialist who was poking his head up above the crowd. Behind him, he could see Yamamoto also trying to find out what was going on. He turned back to the door after he waved for the rest of the Family to let the man through.

"Lambo, Gokudera's here. Will you open up for him?" he called. While they waited for Lambo to decide, the inside of the little boy's room being quiet for once, Tsuna whispered to Gokudera what had happened. The dynamite specialist's eyes widened before he walked up to the door and knocked softly.

"Hey, dumb-cow, let me in," he said while Tsuna tried to get the Family to leave the hallway. He knew Gokudera could get the boy to open up if no one else was there. Not only his door, but to get him to start talking about what he'd seen. As the mob got down the hallway, sure enough, there was a faint click and the door opened to let Gokudera in. Since that crisis was taken care of for now, Tsuna turned to Yamamoto.

"Come on, you can report in my office," he ordered with a glance toward the rest of the Family. Yamamoto nodded and led the way. The two walked down the hall silently, ignoring the suddenly worried-filled looks of Haru, Ryohei, and Iemitsu while they made their way to Tsuna's office.

Tsuna sat down on the edge of his desk, pouring a drink for Yamamoto. As the swordsman took it gratefully and pulled up a chair, Tsuna could see the lines of emotional pain around the swordsman's eyes. Every one of them was a dagger to Tsuna in turn. The very fact that Yamamoto had accepted a drink told Tsuna how much he was hurting over what he'd been asked to do. Yet there was nothing either of them could do to alleviate that pain other than remember why they did the things they did.

"We got them all, Tsuna," he said finally. "The first two were easy. We didn't even go inside after checking to make sure it was the right place. Gokudera's pretty good with his dynamite, you know." He sighed, taking another sip to calm his nerves. He couldn't look up from his glass as he continued, "The last place was under a day-care. That's why we took so long. We didn't want any innocents to get hurt." Tsuna nodded in agreement, although Yamamoto couldn't see it with his head bowed. "We found a vent shaft that Gokudera used to drop in some smoke bombs to knock everyone out before we went in." Tears started to fall from Yamamoto's eyes. Tsuna didn't have to wait long to find out why.

"They were using kids, Tsuna. They were using little kids like I-Pin and Lambo to make the stuff. The day-care wasn't a day-care. It was where people were selling off their unwanted kids into slavery." He began openly weeping and Tsuna took the glass from his limp hands before it spilled. For once, he pulled Yamamoto into a comforting embrace instead of the other way around. It hurt. It hurt to hear that something like that had been going on. When Yamamoto managed to get a margin of control over himself, he continued through his sobs.

"You should have seen them Tsuna. Half of them were beaten and starved. But I took care of it," he said, sucking up his tears momentarily. "I executed the overseers and we destroyed the lab. Then called the cops and left an anonymous message about where the entrance to the hidden facility was before leaving. They...they should be taken care of, right Tsuna?" He looked up into Tsuna's eyes, begging for reassurance. Tsuna gave it to him.

"Ah, they'll be fine," he replied firmly. "The police will take them all into custody and give them good homes. I'll make a few calls and ensure they don't get sent back to their real families. It'll be okay, Yamamoto. I'll make sure of it." The look of determination in Tsuna's eyes seemed to be enough for the swordsman. He nodded and let Tsuna usher him out of his office with admonishments to get rest. When the door shut behind him, Tsuna repeated dangerously and reached for the phone:

"I'll make sure of it."

* * *

Tsuna sighed as he hung up the phone. It had taken him over two hours to get anyone to even admit to the existence of the children. He'd had to be careful, considering they hadn't been found for more than a half-day. Even then, the authorities had wanted to send all the children back to their families; the very people that had sold them off. 

Finally he had been forced to send his lawyers in. Within several hours after that, nearly every single child had been put under the care of a retired Vongola mafioso. Since many retired members of the Family were still single, they accepted the idea of a child readily with a promise to protect them. The lawyers took care of the adoptions and set up a community foster home for the remaining children.

After a rushed court hearing, they got a Judge to put restraining orders on all the kid's parents. Tsuna didn't want any chances. The peripheral family of the parents had wanted to take custody in a few cases, but Tsuna wouldn't allow it. They'd failed to protect the kids in the first place. For those that truly cared and regretted their failure, he'd allowed the lawyers to permit visitation. If the grandparents or aunts came to visit regularly enough and treated them well, it would be left up to the kid where they wanted to go. In a few years. Not now. Not after what they'd been through. Kids were too precious for Tsuna to allow any mistakes.

His own mistake was still too vivid in his mind. He had disarmed Lambo from weaponry, but hadn't thought that the Ten-Year-Bazooka could be considered dangerous. It was only luck that the boy had come back in one piece considering Adult-Lambo had just been shot. If they'd changed places in the middle of gunfire, Lambo might have...

Tsuna shook his head. Lambo was okay. Gokudera was seeing to that. He had to have faith in his right hand.

He sighed again as he looked at his watch. Hours had passed without him realizing it. He'd been too focused on getting everything taken care of. Several times only his personal touch had gotten the job done. The lawyers couldn't do everything. Heck, even the lawyers had needed his permission on several things. Agreement for several bribes had been merely one. Agreement for placement of the foster facility. Payments for the children's hospital care and transfer from a triage center to a private trauma center. Hundreds of little details that had to go through him.

He felt a moment of pity for the Ninth. No wonder every time they talked, it was in the man's office. One day, Tsuna realized, he would probably be no different. But not yet. He smiled as he leaned back in his chair, satisfied with his work. Right now, he could still spend time with his Family. That thought decided him. Within seconds he was out of his chair and out the door, heading for the Family wing. He'd been cooped up in his office all day dealing with lawyers and other big-wigs. He wanted to relax and spend time with the people who'd actually knew what he looked like. Before they forgot what he looked like.

After meeting with an empty family room and deck, he checked the dining room. His smiling entrance was met with joyous cries and a very enthusiastic kiss from Haru. From the looks of it, they'd tried to wait on him and were just sitting down to a late dinner, having finally given up on his presence. The fact that they'd tried made his smile widen, touched that they'd thought about him.

Lambo looked back to normal, although Gokudera kept giving him sad and worried looks out of the corner of his eyes. When Tsuna looked at him in askance, he gave a small shake of his head. He couldn't talk about it. Which, for Gokudera, meant that he'd promised Lambo not to say anything to Tsuna about it as the only way to get the cow-boy to open up. Tsuna nodded, silently promising not to force the issue. Gokudera's relief was evident even though he tried to hide it. The dynamite specialist didn't want to have to choose between keeping his promise and answering his boss.

I-Pin was oblivious. She was in a three-way conversation with Haru and Bianchi; Bianchi had arrived at some point, although Tsuna couldn't tell when. He'd been closeted for nearly two full days and she hadn't been present for the 'kick in the door' fiasco that nearly happened. Iemitsu and Nana were deep in conversation, something to do with the market selling a new type of sake. Ryohei was in a quiet conversation with Reborn, although Tsuna couldn't make it out.

Yamamoto was quietly eating to himself. Tsuna could see that he was still affected by what had happened with the kids. The way he was picking at his food was a sure sign. Tsuna smiled to himself. Easily fixed.

"Yamamoto," he called, bringing interested silence to the table. The swordsman looked up. "All of the...um...puppies have new homes. They'll be fine. I made sure of it." Yamamoto sagged in relief and took his first actual bite of dinner.

"Puppies?" Bianchi asked. Tsuna nodded as he finished chewing a bite and then explained what he could without giving anything away.

"Yamamoto and Gokudera found a...um...litter of stray puppies. I've been finding homes for all of them."

"So that's why you were in you're office all day, Tsu-kun," his mother exclaimed. "I was so worried you were working and your throat got raw again." Tsuna gave his father a curious look asking 'eh?' but his father just shrugged.

"No, I'm fine, mom," he finally said, shaking off his confusion when he remembered his cover story for the family. Translator.

"But why did it take so long? Finding homes for puppies shouldn't be so hard," I-Pin asked in first in Chinese then in broken Japanese.

"There was a _lot_ of puppies," he replied.

"Aww," Haru exclaimed. "I want one of them! Puppies are so cute. Can we have one, too, Tsu-kun?"

Tsuna choked on a bite of food and couldn't help it when his ears turned red. Even though he knew that she didn't know what they were really talking about, the idea of letting her have a 'puppy' wasn't something he wanted to contemplate just yet. Yamamoto and Gokudera's began grinning, since they knew what the euphemism 'puppy' was in reality.

"No, no puppies," Tsuna replied after getting the lump of food to finally go down. He continued trying to control the redness on his face while Yamamoto and Gokudera's grins got wider.

"Please, Tsu-kun," she begged. As his blush deepened, he couldn't blame Yamamoto and Gokudera for running out of the room. Both had their hands over their mouths, trying to keep from laughing in Tsuna's face. He appreciated the gesture, but he could still hear their laughs from down the hall.

"Tsuna, why are you so red? Are you getting a fever?" Bianchi asked hopefully, making him turn nearly purple while he tried and failed to control his embarrassment. Tsuna ignored her while Haru kept pleading.

"But puppies are so cute! You can cuddle them and squeeze them and--"

"Come on, son," Iemitsu added in, his wide grin telling Tsuna that he had figured out what 'puppies' really meant. "Let the girl have a puppy."

"Pleeeeaaaasssseeee, Tsu-kun," she continued.

"No, Haru," he repeated. His blushes continued, bringing amused smiles to most of the Family sitting around the table. "You can't have a puppy."

* * *

Tsuna smiled widely and came to a stop after three steps. The manager had hired five separate crews in order to finish the renovations within a week. Tsuna was amazed by the drastic change. He couldn't tell that the place had been a gym at all. But Tsuna didn't have time to be in awe. There was a long line of people behind him wanting to get inside and look around. 

"Daddy designed this?" Haru said in wonder. He nodded, leading her around while they looked at all the changes. After handing over charge to the manager, he'd not once been back to the place during the renovations in order to keep his promise. This was Manager Uhura's baby now, not his. He was just the Godfather with deep pockets and a lot of advice. As if the thought summoned him, Uhura walked up sporting a flashy red silk shirt rather than the button-down suit that Tsuna normally saw him wear.

"Sawada-dono," he greeted respectfully. "Let me show you around!" Tsuna soon found himself being escorted around while the man pointed out all the things that hadn't been in the sketches. Starting with the Vongola crest embossed in a repeating fashion on the dark red carpet. After that, he was introduced to the bartenders who were all new additions to the staff. In typical mafia fashion, they all went by code-names. Tsuna smiled a bit when he realized they all were types of fish and water creatures.

"Who's the bouncers?" Tsuna asked, that being the job he was most familiar with.

"That would be Lamprey and Shark," Uhura replied, waving the two men over. Tsuna choked when he recognized Indigo.

"What are you doing here?" He asked in surprise when the man walked up with a sheepish grin on his face.

"This is Lamprey," the manager said in confusion.

"No," Tsuna corrected. "That's Indigo. I know him." He turned back to the man, wanting answers. "What are you doing here?" He repeated.

"We're not supposed to give out our Family names down at Pink's, so I probably never introduced myself to you before," he said sheepishly. "My real name is Jackdaw of the Cavallones. When the call went out to my boss that Vongola the Tenth's personal club was looking for bouncers, I decided it would be a decent place for me to retire. Even though I'm not even thirty yet, the boss thought it was time I settled down. He's the one that suggested I come here. I'm still on trial, though. But why are you here? Are you one of Vongola's men?"

Tsuna began to laugh like a maniac.

"I guess it goes both ways," he gasped around his laughter. He tried to get control of himself but he couldn't stop laughing. "I didn't know you were one of Dino's men and you didn't know who I was. Who would have guessed?!"

"Wait..." the man replied, finally putting two and two together when Tsuna called his boss by name. "_You're _Vongola the Tenth?!" Tsuna began laughing again at the dumb-stuck look on the man's face.

"You might say that," Tsuna confirmed when he finally calmed down. "I couldn't tell you for the same reason you couldn't tell me."

"Well doesn't that beat all," he replied in wonder.

"Sawada-dono, if you don't--" Uhura started to say, unsure of the current situation. Tsuna merely waved away his words.

"This guy, Lamprey...?" Tsuna asked, getting a nod in return from the man formerly named Indigo. "Lamprey's a good guy. I know first-hand that he can take care of anything short of a riot. Double whatever you're paying him and put him on the permanent staff."

"I always knew you were a good one, Orange," Lamprey said in pleasure. He stopped to correct himself. "Or do I call you Vongola the Tenth, or just the Tenth, or--"

"Tsuna is fine," he replied. "Or if you like to get official like Uhura, you can call me Sawada or Sawada-dono."

"Tsuna," Lamprey said, testing out the word. He smiled before going back to work. Tsuna turned to the other bouncer who had been eyeing Haru in a unprofessional way while the two talked. The man sneered like Tsuna was an unimportant pipsqueak when Tsuna raised an eyebrow in warning.

"Fire this one," Tsuna ordered callously before walking away. Uhura agreed immediately, leaving the man gaping in surprise. It wasn't so much that the man had eyed Haru, since he himself had trouble taking his eyes off her. The problem was that he'd done it openly while he was working without having any hint of shame afterward. Tsuna could already foresee drunken men taking offense to the bouncer's roving eyes. Firing the man fixed the problem before it happened.

"I'll call up one of the others that wanted the job," Uhura explained. "Since it was so hard to choose from all the applications, I put the ones with good recommendation on the staff under two-week trials. If they don't work out, I have a stack of others willing to take their places."

"Did we have a lot of people wanting to work here?" Tsuna asked in surprise while the man led the way to the dance floor.

"Well, we didn't at first," Uhura mumbled apologetically. "I was actually having trouble finding staff since I didn't want to hire that many outsiders. But two days ago Reborn showed up with a stack of applications with recommendations from Dino Cavallone and L-Lanchia."

"What about Shark?" Tsuna asked, curious as to who had recommended him.

"He's one of the outsiders," the manager said with a grimace. "I thought he would be a good counterpart to Lamprey's small frame."

"Size doesn't equal good," Tsuna said from first-hand experience. "Muscle doesn't mean anything if he doesn't have a brain behind it."

"Yes, sir," he agreed adamantly. Before he could say more, their attention was diverted by the large crowd ooh'ing and aah'ing as they looked up from the dance floor. Tsuna looked up himself, taking a moment to show his appreciation over the fact that a small artificial storm was building above their heads. Then his attention was pulled back down by the sound of the band taking the stage.

"We are Advent Melancholy," the singer said in dulcet tones. The singer nodded his head to set the beat. Before Tsuna could ask the manager whether they were any good, the band started playing. Haru started dancing in place to the upbeat pace of the song, unable to restrain herself any longer. With a laugh, he sent her to the dance floor and followed the manager back toward the elevators.

The second floor was just as primitive as the drawings had suggested it would be. The DJ sat behind the podium wearing a top hat and black suit. To try and go with the theme, he had large bone costume necklaces hanging around his neck. This area seemed just as packed as the first floor, so Tsuna didn't bother trying to make his way through the crowd.

With a nod to the manager, he stepped back in one of the elevators and went up to the next floor. His ears popped from the sudden change of loud music of the previous floor to the soft music playing over the speakers here. It was here that he found Yamamoto hiding with Ryohei, enjoying a smoothie while the boxer drank some sort of mixed drink. Looking behind the fish-tank bar, Tsuna finally found where Mr. Guru had been placed. Tsuna guessed that the fact that more mixed drinks would be ordered up here was the reason for the man's placement.

"Sawada-dono!" Mr. Guru exclaimed, breaking off his conversation with the two of Tsuna's Guardians. Tsuna went up to join them with a smile.

"How are you enjoying your customers?" Tsuna asked playfully.

"Wonderful, wonderful," came the reply. "Can I get you anything?"

"Mix me up something with V Special?" Tsuna responded. Yamamoto raised an eyebrow at him, but Tsuna just shrugged. More than to inspect the place, Tsuna wanted to relax.

"Coming right up," the man replied. Within a few seconds, Tsuna had a tall glass of some kind of drink he'd never seen before. It was still clear, but it had a thick, jelly-like consistency. Fresh raspberries floated midway down the glass, neither rising to the top nor falling to the bottom. Trusting the man, Tsuna closed his eyes and tried it. The feel of the drink as it slid down his throat was strange, but not altogether bad. Mr. Guru had also somehow managed to destroy the taste of the liquor and replace it with the taste of the raspberries, although there was still the faint lingering aftertaste of cherries.

"That's V Special?" Tsuna asked in surprise when he opened his eyes and put the glass down. Mr. Guru smiled in pleasure at Tsuna's open enjoyment.

"One full glass has the same amount as a straight shot. I used to work in the kitchen back at Headquarters when I was younger. The Ninth liked it when I made this for him, but that's our little secret," he explained with a wink.

"I'll have to remember that," Tsuna replied with a smile. He turned to his two Guardians who were watching him with small smiles on their faces. "You two want to come with me? I'm going to go see how Gokudera likes his Luau then go back down and check out the VIP area."

Yamamoto smiled wildly and immediately offered to join them, but Ryohei turned them down. He gave Tsuna a wink and pointed to Mr. Guru with his chin. Tsuna smiled in understanding. Back when they'd gotten in drinking contests with Patchwork, Ryohei had always been on the lookout for the perfectly-extreme-mixed drink. Of all people, Mr. Guru would be the best chance for him find it.

With Yamamoto and Uhura in tow, Tsuna skipped the next floor and went to the top floor, cradling his drink protectively. Considering that V Special was the only thing that could intoxicate him, he was incredibly happy to have found a new flavor. Not that he disliked the taste of it straight, but it got old after a while.

All thoughts of his drink flew out of his head, however, when the elevator doors opened up to Gokudera's pet idea. A tribal beat assaulted him from every side and he was greeted by a woman wearing a tropical print dress the moment he stepped out. She kissed him on either cheek and tossed a ring of flowers around his neck before going to the next person. Trying to control his blushes from the unexpected greeting, Tsuna walked down the pathway in front of the elevator until he came to area that the sound of drums had been coming from. There he stopped, both in surprise and wonder. Behind him, he could hear Yamamoto quietly laughing over the scene in front of them.

Rather than tiki-torches of fire, someone had come up with the bright idea to set up torches with black-lights. But that wasn't what Yamamoto was laughing at. Gokudera, along with several other people, were beating out the tribal tune they were listening to with their hands. Black-light sensitive paint was flying everywhere from the surface of the giant drums, lighting up everything it touched. On the outskirts of the area, several trained men tapped the core and offset beats on bongos, setting the tempo for the amateur drummers. Gokudera had long been covered in paint, as had his drumming partners. With a laugh, Yamamoto went to join them, quickly becoming covered in paint himself.

Leaving Uhura there, Tsuna just shook his head and walked around until he found the dance area and stage. Several people were sitting around on picnic tables, watching the stage show while they drank and talked. Male fire-eaters showed amazing feats while they danced onstage around beautiful and fearlessly dancing women. Happy that people were enjoying themselves, Tsuna headed back to the elevator.

He turned and went back to the stage area with a blush when he saw Yamamoto and Gokudera smiling and standing rather close together halfway down the path with Yamamoto wiping the paint off his face in a rather caring way. He didn't know why it had made him blush considering he saw the two of them together all the time, but it did. Trying not to think about it too hard, Tsuna waited a minute before once again approaching the elevators. This time, his two Guardians were at a normal distance from one another, openly waiting on him. With a small smile of relief, Tsuna joined them in entering the elevator and descending once again to the first floor.

Tsuna led the way to their VIP area while Gokudera and Yamamoto laughed openly about the crazy drumming they'd done upstairs. Manager Uhura had disappeared while they were up on the fifth floor, although Tsuna didn't mind. Two men guarded the bottom of the stairs leading to the VIP area. Tsuna recognized them as members of the Family. They were actually the two men that had guarded his office for several days straight.

"What's your names? I don't think we've been formally introduced," Tsuna asked politely while his friends walked up the stairs without him.

"I'm Renaldo and that's Derrik, Tenth," the dark-haired man on the left said. "Derrik doesn't talk much, sir."

"Well, thank you for all your hard work," he replied with feeling. Both of the men puffed up a bit in pleasure, having been personally complimented by their boss' heir. "Um, if you could, Haru might want to come up in a little bit and Ryohei might want to come up too."

"We'll let them through, sir," Renaldo assured him immediately. Tsuna gave them another smile before walking up the stairs. The view of the dance floor from above was amazing. He could see Haru bouncing enthusiastically along with the crowd to the beat that the band was sending out. With a smile, Tsuna waved at her when she glanced up and saw him. She waved in return, pointing out Hana beside her. With a gesture, he invited both of them upstairs and they quickly extricated themselves from the dancing mob. The silent conversation only took a few second after which Tsuna turned to find Yamamoto and Gokudera exploring their alcove in wonder.

Hana and Haru were accompanied by a waitress which took their drink orders. Hana seemed taken aback when the two men ordered obviously alcoholic drinks and Tsuna put in a order for 'Mr. Guru's Special' and a shot of V Special. Haru and Hana ordered sodas in keeping with their age. The waitress left without questioning his order, obviously knowing who Mr. Guru was. Snatching Haru up into his arms, Tsuna plopped down into one of the numerous couches strewn around the alcove and the others seated themselves around him.

"You didn't have trouble getting in, did you?" He asked Hana once they were all settled.

"No," she replied simply. "The card you gave me got me past the doors just like you said."

"Good," Tsuna said with a smile. He'd invited all their old friends to the grand opening, although he hadn't seen Kyoko or Mochida at all. Dino had promised to show up at some point, however.

"You didn't seem like the type of person to make a night-club," Hana commented suspiciously.

"I didn't used to be," he agreed. Haru snuggled up next to him on the couch, listening to him in open curiosity. "A lot changed when I went up to Italy, though. I work in a bar on the weekends, so I've gotten used to the atmosphere."

"I'm not sure you could call Pink's a bar, Tenth," Gokudera laughed. Tsuna blushed, bringing curious looks from the two girls. Thankfully, the arrival of their drinks along with the manager kept him from having to say anything.

"Is everything to you're liking, Sawada-dono?" He asked, rubbing his hands together in apprehension. Tsuna smiled to put the man at ease after downing his shot.

"Just fine," he claimed, nursing the other drink that the waitress had brought him. "I have a question though."

"What is it, Sawada-dono?"

"Is this bullet-proof?" He asked, tapping his foot on the floor of their alcove. The manager raised his eyebrows so Tsuna explained, "I can't relax here unless I'm sure that I don't have to worry about being shot. It would be too easy for a hitman to sneak in with the crowd and mark me from the dance floor. As long as I'm sitting, though, there's no clean line-of-sights. Therefore, if there's bullet proof lining in the floor, I can relax up here without fear."

"Um, yes, I believe so," Uhura replied in understanding. "Reborn oversaw the construction of this area."

"It's bullet-proof, Tsuna. You can even stand up without worrying about it. I've got lasers set up to destroy any bullets or other identifiable weapons coming from the direction of the dance floor," Reborn said. Tsuna glanced over to see the hitman enjoying a drink on the couch next to Yamamoto. He seemed pleased at Tsuna's caution. Tsuna smiled, knowing that if Reborn had overseen the details of the VIP area, he had nothing to fear.

"In that case, have someone send up a bottle of V Special for me," he told the manager.

"Are you sure, Tsuna?" Yamamoto questioned. "You don't usually drink when you're outside."

"No problem," Tsuna replied with a smile. "As long as I have you and Gokudera with me and Reborn assures me that I'm not at risk, I can relax without worry." Tsuna's heart pounded a bit while he said it, but he firmly shook off his apprehension. It was true that he never felt comfortable drinking in public, but this was different. He was safe, the music was good, and he was with friends. For once, he wanted to enjoy the moment. He nodded to the manager, reiterating his request and the man headed back downstairs to fulfill it. By the time a waitress returned and dropped off the bottle, Tsuna had already went through his 'Mr. Guru Special'.

"Do you drink a lot?" Hana asked when he poured himself another shot. Tsuna shook his head no, but it was Yamamoto that voiced the answer.

"He usually doesn't drink more than a single or maybe a double shot. This is the first time since the...um...accident that Tsuna's drank anything more in public." He grimaced a bit, unhappy to have brought up the 'accident' even in passing. Tsuna merely sighed and tried to shake off the sadness that the words caused.

"Accident...?" Hana asked.

"It's not something we talk about," Tsuna said firmly. "Any other questions?"

"Since when are you someone that worries about being shot at?"

"Since I--" Tsuna started to say.

"Since he's someone that people want to shoot at," Dino interrupted, appearing at the top of the stairs. Tsuna welcomed him with a cheer. Romario appeared behind him with two drinks in hand, showing Tsuna how the man had made it up the stairs without falling. He sat down in the place that Reborn had disappeared from, receiving appreciative looks from Hana. Romario took a spot on a third couch after handing the blonde man his drink.

"You've got a wonderful place set up, Tsuna," he praised.

"But...?" Tsuna replied, sensing the silent addition to the man's sentence. When the man glanced at the two girls, Tsuna stood and walked with him to the back corner of the raised platform. Haru watched him go in disappointment and Yamamoto and Gokudera had disgruntled looks on their faces.

"What's wrong?" Tsuna asked while they leaned over the restraining railing at the back corner overlooking the band.

"I heard about the drug labs," Dino said, barely loud enough to reach his ears over the music. "Are you sure you got them all?" Tsuna blinked and nodded, knowing that Yamamoto and Gokudera had ensured it. "Well, word is that there's still worry that production is still ongoing somewhere here in Japan. Unless you track down and take out the ringleaders behind it, the labs are just going to pop up again."

"Che," Tsuna replied in irritation. "I know that, but my guys couldn't get any information out of them about who was ordering them around. The labs were working without knowing who their boss was. So, until the Ninth sends me more information from our spies, I'm running blind."

"In that case, there's nothing I can do to help," Dino replied in disappointment. Tsuna smiled and patted the man on the back before escorting him back to the others.

"It's okay," he said, sitting back down with Haru. "I'll take care of it as soon as I get word." His eyes darkened momentarily at the memory of what Yamamoto had told him about. "I won't let a single one of the bastards go." Dino nodded in acceptance before taking a swig of his beer and relaxing back into his seat.

"What's up, Tenth?" Gokudera asked.

"Dino was just wondering about whether or not we found our alpha-dog's den," he answered, knowing the man would understand. He poured himself another drink and tossed it back, determined to relax and enjoy the night.

"Did you find more puppies?" Haru asked hopefully. "I want a puppy!" Tsuna choke on his drink and Haru roughly started to pat his back in worry. Yamamoto and Gokudera laughed openly while Dino snickered over the expression Tsuna had. With a red face, Tsuna tried to cover his automatic reaction and distract her before she started pleading again.

"Isn't this one of your favorite songs, Haru?" At his words, her head popped up and she listened for a moment.

"It is Haru's favorite!" She exclaimed, grabbing Hana's hands and dragging her down to the dance floor. Hana went unwillingly, staring back at Dino with regret. Tsuna sighed the moment they were gone.

"Looks like you got yourself a handful, Tsuna," Dino said with a wide smile.

Tsuna couldn't refute him.


	41. Chapter 41 Club 27

Tsuna relaxed in the VIP couch, content to listen to the music and conversations going on around him. Haru and Hana had returned after three songs when the band took a break and music was poured out of speakers instead. Hana had immediately set to work on Dino when Haru let her come back upstairs. Ryohei had joined them as well and was currently talking drunkenly with Yamamoto, telling him about all the different drinks that Mr. Guru had made him.

"Are you okay, Tenth," Gokudera asked in a hushed tone. He was sitting back, enjoying a cigarette and some kind of non-alcoholic drink. Tsuna wanted to smile when he realized the man was holding back and staying sober so that Tsuna could enjoy himself without worry.

"I'm fine," Tsuna said in surprise. And it was true. Although he'd already downed a half-dozen shots, plus the drinks from Mr. Guru, Tsuna barely felt buzzed. "My flame must have gotten stronger without me knowing it."

"Your flame?" Haru asked.

"My flame burns off alcohol and other effects like they're nothing whether I want it to or not," Tsuna explained. "Normally it's a good thing since it means it's hard for me to be drugged or poisoned, but it also means I can't get drunk off of normal stuff."

"So he drinks V Special when he wants to drink at all," Dino added, joining in the conversation. "Although, I'm surprised you still have a liver with that stuff." He pointed down at the bottle on the table in front of Tsuna.

"It's nothing to me," Tsuna said honestly. He reached forward and poured himself another shot, but rather than drink it, he held it up and looked at it. "I'm not sure how they made it so the effects are so strong, but it's like water in my stomach."

"Water," Dino repeated in doubt. Tsuna laughed.

"It can't be that strong," Hana goaded. "Especially if Tsuna who's a thin shrimp can handle it."

"Oh really?" Tsuna asked, smiling mischievously at the taunt. "Then you wouldn't have any problem trying some."

"Of course not," Hana replied, taking the challenge.

"Wait, Tsuna..." Yamamoto said, also joining the conversation. "She doesn't know what she's getting into."

"I have to agree, little bro," Ryohei added. "Hana wouldn't be able to handle that stuff, it's too extreme!"

"Alright," Tsuna replied in disappointment. "I was only going to let her have a drop, anyway."

"Well, a drop wouldn't be that bad," Dino mumbled. "And considering that V Special is rare stock outside of Vongola, I can't blame her for not believing you." Tsuna smiled, sensing the man's intent. He'd been having to fend off Hana's advances for a while now.

"Don't I have any say in this?" Hana interjected.

"No," Gokudera blurted, making Hana turn red.

"I want to try it, so just hand it over," she said irritably. Tsuna downed the shot he was holding and handed the near-empty glass to her before she could change her mind.

"You only get a drop," Tsuna explained when she shot him a dirty look. "I'd let you have more, but it looks like I'd be lynched if I did." Taking what she could get, Hana tilted the glass back and shook it until the single fat drop still nestled at the bottom fell into her mouth.

"Not bad," she mumbled unsteadily, handing the glass back to Tsuna. Everyone in the alcove smiled, not fooled in the least by her act of sobriety.

"Haru wants to try it too," Haru exclaimed. Tsuna looked down at where had been cuddled up against his chest, resting from her dancing exertions.

"No," Tsuna said, shaking his head.

"Tsuna's mean," she blurted, pulling away from him. She crossed her arms in displeasure and pointedly looked away from him. "Tsuna won't let Haru have a puppy and now he won't let her try his drink. He let Hana try his drink but not Haru." All the guys in the alcove with him gave Tsuna a pitying look. He sighed.

"Fine," Tsuna relented, not wanting her mad at him. "But don't blame me when you have a hangover in the morning."

"Haru won't!" She exclaimed, suddenly willing to look at him again. She wrapped her arms back around him and Tsuna poured another drink. This time, since he wasn't ready for another shot yet, he dipped his finger into the liquid before presenting her with her drop of V Special. Rather than open her mouth and let it drop in, however, she encased his whole finger in her mouth. Tsuna's jaw dropped and a familiar surge tightened his lower extremities. He was flustered and blushing by the time she removed the alcohol from his finger. She looked up at him with a silly grin, the affects of the single drop bringing a rose shade to her cheeks.

"That wasn't fair," Tsuna said when he got his mouth working again. She giggled drunkenly in return and Tsuna decided that it was time for another shot after all. When he finished that one, he decided to go for yet another in order to calm himself down.

"Like I said, you got yourself a handful, Tsuna," Dino teased. Tsuna nodded repeatedly, agreeing silently since he wasn't sure of his voice anymore. With one more shot, Tsuna could feel that he was starting to finally get pleasantly drunk. He relaxed back into his couch, content to be with friends and around people again without being high-strung. Yamamoto and Ryohei had went back to their conversation and Dino was once again talking with Hana, albeit this time she wasn't so difficult to keep her at a distance. Gokudera had even struck up a discussion with Romario.

"This is nice," Tsuna said, kissing the top of Haru's head. Before he could say more, his father and Bianchi appeared at the top of the stairs with a police officer in tow. Tsuna gave him a questioning look rather than cheering like he had for Dino's arrival. The conversations of his friends had stumbled to a stop at the sight of the uniformed man.

"Don't worry, son," Iemitsu said over the loud music. The band had started up again while Tsuna had been drinking. Before Tsuna could say anything, Iemitsu started freeing the curtains that had been bundled up randomly around the alcove. Within seconds, their little gathering was hidden from view and the music was dulled down by the thick materials.

"What's with the cop?" Tsuna asked irritably when he'd finished.

"He's one of ours," Iemitsu explained. The uniformed man walked forward and knelt down next to Tsuna, wanting to show his loyalty. Knowing his duty, Tsuna held out his hand to let the man kiss his Vongola ring. The action always made Tsuna's skin crawl when people did it to him, but it was one of those age-old formalities that he wasn't allowed to change. He tried to ignore the sensation when the man took his hand and pressed his lips against his ring. He also tried to ignore the surprised looks on Hana and Haru's faces. Iemitsu nodded in satisfaction before he and Bianchi found empty seats.

"So what brings you here?" Tsuna asked lazily when the man finished.

"You might not remember me, Tenth," the man said respectfully from where he still knelt next to Tsuna's couch. "I was the one that was forced to arrest you back when you brought in the Crime Brothers."

"Ah, um, that wasn't your fault," Tsuna replied, responding to the shame in the man's voice. Tsuna's cheeks turned pink in response to the memory. "It was Reborn's fault for sending me out in my boxers again."

"Even so," the man replied, still shamed that he'd arrested Tsuna. "Even so, I always wanted to apologize, but I couldn't. I wouldn't have been forced to do it if my partner hadn't been with me."

"It's alright," Tsuna said with a warm smile. "You're an officer of the law. It's your job to arrest people that break it. I'm sure your family is as proud of you as I am." The man's eyes lit up with devotion and he finally looked up. Tsuna looked over at his father, interested to see the knowing smile on the man's face.

"Thank you," the officer repeated in gratitude until Tsuna finally stopped him.

"So what are you doing here of all places?" he asked. "I know you couldn't have come all the way down here just for that."

"Actually, I wanted to introduce myself so that you knew that you have someone in Namimori's Police. You can call on anytime you need me, Tenth," he answered. "I also got myself assigned to patrol around here so that your club wouldn't be bothered by anyone else."

"Well, keep up the good work," Tsuna replied warmly. "I appreciate your thoughtfulness. Vongola is lucky to have you in the Family."

"Thank you, boss!" The man exclaimed. Tsuna smiled and gave the man permission to enjoy the club in dismissal. He sighed the moment the man was gone.

"You could have warned me, dad," Tsuna grumbled, reaching for another shot.

"I found him walking around outside, trying to decide whether or not to come in," Iemitsu replied sheepishly. He ran a hand through his short, blond hair before sipping on the bottle of sake he'd brought with him. "I almost didn't recognize him. He's been stashed away here for a long time. The Ninth put him in place back when he first started thinking that you'd be his choice of heir."

"Why didn't I meet him before this?" Tsuna asked in curiosity.

"Everyone must have forgotten about him," Bianchi answered when Iemitsu seemed clueless. Tsuna sent a pitying look at the stairs the man had just descended.

"Poor guy," he said softly. "I'll have to ask him to do some favors to make it up to him."

"I don't get you, Sawada," Hana suddenly blurted. "You moved to Italy and now you come back and even the cops are kissing your hand. Not only that, but you're worried about people shooting at you. Did you join the Yakuza or something?"

"Mafia," Tsuna corrected, bringing the woman to a stuttering halt. He smiled, feeling strangely at peace with letting the woman know. Now that he wasn't chasing Kyoko, there wasn't any real reason not to tell her. "You remember back when I told you that I was chosen as heir for a rich family in Italy?" Hana nodded, remembering what she'd learned during that fateful year that the Four Horsemen had descended. "Well," Tsuna continued, "That family was actually the Vongola Mafia Family. We're the strongest in our Alliance and I'm the next generation boss that's supposed to take over."

"Wait, so..." She pointed to Yamamoto, Gokudera, and Ryohei.

"They're my core Family. Along with Hibari, Lambo, and a guy named Mukuro, it's their job to keep me alive. Although we're friends more than boss and subordinates, right guys?" Tsuna smiled at the ragged cheer the three let out.

"Then what about..." She pointed to Bianchi.

"She's Family, too," he said. "One of our top hitmen actually." Then Hana pointed to Iemitsu. "He's the Outside Adviser to the Family." Then she pointed to Dino. "He's the tenth generation boss of the Cavallone Family. We're allies."

"And Romario's my right hand," Dino added with a smile.

"And I'm going to be a mafia boss' wife!" Haru exclaimed, not wanting to be left out. Tsuna chuckled softly in agreement while Hana tried to come to terms with the fact that she was surrounded by mafiosos.

"Sure, you're in the mafia and _Hibari _of the Disciplinary Committee is one of your subordinates," she said sarcastically, deciding that they were pulling her leg. She started to say more, but a loud scream and the sudden halting of the band caught their attention. Tsuna tossed Haru to the side and jumped up. He saw the problem the moment he peaked his head out the wall of curtains. Iemitsu and the others all walked to the railing, also curious as to what the sudden problem was. While his friends watched, Tsuna started walking to the stairs. He had seen what the problem was the moment he'd looked out.

The bouncer he'd had fired earlier had tried to appeal to the manager the moment Tsuna's watchful eyes were hidden from view. When that hadn't work, he'd flown into a rage. Tsuna could tell from the way the poor man was sitting on the floor in a daze, having been knocked down rather forcefully. Lamprey was trying to keep him under control, but some of the patrons had tried to help and gotten in the way.

When his feet touched the ground at the bottom of the stairs, the crowd parted from the force of the anger coming off of Tsuna. He walked toward the man single-mindedly, not bothering to hide his displeasure at the fact that his subordinate, Uhura, had been struck down. Halfway across the dance floor, the way opened up for him and Lamprey dropped his fighting stance in awe. Even the man that had been known as Shark paused. Still Tsuna continued through the suddenly quiet area, determined to put an end to the senseless fighting. The cold flames in his eyes were visible when he finally came to a stop in front of the tall man.

"I fired you," Tsuna said calmly. "Get out or I'll personally see you out." The man puffed himself up, his pride not allowing him to take Tsuna's warning.

"Like a little pipsqueak like you could do anything!" He yelled, throwing a left hook. Tsuna grabbed the man's hand and brought it to a standstill in front of his face. Shark had a look of surprise on his face for a single instant before Tsuna started squeezing the fist. The man dropped to his knees and howled.

"How?!" He bellowed, not understanding how someone half his size could take him down so easily. Unconcerned with the man's pain, Tsuna looked over at Lamprey.

"I'll take care of this guy. You check on Uhura," he ordered. Lamprey blinked for a second before doing what he was asked. Tsuna turned back to the offender. "I'm going to let you go now," he said calmly. "When I do, I want you to apologize to all the people who's good time you just tried to ruin. Then I want you to leave and never come back. Okay?" Although Tsuna was smiling when he said it, he tightened his grip on the man's fist until Shark howled in agreement.

Tsuna let go. He suppressed a sigh when the man idiotically tried again to hit him again rather than doing like he had been told. Before the man's fist crossed half the distance, Tsuna hit his temple with a sharp jab. He fell to the ground in an unconscious heap and Tsuna grabbed his collar in a practiced gesture. Dragging the man effortlessly through the crowd, Tsuna tossed him out the front doors and into the street. He stopped and asked a waitress to call the cops to pick the man up before walking back into the dance area.

When he returned, he sent a signal to the band to start back up. Although only three-fourths of the crowd turned back to the music, Tsuna wanted to sag in relief. The mood of the club hadn't taken that big of a hit from the incident. Most of the people seemed to take it in stride. Lamprey had already gotten the manager to his feet so Tsuna decided to return to where his friends were waiting. When they reached the top of the stairs, his three Guardians were waiting with disgruntled looks on their faces.

"You should have let them take care of it, Tsuna," Yamamoto complained.

"People were getting hurt, though," Tsuna replied. "You know I can't just stand by and watch things like that." Yamamoto sighed in resignation, knowing it to be true.

"Amazing, Tsu-kun!" Haru praised. She started punching air like Tsuna had just gotten through with a death-match, making Tsuna laugh at the imitation.

"It was nothing," he said nonchalantly, although he was secretly pleased at her compliment. "Training with Hibari is a lot harder."

"You're a mafia boss," Hana mumbled, finally believing him. Tsuna smiled and took his place back on his couch, picking up the conversation where it had left off.

"Yes, yes I am," he agreed.

"Here's to the tenth generation boss of Vongola," Gokudera toasted suddenly. Tsuna grinned widely and raised a filled shot-glass, wanting to regain his former cheer. He tossed it back the moment everyone yelled Kampai, ardently pleased by Gokudera's gesture. The man was obviously trying to get it into Hana's head that he'd always called Tsuna by the name 'Tenth' for a reason. What their former classmates had always considered to be a strange tic in Gokudera's personality was actually reality. Tsuna _was _the Tenth.

"Are you guys going to kill me or something now that I know?" Hana asked with a small tremble. Tsuna and the others burst out laughing, making her flush. Then Tsuna realized she wasn't joking. Fearless and suspicious Hana was actually scared.

"As long as you don't do anything stupid like trying to turn us in," he said seriously, a bit in awe at how the woman's personality had changed. "I'm still the same Tsuna you went to school with and have been partying with all night. If I had known you'd be scared by knowing, I wouldn't have told you."

"I'm not scared," she said in determination. "I'm just startled. All those crazy things you used to do kind of makes sense now."

"I'm surprised you didn't figure it out before now," Tsuna said, pouring himself yet another drink. His pleasantly drunk level of intoxication had already been burned off again, telling Tsuna that his flame had indeed gotten stronger. "You were the one that always came near to catching me when I tried to hide it from Kyoko."

"Does Kyoko know?" She asked, distracted from her previous apprehension. Tsuna shook his head while Haru wrapped herself back around him possessively. Tsuna smiled softly down at her before looking back up at Hana.

"Since Ryohei's in the mafia because of me, I'd prefer if she didn't know," he explained. "She wouldn't be too happy if she knew about her brother."

"I see," Hana said, giving Ryohei a considering look. "I won't tell her, but I want something from you in return." Tsuna smiled, relieved to see that she'd returned to her normal self.

"What is it?" Tsuna asked without hesitation. "Although if you want that guy in the cow-print shirt, you'll have to wait eight years to get another shot at him." He gave Hana a dangerous look, warning her not to try and test him. Tsuna wasn't going to let Lambo have the Ten-Year-Bazooka back no matter what Hana threatened. Fortunately, she waved the words away.

"Not that. I want this," she said, gesturing to the VIP booth. "When you guys go back up to Italy, I want to be the Queen of this club while you're gone. This would be the perfect place for me to meet older guys." Tsuna blinked several times in surprise before giving laughing agreement. Something like that was much easier to promise than a date with a man that didn't quite exist yet.

"Not bad, Tsuna," Reborn said, jumping into view. "You're finally adding Family members on your own." Tsuna blushed, realizing it was true. By telling Hana and bringing her in to their circle, he'd unknowingly added her to the Family. He wanted to groan at the thought, but knew it was too late to change things now. Haru jumped up and started twirling Hana around in a happy dance while the woman tried to understand what Reborn had said. Tsuna smiled, seeing how Haru was openly still drunk and from Hana's unsteady steps, so was she.

"Wait, wait, wait," Hana said, breaking off the dance and dizzily collapsing back on the couch next to Dino. "Did that little baby just say you added me to the Family?"

"Yup," Tsuna agreed sadly. "Assuming you agree, you're free to join the Family now."

"Why not," Hana shrugged, bringing open looks of amazement from the assembled party. "There's perks, aren't there?"

"A few," Tsuna admitted with a grimace. "But it means you might be put in danger by affiliation."

"Che," she replied. "I'm already affiliated with you thanks to Kyoko. What are the perks? Fancy jewelry? Free trips around the world?"

"Not quite," Yamamoto laughed. "It just means that you'll be under Tsuna's protection and you can feel free to go to him if you have any problems."

"Once a year you get a free cruise to Mafia Land," Reborn added, determined to gain another addition to Tsuna's Family. "It's a high-class resort that is only accessible to mafiosos."

"Private resort?" She asked, her eyes lighting up at the words. While Reborn continued to work her greedy side, Tsuna relaxed and hid his confused emotions. On one hand, Tsuna didn't want Hana in the mafia. On the other hand, adding her to the Family didn't seem like such a bad idea. It meant he had another person in his small circle of friends. Just because she became part of the Family didn't mean she had to do any dirty work. Haru had joined the Family, after all, and she was still normal.

"What do you think, Gokudera," he mumbled while the others continued to talk to Hana openly about the Mafia world. Haru was obliviously and contentedly dozing against his chest again, having finally worn herself out between dancing and the alcohol. Tsuna started drinking again while he waited his right-hand's reply.

"She might be useful, Tenth," Gokudera grudgingly and quietly admitted. "She's suspicious enough that you might be able to trust her to keep an eye on the club while we're gone. Plus, she can keep an eye on Ryohei's sister and send third-party status reports to him. Lawn-head got pretty anxious after being away from her for a year since he wasn't always sure she was telling him everything in her letters." Tsuna nodded in surprise, having not thought of that.

He sat back, listening to the others talk to Hana in contentment. At one point, Tsuna's father gave him a wink and left. Then Bianchi claimed she wanted to check out the other areas of the club with Reborn. After that, Gokudera got restless. From the way that he'd been absently picking at the paint flecks on his shirt, Tsuna could tell he really wanted to play on the drums again but was too embarrassed to ask permission to leave. He tried to claim otherwise, but Tsuna had Yamamoto laughingly drag him away.

Tsuna smiled and relaxed back on his couch, finally pleasantly drunk again. Three-fourths of his bottle was gone, making him sigh in satisfaction. Dino and Ryohei were still talking to Hana, but after a moment they decided to go up to the cocktail bar in order to discuss without having to talk so loudly. Ryohei went with them after looking at Tsuna in askance. Too content to want to get up, Tsuna just waved for him to go, trusting the men at the bottom of the stairs to keep him safe. On his way out, the boxer unbundled the curtains around the doorway in order to hide the fact that Tsuna was alone.

As the curtains fell shut, the reality hit him. Somehow, without him truly noticing it, everyone had left except for Haru. Her head snapped up and she looked around the empty, curtained alcove when the quiet reached her. The music was still playing loudly in the background, but the sudden lack of voices around them had broken her out of her doze.

"Everyone left?" She asked in disappointment.

"Don't you like being alone with me," he pouted playfully. Getting the response he'd been hoping for, she leaned up and kissed him. Then, before he could even give her any hints as to how it made his blood pump, she began unbuttoning his shirt. One by one she started kissing his scars. Closing his eyes to better enjoy her lips against his skin, he relaxed his head back on the couch and let his hands become entangled in her hair. With his other hand he reached forward without disturbing her and got himself another drink in effort to control himself. He tossed it back and put the empty glass back on the table and tried not to enjoy Haru's caress any more than he already was. Even though they were hidden from view, they were still in a very public place.

Tsuna didn't know if it was because she was still tipsy or just because she didn't care, but Haru suddenly seemed determined to please him. He wasn't sure if he should stop her or not. The quickly growing bulge in his pants begged him not to, but there were still dozens of people on the other side of the curtained wall. So busy trying to make up his mind about what he should do, Tsuna didn't realize she'd managed to unbutton his pants with her teeth. By the time he did realize, she'd already managed to lower his zipper and gain access to him.

He stifled a gasp of pleasure when her tongue playfully touched him. He could feel his inner flame spasming wildly in time with the throbbing pulse he felt in his lower extremities. Unfortunately, Tsuna was too intoxicated to be able to suppress it properly. While Haru continued to lick and play with him, Tsuna was helpless against the rising force of his flame.

He bit his hand to try to keep from crying out when she took him fully into her mouth. The taste of dried and burnt blood, long soaked into the material of his glove, made him spit it out in dismay. Then Haru began to suck, running her mouth expertly up and down his staff. He bit his lip and grabbed the top rim of the couch, forcing himself not to touch her in case he lost control of his flames. The feel of himself in her mouth was an incredible new experience, but it was complete and absolute torture since he couldn't trust himself enough to even encourage her by caresses.

He wanted to mumble and gasp and tell her how good she was making him feel, but he bit his lip. The sound of the band playing in the background and the crowd underneath their alcove forced him into silence. Not that Haru seemed discouraged by it. She would glance up occasionally at him and seem satisfied at his fluttering eyes and the slack-jawed expression of pleasure he had.

Picking up her pace, she began to dip lower, taking him deeper and deeper into her mouth until she was sucking on his full length. By then, he was literally in her throat. Strangely enough, it didn't bother Haru. It was probably the effects of the alcohol that allowed her to ignore her gag reflex, but Tsuna, at that moment, didn't really care. Biting down on his lip almost to the point it bled, he tried to suppress the ever-rising force of his inner flame that continued to grow in response to his peaking pleasure.

"H-Ha-ru--" he managed to gasp in warning. Unable to last any longer, he tried to cover his mouth with his hand. Seeing how his glove was already covered in flame, Tsuna held them dumbly in the air instead. There were a lot of places he'd have liked to have put his hands, but unfortunately, he was too scared of catching Haru or anything else on fire. Although, honestly, he barely noticed his hands after a moment, too focused on the feel of Haru swallowing his release while she continued to firmly pump him with her mouth in order to make him give more. Tsuna's jaw dropped and he emitted a low moan from the back of his throat that fortunately couldn't be heard due to the loud music. Seeing stars for a moment, Tsuna sagged and his flames went out after she'd finished swallowing all he could give.

"Ha-hi?" Haru asked, wiping her mouth while she raised her head. After refastening his pants closed, Tsuna looked at where she was staring and blushed brightly. On either side of him, where his hands had been, were two large black circles burnt into the couch where his flame had burst out before he'd let go.

"I, um..." Tsuna said, turning an even brighter shade of red. "You made me forget to take my gloves off," he finally managed to say.

"Your gloves?" She repeated, not understanding. Tsuna pulled her into a kiss, making up for his lack of caresses with a single passionate embrace.

"You're so amazing that you make me loose control," he said in complete honesty before kissing her again. And again. It might have turned into more, but the sound of someone coming up the stairwell reached his ears a split second before someone ducked through the curtain that Ryohei had let down.

"I'm not interrupting am I?" Yamamoto asked, coming to a stop with Gokudera behind him. The two were nearly cover head-to-toe in paint, making them look like some kind of painter's nightmare.

"You two looked like you had fun," he chuckled, putting them both at ease. Haru jumped up, suddenly full of energy again, and told them she was going to dance again. Tsuna watched her go with a smile.

"You two look like you had fun, too," Yamamoto replied teasingly. The man looked at the burn marks in consideration, making Tsuna turn red in embarrassment. Before replying, Tsuna took no less than three more shots of V Special and subsequently finished off the bottle completely.

"It's not my fault," he said, letting the intoxicating effects wash over him. Even though he was burning it off at a respectable rate, three shots straight in a row brought him back up to the level of pleasantly drunk. It kind of made him wonder about himself, considering V Special had affected him more when they'd first returned to Japan. Maybe it was because of Haru that he'd gotten stronger. The thought made him smile to himself in pleasure.

"It's not my fault," he repeated after sending Gokudera for another bottle.

"Then who's fault is it?" Yamamoto asked with a knowing smile.

"Haru's," Tsuna replied firmly. "It's not my fault I can't control my flame when she...well...you know..."

"You can't control your flame?" Yamamoto repeated. "You mean--" He paused when Gokudera returned and Tsuna poured himself another shot in order to hide how flustered he was. "What do you mean you can't control your flame?" Yamamoto asked. Tsuna found his expression funny even though it was no laughing matter. It kept switching between worry, laugher, and embarrassment.

"The Tenth can't control his flame?" Gokudera asked, falling automatically into worry since he didn't know why. Tsuna tried to hide his face while Yamamoto explained. Then again, he'd been a bit worried about it himself and it wasn't something he wanted to talk to his father or the Ninth about. So, in order to free his tongue, Tsuna took three more shots of V Special in quick succession. By the time the last one was down his throat, he felt surprisingly calm about the whole matter.

"I just can't control it," he repeated, bringing murmurs of fake understanding from his friends. "I mean, right when I...and then my flame goes..." He made a exploding gesture with his hands on his forehead to describe it without describing it. Both Yamamoto and Gokudera had flustered looks of laughter on their faces, although he couldn't really blame them. Tsuna hadn't been allowed to be normal in a long time, so it should have been expected that his problems wouldn't be normal either.

"So that's why you almost set the couch on fire?" Yamamoto chuckled.

"The manager should have made sure they were fire-proof," Tsuna mumbled, determined not to take the blame. "And it's all your guy's fault for leaving me alone with Haru."

"Now, now, Tsuna," Yamamoto laughed openly, "Don't blame us because you and your girlfriend are like rabbits." Tsuna blushed, but couldn't deny it. He'd been working on his self-control, but Haru always seemed to shatter it like glass now that they were lovers.

"About your flame, Tenth," Gokudera mumbled with a red face. "It might be a natural response in the Vongola bloodline. It might be a self-defense mechanism."

"Keep going," Tsuna encouraged, taking another drink.

"That is to say, your flame is reacting to the increased burden on your body," he replied, turning scarlet. "Since sex pushes you beyond your limit for... um... pleasure... your flame tries to protect you from the assumed threat by unlocking your body's tolerance limits."

"That kind of makes sense," Tsuna said, sagging in relief. "It explains the double explosions at least. Now that I think about it, it explains why Flare screwed me up so badly back then, too. The drug wouldn't have affected me if I had just lowered my Flame down to the point of near non-existence, but I couldn't control it. It was trying to burn the drug off and, at the same time, I couldn't increase it any farther on my own because of the pain."

"And instead of helping you, it just made you hurt more," Yamamoto finished for him. Tsuna nodded, finally understanding something new about his flame. Although he could control his flame most of the time, it also had autonomous control in response to Tsuna's body rather than his mind.

"Well that's one puzzle figured out," he smiled. "That also explains why my attempts to get drunk off of normal beer didn't work. I couldn't keep my flame down then, either."

"When did you try that, Tenth?" Gokudera asked out of curiosity.

"Back when me and Ryohei kept getting in drinking contests with Patchwork," Tsuna replied. "I felt bad for always winning, so I wanted to have a fair game for once. But no matter what I tried, my Flame kept burning it off. I always ended up guzzling a case in order to just get buzzed." He smiled widely to himself and raised another shot. "But not anymore," he laughed, tossing it back down his throat. He giggled slightly from the giddy effect that the last shot caused, bringing smiles to his two companion's faces. They hadn't seen Tsuna enjoying himself like this in a very, very long time. When he drank in private at home, it always seemed to be in a depressed state. It was nice to see him having fun again.

"Are you guys ready to go?" Ryohei asked, ducking his head into the room. From the glazed look in his eyes, Tsuna could tell he'd been drinking with Mr. Guru again. "It's almost dawn. Hana and Dino already left." Tsuna looked up and blinked, not believing the man.

"Already?" He asked. Looking down at his watch, Tsuna realized that they'd been there through the night. Standing up unsteadily, he went over to the curtained wall and peaked out at the dance floor. It was still full of people, although much less than the last time he'd went down. A different band had taken up the stage at some point, as well.

"Yeah, someone find Haru and we'll go," Tsuna agreed, noticing the tired yet satisfied looks in his friend's eyes. Heading for the stairs, Tsuna started to really feel how much he'd drunk. The room was faintly spinning and his feet kept getting tangled despite his best efforts. In the end, Gokudera had to help him down the stairs so that he didn't break his neck.

"Club 27 was a hit, wasn't it?" He asked Gokudera, suddenly worried that he'd been having too much fun to judge accurately. Gokudera mumbled assurances while he tried to help him to the door. Tsuna almost shrugged him off, suddenly getting the image of Xanxus singing a drinking song in his head, but decided not to. He wasn't _that _bad. His feet just didn't work right.

"You're drunk," Haru said firmly. She wrapped an arm around him in effort to help Gokudera. Tsuna smiled and wrapped an arm around her, instead, suddenly wanting her close. As they headed out the door, the manager appeared.

"Are you leaving, Sawada-dono?" Uhura asked despite the obvious direction they were heading. Tsuna nodded with a wide grin on his face.

"The guys want to go home," he replied drunkenly. "But it was fun. Just make sure to fireproof the couches next time, okay?" The man looked at Tsuna cluelessly, sending him into a fit of giggles while Gokudera and Haru ushered him to the door. He found himself teasing the silver-haired man about his paint-covered clothes while Yamamoto had their car to pull around. Ryohei seemed to just take it all in stride.

"Can we do this again sometime," Tsuna begged with unfocused eyes, suddenly sad to see the night gone. He wanted to have more fun with his friends.

"Sure, Tenth," Gokudera replied with a soft smile as he helped his boss into their car. "Whenever you want."

* * *

Author's note: I know this and the previous chapter was a little longer than normal, but it was something that I had really been needing to add for future story reasons. No spoilers and I'm not going to tell you what part was the required addition. I just hope you guys had fun reading this chapter considering I had fun writing it. 


	42. Chapter 42 Hayakeshi House

Several days later, Yamamoto and Gokudera tried to hide their surprise when Tsuna asked them to come with him without telling them where they were going. Expecting that he wanted to maybe get something for Haru and was scared they'd beg off rather than join him in shopping, the two men smiled and relented. They started getting antsy, however, when the driver took them out of Namimori all together. They became confused and wary when they entered a small fishing village overlooking the ocean instead of a bigger city with more shopping areas.

"Tsuna, where are we going?" Yamamoto asked finally.

"Se-cr-et," Tsuna smiled.

"Does this have anything to do with where you've been going off with lawn-head to, Tenth?" Gokudera asked, also becoming curious.

"May-be," Tsuna replied playfully. The two started playing 'twenty questions' with Tsuna, but he refused to give them any information that actually helped them. "We're here," he said suddenly, before the two could dig any deeper. Yamamoto and Gokudera looked out the window in curiosity.

"Where is here?" Gokudera inquired. They were parked on the road in front of a long, steep set of stairs. At the top, a three story house sat overlooking the ocean. A lighthouse sat next to it, shining brightly from where it had been lovingly cared for. Tsuna got out of the car before answering, leading the two men slowly up the stairs.

"This is Hayakeshi House," Tsuna finally answered, coming to a stop midway up the stairs.

"Hayakeshi?" Yamamoto repeated. Tsuna grinned mischievously in return.

"Since you two are the secret saviors of most of the residents, I thought it was only fitting that it was named after you two," he explained. "I wanted to name it directly after you two, but my lawyers wouldn't permit it. So, they made a hybrid name."

"You mean the kids...?" Gokudera mumbled with his cigarette falling out of his mouth in shock. Tsuna smiled widely, not realizing how apprehensive the two men suddenly became.

"Yup, all the kids that didn't get placed with foster parents are here," he confirmed. "I've been coming and checking on them with Ryohei the past few days. Since we have to go back to Italy next week, I wanted to make sure they were all settled in and happy before we left."

"Tsuna, maybe we should just wait--" Yamamoto quelled, wanting to do nothing more than run away.

"Nope," Tsuna replied. He darted forward and grabbed both of their wrists. Forcefully dragging both of them up the stairs, he smiled brightly at the old woman who was waiting for them at the door.

"Everyone," she called loudly into the house when Tsuna reached the top step. "Tsuna-nii is here to visit again and he brought two new friends." Tsuna dropped his companions' wrists. Before either of the two men could decide to run for it, however, loud and happy squeals emitted from every corner of the house. Within seconds, a steady stream of children came rushing out. Tsuna was tackled to the ground by the wave of smiling and laughing kids. Playing 'tickle monster', he soon had all of them holding their sides and laughing enough that he could extricate himself from the mob.

"Who's this, Tsuna-nii?" One boy who had stayed out of the fray asked. Yamamoto looked down to see the child fearlessly pulling on his shirt.

"That's Yamamoto and the other one is Gokudera," Tsuna replied with a soft smile. He knelt down next to the boy while the rest of the group walked over out of curiosity. "You remember how I told you yesterday that the family that really matters is the ones that cares about you?"

"You can choose your family," the boy recited with a smile. "And you should always take care of the family that takes care of you back."

"That's right," Tsuna praised softly.

"We're all family since we take care of each other," another girl added, wanting to impress Tsuna.

"Exactly," Tsuna agreed with a warm smile. "As long as you take care of each other, all of you are each other's brothers and sisters."

"My uncle isn't my family," one boy blurted, grabbing his friend's hand. "Toshiba is my family because Toshiba made me feel better when I felt like crying last night."

"And Orinato is my family," Toshiba replied with a large smile. "Because Orinato helped me when I fell down and skinned my knee. And Granny Sally is my family because she kissed it and made it better."

"She makes us yummy food, too," another child added. The old lady who was still standing at the door blushed when more and more children marked her as family and clamored to tell Tsuna why. Tsuna merely smiled widely, taking in all their words with a happy heart. These children had been betrayed by their own flesh and blood, but thanks to what Tsuna had taught them, they weren't afraid of making bonds with others.

"That's right," Tsuna interrupted, openly showing his happiness at their willingness to be open with their caring. "I'm so proud of all of you for how you're all being family for each other."

"So are they your family, Tsuna-nii?" The first boy asked again, once again absently pulling on Yamamoto's shirt.

"They sure are," Tsuna said with a warm smile up at his two friends. He looked back at the mob of kids, looking at them one by one while he spoke. "They're more important to me than anything else. They're like my brothers even though we aren't related and they've helped me through a lot of hard times. Anytime bad people want to hurt me, they always come to my rescue."

"Tsuna's helped us, too," Yamamoto said, finally warming up to the crowd. "One time, I broke my arm and I couldn't play baseball anymore. I got really sad and tried to do something horrible, but Tsuna stopped me and taught me that friends are more important than sports. He's also always put me before himself, so I try and do the same for him. That's because we're family even though we don't come from the same parents."

"Really?" Several of the kids asked in awe while Tsuna tried to hide the tears in his eyes. It was one thing to think that he'd helped them in return for everything they did for him, but it was another to actually hear it.

"Really," Yamamoto confirmed.

"Did he help you, too, Goku-nii?" Another child asked. Tsuna looked up, wondering what Gokudera's reaction would be to being called 'Goku-nii'. Surprisingly, he didn't seem to mind. His eyes were shining in a familiar way, probably due to Tsuna's heartfelt words about them. He looked out across the group, for once not automatically irritable around children. Whether it was because of his experience saving them or because of long-term exposure to Lambo, Tsuna didn't know. Gokudera suspiciously wiped his face with his sleeve before answering the question.

"A hundred times over," he said with a sniff. "The Tenth accepted me when everyone else rejected me. My family was horrible, but the Tenth gave me a new family. Thanks to him, I can actually talk to my sister again. He's strong and kind and always cares about me even though I don't deserve it."

Several of the children giggled at Gokudera's overwhelming praise and Tsuna's jaw dropped a bit. He'd known that Gokudera's devotion went to harrowing extremes, but the way he was talking made Tsuna want to blush.

"Why do you call Tsuna-nii the Tenth?" A little girl asked innocently.

"It's a nickname," Tsuna answered, not wanting Gokudera to tell the kids about anything mafia-related. "He's called me that for years now and I've gotten used to it."

"It's out of respect," Gokudera interjected firmly. "It's his title and I refuse to call him by anything else since it would be disrespectful."

"Oh, I see," one boy exclaimed in sudden childish inspiration. "Because he always helps you with all ten of his fingers without holding back any of them. Can we call you the Tenth, too, Tsuna-nii?" Deciding to go with it, Tsuna nodded.

"You guys can call me whatever you want as long as you don't call me Tuna-fish," he quipped. The children started giggling while Tsuna rose once again to his feet.

"Come on, children," Granny Sally called. "It's time for lunch. You've kept the Tenth outside long enough."

"Will you come eat with us, Tenth?" One of the little girls asked hopefully. Before he could give his answer, the mob of children started pushing and pulling the three of them inside.

"Alright, alright," he replied laughingly, seeing the children's enthusiasm. He looked behind him to see matching smiles on Yamamoto's and Gokudera's faces.

"It's alright, _Tenth_," Yamamoto said with a sharp laugh. "We didn't have any plans today." Tsuna rolled his eyes at being called by his title by Yamamoto of all people, but didn't say anything about it. He didn't want to destroy these kids' impression of him.

The sound of a loud rip brought the moving mob of people to a stop halfway down the hall. Ignoring his torn shirt, Tsuna knelt down to help up the child who had fallen. The little boy had been one of the ones who had been tugging him along by his shirt, but had tripped on someone's foot.

"I'm sorry, Nori," the boy named Orinato apologized immediately, also kneeling down to help him up. "I didn't mean to trip you."

"It's alright," Nori responded in instant forgiveness. "It's my fault for not watching my step. But..." He looked down at the large chunk of Tsuna's shirt which was still clutched in his hand. He looked up to see where Tsuna's stomach was exposed from the missing fabric. "I'm sorry, Tenth," the boy said with tears welling up in his eyes.

"It's okay," Tsuna replied warmly. "It's just a shirt. I can alway buy a new one. What's important is that you are okay."

"Are me and Orinato family since he helped me?" Nori asked innocently.

"Do you feel like he's family?" Tsuna replied carefully. "Family is more than just helping one another." He looked up and down the hall at the faces of all the children once again, wanting his lesson to get through to them all. "It's having trust in one another that you'll always be there for each other." He looked back down at Nori softly. "Do you trust that Orinato will always be there to help you? Are you willing to always help him in return?"

"I think so," Nori said, suddenly unsure.

"Well, when you know for sure, that's when you truly become family," Tsuna replied. "I want all of you to think about that. Look to the person next to you and ask yourself those two questions. If you're not sure, you can still be friends. But if you know without a doubt that you trust that person to always be there for you. And if you're willing to always be there to help that person, you are definitely family."

"Even if we sometimes fight?" A girl asked, peeking out from behind Yamamoto.

"Even if you fight sometimes," Tsuna agreed. "Fighting happens sometimes with family. It's the knowledge that you will always make up with each other that builds that trust I was talking about."

"Nori is my family, Tenth!" Orinato exclaimed firmly, holding out a hand to help Nori to his feet. Tsuna smiled warmly at the boy. Nori looked at the outstretched hand for a moment before taking it with a wide smile.

"Orinato is my family, too," Nori agreed.

"And the Tenth is all of our family," Granny Sally called from down the hall. "And I'm sure he's getting hungry since his family won't let him come eat."

"I'm fine--" He started to say. He was interrupted, however, by a sudden loud rumble in his stomach, sending all the kids into a fit of giggles. "Traitor," he mumbled, looking down at his own belly. He'd skipped breakfast in order to look over the ledgers that Manager Uhura had sent over so that Tsuna could see the result of several days of operation.

"I made apple dumplings," Granny Sally called, sending the children running for the dining room. Nori stayed behind, handing Tsuna the remainder of his torn shirt. Tsuna took it with a nod of thanks and stood. He started to follow in the wake of the other children, but a sudden tug on his shirt made him look back down at Nori.

"What's wrong," he asked. "Don't you want some of Granny Sally's apple dumplings?" Nori nodded yes, but he hesitated. He seemed to want to ask something, but was afraid. Tsuna escorted him to the dining hall while he tried to get him to talk.

"You can ask me anything, you know," he said while the boy sat down quietly at the end of the table. Tsuna sat next to him, suddenly grateful for the bench-style seating instead of individual chairs. The arrangement allowed him to sit next to Nori in effort to help the boy get over his hesitation. He thought he knew what the boy wanted to ask, but was too afraid to. Yamamoto and Gokudera joined them hesitantly, taking their cue from Tsuna.

Throughout the meal, the children tossed the two men questions, curiously trying to better understand the concept of family that wasn't related to each other. Slowly, Yamamoto and Gokudera opened up to them and eventually had the whole table giggling over stories they told. Several of them included Tsuna back in middle school, running around in his boxers. Knowing that they didn't mean any harm, Tsuna hid his grumbling and blushes.

Once lunch was finished, Tsuna let several of the children lead him around while they pointed out new things in the house. Yamamoto was escorted around by another group, strangely all female, and Gokudera ended up with a group of older boys. They proudly showed him the good marks they'd gotten and pulled him room from room in the childish desire to show him how well they'd been keeping their rooms clean. Although they were two to a room, none of them seemed to mind that they had to share.

Then they showed him to the games room and the music rooms of the large house. It was in the latter that Tsuna once again ran into Gokudera. The man was playing a lively tune on the room's piano for his group of bouncing and dancing boys, having been talked into it despite his personal apprehension. Tsuna clapped just as enthusiastically as everyone else when he finished the song, bringing a faint blush to Gokudera's cheeks.

"Amazing, Gokudera," Tsuna praised along with everyone else. "That's the first time I ever got to hear you play. I should get a piano in the house so I can hear you more often."

"It's nothing, Tenth," Gokudera mumbled in embarrassment.

"Play something else, Goku-nii!" One of the boys begged. Several others also started clamoring for more, having not been in the room long enough for the whole song.

"Please," Tsuna asked with them. When Gokudera tried to say no, Tsuna got the whole mob of kids to help him. "Pleeeeeeeaaaaasssse," they said together. Gokudera finally relented, his hands flying across the piano at an amazingly fast speed. Halfway through the piece, Yamamoto joined them and the girls that were with him started snatching up boys left and right. Before long, the whole room was full of dancing youngsters who were unable to resist the playful beat of the music. At their insistence, Yamamoto and Tsuna joined in. When Gokudera finished with a flourish, everyone dropped to the ground in laughter and happiness. Tsuna sat down with them, exhausted from the children's energetic dance.

"Well, we've got to go soon," Tsuna said from where he sat. Several of the kids moaned in disappointment, but Tsuna smiled reassuringly to them. "I'll stop by again tomorrow, but remember that I won't be able to come again for a long time after that. I've got to go back to Italy to go to school. You guys don't want me to get in trouble with my teachers, do you?"

"No," the group said in resignation.

"When will we get to see you again after that?" Toshiba asked in curiosity.

"I don't know," he answered honestly. "I want to try and come back again in a few months, but I can't promise. It all depends on when my keepers let me get away. I can promise to come visit next time I'm in town, though."

"Will you bring Goku-nii and Yama-nii with you again?" Orinato asked.

"If you want me to," Tsuna replied.

"And Ryo-nii," one of the older boys added. "I want to go fishing with him again."

"Ryo-nii, too," Tsuna promised. "Now, before I go, does anyone have any questions they want to ask?" He tried not to look at Nori, giving the boy the chance to gather his courage on his own. When no one seemed to have any, the boy finally managed to overcome his hesitation before his chance escaped him.

"What happened to your stomach, Tenth?" Nori asked softly.

"My stomach?" Tsuna replied, pretending to be surprised. He looked down at the large hole in his shirt where several scars were exposed. "You mean these?" He asked, pointing to the white lines. Nori nodded, as did several other of the children that had been curious but too afraid to ask. "Well," Tsuna said, intending to be honest, "these are from a long time ago when I got taken away by bad men."

"Bad men?" One of the children asked innocently. "Like those bad men that made us work and wouldn't let Yuri eat and she died?" Tsuna tried to hide the pain that the child's careless statement caused. He looked across the gathering of kids, all who seemed unaffected by the little boy's words. They'd all seen those kind of things daily during their captivity. It was a miracle that they'd recovered so quickly, although he knew it was mostly due to their reliance on one another. By Tsuna showing them that they weren't alone, they'd been able to bounce back from something that would normally scar them horrifically.

"Yes, those kind of bad men," Tsuna agreed softly, ignoring the painful clenching of his heart. "I got taken away by them a long time ago and they hurt me."

"Did your family help you?" Nori asked in curiosity.

"They did," Tsuna confirmed. "They all went together and because they were together, they scared the bad men away and saved me."

"So if we're all together, we can be strong enough to scare away the bad men, too, if they ever come back?"

"Maybe," Tsuna said, not wanting to lie. "It all depends on how strong you are compared to how strong they are. If you are strong as individuals as well as being strong in numbers, it would be really hard for bad men to hurt any of you."

"What if I'm weak?" A small girl asked worriedly. Tsuna could understand her reasoning, considering she was as thin as a rail. She seemed to be one of the few that had been starved nearly to death before she'd been saved. It would take more than a week or two for her to regain her normal weight.

"You don't have to be strong in muscles," Tsuna assured her. "Just in your determination to protect your family and friends."

"I'll protect you, Winry," Nori exclaimed, jumping up suddenly and forcefully. The girl looked at him in surprise and Tsuna smiled knowingly to himself.

"Thank you, Nori," she replied with a warm smile. He blushed and sat back down, hugging his knees in embarrassment.

"That's the kind of determination I'm talking about. Nori is strong as long as he can remember how it feels to want to protect something," he told the girl. She blushed a bit and glanced over at where Nori was still hiding his red face.

"Any other questions?" Tsuna asked. When no one seemed to have any, Tsuna stood and started saying his farewells. Yamamoto and Gokudera stood with him, amid the disappointed cries of the children. They all jumped up and started begging them not to leave, but Tsuna extricated himself out of the mob after several minutes. Yamamoto and Gokudera weren't far behind him in walking out the door. Behind them, the mob of children restrained themselves at the porch and waved enthusiastically around their cries for Tsuna to return with his family.

"So, what did you think Hayakeshi House?" Tsuna inquired once the three of them were safely on their way back to Namimori.

"I'm relieved," Yamamoto replied honestly. "You took care of them just like you promised, Tsuna. It's hard to tell that they're the same kids that we saved from the drug lab." Tsuna looked over at Gokudera, curious as to his answer. Unfortunately, the silver-haired man had become speechless a while back and still hadn't regained his voice. Tsuna smiled, knowing that Gokudera had probably come to the same conclusion.

"They'll be okay," Tsuna said to himself. "They've got each other, after all."

Gokudera and Yamamoto nodded, unable to think of anything to add to the statement. The kids would be okay and that's all that ever really mattered.

* * *

The car came to a stop at a traffic light and Tsuna caught a glimpse of an altercation that he couldn't ignore. Having just left the foster home, the sight of three full grown men beating a middle-school kid made him jump out of the car before any of his friends could react. He ran down the alley, his friends quickly jumping out and following him. Seeing Tsuna and his two large friends barreling down the alley toward them, the men started running. Tsuna almost gave chase, but instead dropped down to tend to the boy. Seeing what had made his boss act so erratically, Gokudera ran after them in his stead. 

"Go help Gokudera," Tsuna ordered Yamamoto. "Make sure those men get turned in to the authorities. I'm going to get this one to a hospital." He knelt down and picked up the boy, worried that he'd been hurt too badly to be saved. Under a thick layer of dirt, black and blue bruises covered his arms and face and a cut across his temple was bleeding. With a nod, Yamamoto ran in the direction he heard Gokudera's bombs going off while Tsuna ran back to where the car was waiting in the middle of traffic.

"Get me to a hospital and fast," Tsuna ordered with the boy in his lap. The driver looked back at the bundle he was carrying before hitting the gas with determination. Bypassing any street with a stoplight, the driver expertly navigated the back roads and soon, they were in front of Dino's private facility.

"This was the closest, sir," the driver said. Tsuna didn't care. He rushed the boy inside, memories of his own beating surfacing every time he looked down at the kid. He couldn't be more than twelve or thirteen judging from his small frame.

"Tsuna...?!" Dino asked, seeing his friend walk in with someone in his arms. Not questioning his luck, Tsuna quickly filled Dino in while medics ran forward to take his burden.

"He'll be alright," a doctor assured him nearly ten minutes later. "He's got a bump on his head, a broken arm, and some bruises, but otherwise he's okay. He's awake now and I've got the nurses giving him a bath so that we can put a cast on him."

"Did he have any ID on him?" Tsuna asked. In answer, the doctor escorted Tsuna to where they had put the boy's clothes and belongings after changing him into hospital wear. Tsuna raised an eyebrow at the items, curious as to the boy's story. They were worn and tattered, although they had once been an over-sized sweater and jeans. There wasn't a wallet or any other type of identifying feature other than that. Then again, it was always possible that the men had stolen it.

"Sir," a nurse said, interrupting Tsuna's inspection. "I think you might want to come talk to the boy you brought in."

"Is something wrong?" Tsuna asked in worry.

"No, it's just that..." She paused, unable to think of a way to say whatever was on her mind. "Well, just come and see for yourself." Tsuna traded looks with Dino, his curiosity aroused by the woman's attitude. She was looking at Tsuna in wonder for some reason.

"Lead the way," Tsuna said. The doctor followed behind the two men who in turn followed the nurse. After going down several hallways, she came to a stop in front of a room.

"I'd warn you, but I don't think you'd believe me," she muttered, opening the door. Tsuna raised an eyebrow before following her in.

He stopped and his jaw dropped in shock.

The boy he'd saved was looking around the room in curiosity, his broken arm supported by a sling. His dirty, matted hair had been washed, revealing him to have a head of thick and messy brown hair. But that wasn't what made Tsuna freeze. It was the boy's face, which had previously been hidden under dirt and blood. When the boy turned and also came to a halt with the same frozen reaction, Tsuna could see how closely they looked like one another. Even with a black eye and a bandage over the cut across his forehead, it was as if Tsuna was staring into a mirror. The slight frame that had made him think the person was a boy was actually one resembling his own. The only difference between the two was the wide green eyes instead of Tsuna's own brown ones.

"Tsuna," Dino asked hesitantly. "Did you have a twin brother you didn't tell me about?" Tsuna shook his head.

"I don't think so. You might want to call my dad and ask him, though," he replied, unable to deny the resemblance. Trying to shake off his shock, Tsuna hesitantly raised a shaking hand. "I'm Tsuna," he introduced himself. The other looked at it for a moment before hesitantly stepping forward and taking it.

"I'm Toshi," his counterpart replied just as hesitantly.

"I'd ask why you look like me, but I have a feeling that you're wondering the same thing," Tsuna muttered. When Toshi nodded, Tsuna turned to Dino. "You probably know the Vongola bloodline better than I do. Were there any offshoot branches that I should know about?"

"No, nothing that would explain this," Dino replied. "He's definitely Japanese like you, but the First's family tree didn't have any breaks that I know about. The Ninth would have tracked them down if you had any cousins since they'd be direct descendants just like you. Plus, I don't remember hearing anything about other potential candidates from the First's bloodline."

"I see," Tsuna replied, still trying to overcome his shock.

"Were you the one that brought me here?" Toshi asked, breaking into their conversation. "I don't have any money to--"

"Don't worry about it," Tsuna replied automatically. "I'll take care of it. Can you tell me why those men were ganging up on you, though?"

"Why do you care?" Toshi responded in sudden suspicion.

"Well, considering I saved you, I think you'd be more open with me," Tsuna replied, suddenly irritable at seeing someone that looked like him with such a sour expression on his face. "And considering I left my men back there to take care of them alone, I think I have the right to know."

"They were loan-sharks from Tokyo," Toshi admitted grudgingly.

"You missed a payment?" Tsuna nodded in understanding. Even straight-laced loan-sharks had to play rough if they were to ever get repaid. Too many people swore they'd return the money and the interest but never kept their promises. Tsuna had been forced to deal with several due to bad deals that some low-tier Vongola lackeys tried to hide until the problem had started to escalate. Only once had Tsuna met a loan-shark that didn't have an unreasonable interest rate in order to squeeze money from it's clients. That one had been paid off the sum that had been promised with no problem.

"No!" Toshi yelled in vehement rejection of the statement. Tsuna blinked, his introspection broken by the flushed look on Toshi's face. "My friend borrowed money from them then skipped town. When they couldn't find him, they came after me."

"He's just as unlucky as you used to be," Dino laughed at Tsuna.

"Why would they be after you?" Tsuna prompted, ignoring the taunt. "You didn't look like you had a cent to your name when I brought you in."

"That's because I was on the run from those guys," Toshi replied. His tone suggested that it should have been obvious. "I just ran into some...bad luck," he finished with a glance at Dino. Fat tears started welling up in Toshi's eyes, spilling out while the man explained. "I lost my job, wrecked my bike, got my wallet stolen, caught in a storm, a bus splashed mud on me, and then I got chased halfway across two cities by a pack of dogs. I finally reached this city and thought maybe I could get a bath and some food from the nice people I kept running across."

"But," Tsuna prompted, feeling oddly sympathetic of the man.

"But those guys found me right when I got an offer of help from a nice old lady. I didn't want her hurt for trying to help me, so I ran. Those bastards caught up with me in the alley and the rest you know."

"Do you have anyone you can call?" Tsuna asked carefully. "My men should have taken care of the loan-sharks, so you shouldn't have to worry about them anymore."

"No," Toshi replied, wiping his eyes. He sat on the edge of the hospital bed with a pathetic look on his face. "My parents died in an earthquake a few years ago, my old boss could care less what happens to me, and my girlfriend dumped me and left with my friend that skipped town."

"Bummer," Dino replied. "I take back what I said Tsuna. I think he's actually unluckier than you ever were." Tsuna nodded, unable to disagree. Even at the worst of things, he'd never had such a bad streak.

"Well, if you're interested, I'm looking for someone to help my mom with chores around the house," Tsuna offered. Dino looked at him in surprise, but Tsuna smiled. "My intuition tells me you're not a bad person," he told Toshi. "You can come live with us and I'll even pay you for your help."

"You might think about having him trained as your shadow, Tsuna," Dino suggested with a considering look on his face. "If he put in some color contacts and fake scars, he'd be perfect."

"Maybe," Tsuna mumbled. "But I'm not worried about that right now. That's something to think about in a few years. Right now, I just want him somewhere that he can recover and relax. He's been through enough."

"You mean it?" Toshi sobbed, bringing their attention back to him. "You'll really give me a place to live and pay me just for doing some chores?" When Tsuna nodded, the man started crying again. "D-Do you think I could go back to school, too?" He asked around his tears. "I got kicked out of my old one because--" Tsuna interrupted him before he could go on another spree about his past hardships.

"I definitely would want you to go back to school if you haven't finished yet," Tsuna assured him. The man cried harder at the words, unable to control his relief and happiness over his sudden good fortune. Rather than stick around and say something that might end up making Toshi cry more, Tsuna ducked out of the room. Heading for the phone, Tsuna wondered what everyone would make of his twin.


	43. Chapter 43 Toshi

Rather than give Toshi back his dirty and tattered clothes, Tsuna sent out for a new set while the man in question was getting a cast put on his arm. Toshi was overwhelming in his gratitude when Tsuna brought in several bags full for him to choose from. Gokudera and Yamamoto still hadn't caught up with him, although Tsuna assumed it was because they were filling out police reports. That was fine with him, since it allowed Tsuna the chance to get used to seeing his own face on someone else.

"I've never been that lucky," Toshi said once he was dressed. "It's always a long string of bad luck followed by some good luck and then bad luck again."

"Like finding money on the street after getting caught in a rainstorm?" Tsuna asked with a laugh.

"No," Toshi laughed sadly in reply. "Like finding money on the street after my apartment burned down and my dog was caught inside."

"Ouch," Tsuna replied with a grimace.

"I've gotten used to it," Toshi laughed. "But having you find me before those guys killed me makes me wonder if my streak has finally been broken."

"Well, since you _were _so unlucky," Tsuna said seriously, sitting on the chairs strewn about the room. "There's something I need to warn you about before we head home."

"What is it?" Toshi asked, picking up on Tsuna's tone. He sat on the edge of one of the hospital beds, waiting expectantly for Tsuna's reply.

"I'm not..." Tsuna paused, unsure of how to say it. "By coming with me, you might be put in danger," he finally said. "Since you look like me, anyone wanting to kill me might mistake you for me."

"You got people trying to kill you?" Toshi gasped. "What did you do?"

"It's not something I did," Tsuna corrected. "It's who I am. I have a lot of allies, but I also have a lot of enemies. None of them are currently coming after me since I've scared most of them into submission, but there's always the threat that they might overcome their fear. I just thought it would be fair to warn you in case you decide to stay with us."

"Well," Toshi said, thinking carefully. "I guess you could say that's the only place I have any luck. I haven't died yet, no matter how bad the situation got. I thank you for being honest, but I'm really not worried about it. If I get killed, I get killed. At least with you, I feel like I finally have a chance to break my streak of bad luck." Tsuna nodded, trying not to allow Toshi's nonchalant manner to bother him.

The sound of voices coming down the hall caught Tsuna's attention. Recognizing them, Tsuna had a sudden mischievous feeling. He quickly explained what he wanted to do and Toshi agreed with a wide grin. Tsuna hid behind the door while Toshi pretended to be asleep on the bed. Considering that Tsuna didn't hear Dino's voice, he assumed that Yamamoto and Gokudera hadn't been warned. He wanted to see whether or not Toshi's appearance fooled his two friends. Tsuna covered his mouth with his hands when the door opened, not wanting to spoil the surprise. The two men stopped a few feet inside, looking at the sleeping form on the bed.

"What happened to Tsuna?!" Yamamoto cried in dismay, seeing what looked to be Tsuna with a broken arm and bandaged head.

"That's not the Tenth, sword-freak," Gokudera replied instantly in anger. Before anyone could stop him, he rushed over to the bed and grabbed the fake by the collar. Shaking him awake, the dynamite specialist started yelling. "What did you do with the Tenth?! Talk before I--"

"Gokudera!" Tsuna yelled. "Let him go, he's injured!"

"Tenth!" Gokudera cried in joy. He let Toshi fall back to the bed and looked at Tsuna with devoted eyes. Tsuna just wanted to shake his head at the man's zeal.

"Sorry, Toshi," Tsuna apologized. "I should have known Gokudera would be able to tell."

"It's alright," Toshi laughed, rubbing his neck. "But why did he call you the Tenth?" Tsuna sighed in response, it being the second time that day that someone asked that.

"Well, if we were related, you might say I'm the evil twin," Tsuna answered sadly. "I wasn't going to mention it since I gave you the warning, but it looks like I need to give you the whole truth."

"Is this your brother, Tsuna?" Yamamoto interrupted.

"No, it's just coincidence that we look alike. At least I think so. Dino's running blood tests for me right now," he answered, sitting down comfortably on the room's only chair again. Toshi was sprawled out on the bed still with a look of confusion on his face.

"Whole truth? And did you say blood tests?" Toshi repeated.

"Toshi," Tsuna replied carefully. "What would you say if I told you that I was a mafia boss?"

"I'd say I could care less," Toshi responded instantly. "You saved me from those thugs and that's all I really need to know."

"Good answer, Fake-chan," Gokudera interjected warmly. Tsuna smiled up at his right hand, sensing the man's sudden willingness to accept Toshi. The fact that he resembled Tsuna probably had a lot to do with it.

"The results were negative," Dino called loudly, walking through the open door with a sheaf of papers. Tsuna blinked up at him before standing and going over to see for himself. He looked over Dino's shoulder at the papers, trying to make sense of them. "His DNA doesn't have a single marker in common with you, Tsuna," Dino explained, pointing out several spots on the graph. "There's no way possible for you two to be related."

"So it's just a quirk of nature?" Tsuna asked in surprise. Dino nodded, making Tsuna sag in relief. At least now he didn't have to worry about Toshi being used by someone for a hostile takeover. Even if people found out about the man, there's no way that the Vongola Ring would accept him. And it was the Ring that made Tsuna the Tenth, not anything else. He blushed, seeing Dino's knowing look. The blond man knew exactly what was going through Tsuna's head.

"Okay," Tsuna mumbled. "One last thing before we go home."

"We?" Yamamoto asked. "Is Toshi coming with us?"

"Yup," Tsuna confirmed. "He's going to be mom's helper around the house. I've already offered and he's already accepted."

"I'm ready whenever you are," Toshi said enthusiastically, readjusting his sling. Tsuna brought everyone to a halt, however.

"Before we go, I need to look in your head," he stated calmly.

"What? My head?" Toshi replied in confusion. Tsuna slowly walked up to him, trying not to let him get startled.

"I have to double-check if I'm going to trust you enough to bring you in my home," Tsuna said. "My gut tells me that you're not a bad person, but well, I can't rely on just that. Not when I might be putting my whole family's safety at risk."

"Alright," Toshi sagged in understanding. "But how am I going to prove myself to you?"

"Just stand there," Tsuna answered, making the man stiffen in surprise. Before he could get agitated, Tsuna summoned an orange Delving Flame onto the tip of his finger. He'd gotten better at Delving over the past year once he realized he could make Information Gathering go faster with it. He couldn't force his way into someone's mind, but he could read surface thoughts with a touch. Until the Ninth trained him more in the use of it, he'd been restricted from trying more.

"This won't hurt," Tsuna promised, seeing a look of fear on the man's face. Before Toshi could get too worried about it, Tsuna brought the flame to the man's head. Unlike Tsuna's normal flames, the Delving Flame didn't give off heat. The light and shape was merely a focusing tool for the recipient more than for Tsuna. Even knowing that, Tsuna hesitated a mere second before pressing his finger against the man's forehead.

"Think about everything that's happened in your life," Tsuna prompted. Tsuna closed his eyes when images started flooding into his head. None of them seemed to last more than an instant, although several faces repeatedly came to the man's mind. After a minute of Toshi thinking about everything that's happened to him, Tsuna asked one more prompt. "What is the name of my Family?" When Toshi's mind went blank, Tsuna pulled away in satisfaction.

"Alright," Tsuna said with a warm smile.

"That's it? What did you do, read my mind?" He asked with a laugh.

"Kind of," Tsuna agreed, bringing the man to a standstill. "Don't worry, I didn't pry. I just watched what you thought about when I asked my questions. I didn't see anything specific, but I got an overall impression of who you are. Oh, and in case you ever wonder, you have a green flame, although it's not very strong."

"Pretty nifty trick," Yamamoto praised. Tsuna smiled warmly in return before getting the group moving. Now that Tsuna was satisfied that Toshi wasn't a spy or a threat, he wanted to return home to where Haru was waiting. It was well past time for school to let out and was getting close to dinner time.

After giving his farewell and thanks to Dino, he led the pack of men outside to where his car was waiting. The driver tossed away his cigarette and opened the doors for them the moment they were in range. Toshi raised an eyebrow at the service, but didn't comment. The driver, in return, looked from Toshi to Tsuna and back again, obviously unsure of which one was his boss. Tsuna quietly smiled to himself and let the man sweat until everyone was seated comfortably and the driver took his place behind the wheel.

"Where to, boss," the driver asked, pointedly not looking at either Toshi or Tsuna.

"Home," Tsuna ordered, smiling openly at the man's sigh of relief. "And you can pass it around that Toshi is the one with the broken arm and green eyes," he added with a knowing smile. "He'll be staying with us from now on."

"Y-Yes, sir," the driver said with a blush. Several minutes later when the driver dropped them off at the front gates and went to pull the car into the driveway, Tsuna paused to let Toshi take in the large estate.

"I feel like I'm stuck in the Prince and the Pauper," Toshi gaped. "Are you sure it's okay for me to stay here with you?"

"You're working for me now, aren't you?" Tsuna asked with a small smile.

"But you could hire anyone to do chores," Toshi objected. "Why me of all people? Is it because we look alike?"

"That's part of it," Tsuna admitted. "But more than that, I need someone I can trust around the family. Mom has been taking care of the kids by herself while I've been training up in Italy. When I go back, I can't just leave some random person with them."

"But you trust me?" Toshi asked, knowing that he was just some random person.

"I've seen inside your head," Tsuna reminded him. "You don't have any intention to hurt them or betray me." With a smile, he motioned for Toshi to follow where Gokudera and Yamamoto had went ahead. Tsuna fell behind, lost in his own thoughts. Toshi would be an important addition to the Family in a few years, assuming he didn't mind the idea of being Tsuna's shadow. The Ninth's shadow, Tsuna knew from a past conversation, had been created via plastic surgery. But Tsuna hadn't wanted anyone to give up their face for him. With Toshi, such a thing wouldn't be needed.

Tsuna shook his head, pushing the thoughts away. That was for in the future. He couldn't allow himself to think of Toshi as someone who would do such a thing for him right now. Even though all Toshi would have to do it occasionally make his appearance in Tsuna's stead, the danger was too much for Tsuna to consider at the moment. Toshi was an innocent person that he'd literally picked up off the street.

Who was being expertly kissed by Haru, he realized when he looked up at where Toshi had entered the house ahead of him. Since Tsuna hadn't entered with the man, Haru had thought Toshi was Tsuna and had flown into his arms the moment he got through the door. Toshi, for his part, was standing in shock, too afraid to return the embrace while Yamamoto and Gokudera watched laughingly.

"Haru," Tsuna growled low in the back of his throat, not finding it the least bit funny.

"What Tsu-kun?" She replied, breaking off the kiss and looking up at Toshi since she assumed he'd been the one that spoke. "What happened to your arm?!" She gasped, suddenly noticing the sling and the bandages on his head.

"Haru!" Tsuna snapped while his two friends laughed openly at Toshi's plight. Haru glanced at Tsuna before putting her attention back on Toshi, thinking the man was her beloved. Then she did a double-take, realizing that there were two Tsunas. "I'm over here," Tsuna grumbled. Haru shrieked and shoved Toshi away the moment it hit her that she'd just kissed someone other than Tsuna. He fell backward, landing on the ground with a soft thud.

Yamamoto went to help him while Tsuna finally entered the house. Haru had a look of mortification on her face and Tsuna wasn't sure how he should feel. He couldn't blame Toshi, since the man couldn't be faulted for how he looked. Haru, on the other hand, should have been able to tell. Then again, she'd probably been awaiting his return anxiously and had become excited the moment she saw what she had thought to be Tsuna.

"It's alright," Tsuna soothed, brushing loose hairs out of Haru's face. "It's my fault for not warning you. I called dad about it earlier, but I don't think I remembered to tell him that I was bringing Toshi home with me."

"Sorry!" Toshi blurted with a low bow, willing to take the blame regardless of his lack of fault. Around that time, everyone in the house appeared, curious as to why Haru had shrieked.

"There's two Tsuna-niis!" Fuuta exclaimed, pointing at them each in turn. He looked up at Nana in askance, as did several other people.

"We're not related," Tsuna answered for his mother. "I've got the blood tests to prove it. Everyone, I want you to meet Toshi. Toshi is going to be living with us from now on and I want you to help make him feel welcome."

"I'll have to make extra for dinner!" Nana squeaked, running for the kitchen. Tsuna smiled softly after her, knowing that she took everything in stride. After introducing everyone and showing Toshi around, Tsuna showed him where his room would be. Toshi's eyes widened with every corridor, feeling more and more like the pauper who'd been taken in by a prince. Then Tsuna showed him around the Guardian's wing and where Tsuna's room was. Taking the opportunity, Tsuna changed his ripped shirt before leading Toshi back into the dining room.

It was here that Iemitsu finally met Tsuna's shadow. Like Gokudera, his father was able to immediately tell the difference. Then again, the lack of Tsuna's black 27 fingerless gloves should have immediately told everyone the difference. Tsuna hardly ever took them off, after all. With the slightest bit of flame, they became his personal weapons and defense, his X-Gloves. Iemitsu was the one that pointed it out to Yamamoto and Ryohei. Gokudera claimed he could tell them apart because Toshi looked nothing like his boss. Tsuna didn't ask how that was possible considering Gokudera's focused devotion where he was concerned.

Overall, Toshi's appearance went smoothly. He answered the curious questions he was asked over dinner, not believing his luck at being taken in by such a warm and lively family. At one point, he became overwhelmed with gratitude and joy again, crying into his rice-bowl despite the people around him. After hearing Toshi's story, not a single person at the table blamed him for his reaction. They all looked at him in understanding sympathy and Tsuna got a few warm looks for taking him in.

After dinner, Toshi immediately tried to start helping Tsuna's mother in order to return the kindness he'd been given. From the caring way he talked Nana into letting him help, Tsuna had a feeling Toshi had forgotten it was even the reason he was living with them now. Tsuna's mother tried to turn him down, pointing out how he had a broken arm, but Toshi took it all in stride. He talked her into letting him dry the dishes one-handed, making Tsuna sigh happily from where he watched in secret.

Satisfied that Toshi would fit in nicely, Tsuna joined the rest of the Family in the living room. Lambo and I-Pin were playing quietly for once and Fuuta was reading a volume of some detective manga. Iemitsu was enjoying another after-dinner sake and dozing lazily on the couch. His Guardians were all out on the back deck overlooking the hot springs. They were laughing and talking about Hayakeshi House and planning what they should do on the next day's visit.

Instead of joining them, Tsuna went to track down the strangely absent Haru. He found her in their room, standing on the balcony with the doors thrown wide open. She didn't even notice his entrance, quietly lost in her thoughts for once. With a squeak of surprise, she did notice when he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

"Tsuna...?" She asked, scared that he wasn't. Tsuna laughed at her apprehension.

"Why did you stop calling me Tsu-kun?" He asked softly into her ear, telling her that he was the real thing. She relaxed in his arms, leaning back against his chest in relief.

"I wasn't sure it was you, Tsu-kun," she replied. "I thought it was, but after earlier..."

"Does it bother you that there's someone else that looks like me?" He inquired with a whisper. While he waited on her answer, he sent butterfly kisses along her shoulders. After school, she had changed into a yellow, sleeveless top with straps that exposed her shoulders and neck. Bare skin quickly became the prime target for Tsuna's desire to touch.

"No," Haru answered, obviously enjoying his soft kisses. "I thought there was something different about him when I first saw him, so I know I can tell you two apart. I'm just mad at myself for not listening to my gut feeling and kissing him before I saw that there were two Tsunas."

"I'll make you forget it," Tsuna promised. He turned her in his arms and gave her a passionate embrace, wiping away her memory of Toshi's lips with the feeling of his own. Then, he spent the rest of the night keeping his promise. By the time he was finished, Haru had completely forgotten Toshi even existed.

* * *

Tsuna smiled as he looked out at the back deck that was warmly lit in the setting sun. The Family was all playing in the large hot-spring. Realistically, it could be called a pool, if you ignore the fact that the water was naturally heated. Lambo was doing cannonballs and I-Pin kept merrily going down the slide. Everyone was happy and excited since Tsuna had given permission for a pool party. He hadn't been able to say no, considering they only had another few days left in Japan.

As if the thought summoned their guests, the doorbell rang. Within seconds, Fuuta went flying through to see if it was the girl from his school he'd invited. Tsuna could only shake his head at the thought. Fuuta was going to Nami-chuu now, the very fact made Tsuna feel old even though they only had a few years difference in age.

"Tsu-kun," his mother called from inside the pool. "Come join us." He shook his head no as he brought a cooler of beverages out to the deck for everyone. His mother, Bianchi, Fuuta, and the other kids hadn't seen his scars, and he didn't feel like now was the time to show them. He'd have enough fun watching all of them being blissfully happy.

He did dress for the occasion of a party, sort of. Instead of a white long-sleeve button-down shirt that he normally wore in Italy, he had a long-sleeve shirt sporting a Hawaiian print and loose pants. Yamamoto apparently didn't seem to think that was enough to make him look relaxed. Tsuna realized it when he reached up for his sunglasses and found small paper umbrellas stuck in his hair instead. He blushed and pulled them out, bringing a chuckle from the poolside swordsman. Who knew how long he'd been walking around with those stuck to his head?

Gokudera was off to the side, having a drink with his sister. She had apparently made him a new batch of cookies she wanted him to try. Tsuna found himself shaking his head again. Ever since Gokudera went through all the poisons and gases training, the man hadn't been scared of anything. He'd actually came to enjoy his sister's cooking. Tsuna knew from experience that she was a really good cook once the poison had been taken care of, but still. Poison-cooking!

Ryohei began having an extreme diving contest with Lambo to see who could stay under longer. Too bad for Ryohei that Lambo was sneaky in coming up for breathes without the boxer knowing. He kept losing and re-challenging the boy who continued to gloat over his superiority. I-Pin seemed fine. Although she kept running to her room anytime someone told her that her swimsuit was cute.

And Haru...Tsuna had to keep his eyes averted from the girl for his own sake. Seeing her in a bikini was almost better than seeing her naked. She had definitely filled out since the last time they'd all went to the beach together. Tsuna could only thank the heavens that puberty was over, otherwise he'd have a nose-bleed from hell every time he looked at her. Especially during those times she jumped up out of the water to bat the beach-ball back over to Nana. Tsuna's self-control already got tested enough.

"Here, try this, son," Iemitsu said, tossing Tsuna a cold bottle. Tsuna looked at it, not recognizing the label. "Latest from our brewers. It's a less-potent version of V Special. Think of it as V-Beer." Tsuna sipped it carefully, curious at what it was like.

There was an explosion of cherries in his mouth. The taste of Vodka had been totally taken away and replaced with something he couldn't quite recognize. It wasn't beer, but it wasn't hard liquor either. It was more like a lemonade-like flavor. Cherry-flavored lemonade. "A full bottle is like a full shot of the straight stuff, so be careful. You can still get drunk off of it." Iemitsu gave a knowing smile before taking a long drink of sake. Tsuna smiled in return, knowing now why his father had always managed to drink sake without getting drunk. It was like water to him, yet he liked the flavor.

After seeing where his father had stashed a case of the V-Beer, Tsuna turned back to see how the party was going. People had started arriving in droves while he had been dealing with his umbrella issue and talking to his father. Hana was standing poolside, flirting with Ryohei. Tsuna couldn't help but goggle for a moment. She had bounced back from Dino's rejection pretty easily. Fuuta was getting his new girlfriend and her sister some punch to drink and Lambo and Gokudera had begun a cannon-ball contest on one end of the pool.

Bianchi, Haru, and his mom had all started playing water-volleyball. He looked again, realizing that it was actually two versus two. Somewhere in the chaos, Kyoko and Mochida had arrived without him noticing. Mochida was off to the side, having some kind of deep discussion with Basil. Even Dino had managed to show with Romario in tow. The two were chatting with Iemitsu cheerfully and Tsuna could hear their laughs from across the deck. Tsuna's eyes widened as he saw I-Pin shyly talking to Hibari. When had that guy shown up? He'd been missing ever since they'd gotten off the plane. Heck, they'd barely even seen him on the plane!

As I-Pin ran past him to her room, Tsuna couldn't help but smile. His Family was all here and they were all happy. What more could a boss want?

"Having fun, Tsuna?" Yamamoto asked. Tsuna jumped, not having heard the swordsman come up behind him. For such a tall guy, he had light feet.

"Ah," Tsuna smiled as he looked back out at his Family, "I am."

"You know you can change and go swimming, too. You don't have to be so body-shy," he replied softly. Tsuna merely shook his head. He didn't want his family scared of him because of what he looked like with all his scars.

"Arg," Yamamoto ran a hand through his hair. "That's it, I'm getting you over this one way or another." Before Tsuna could do more than squeak, he found himself bodily carried over to the pool and dumped in. He came up spluttering to the sound of laughter from the rest of the Family.

"What did you do that for?!" He squealed, wiping the water from his face.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way, Tsuna," the swordsman said seriously from where he was crouched beside the pool. The smile on his face belied his tone. "You can either go change and have fun swimming with everyone or I can just keep dumping you in like you are."

"I could seriously hurt you right now, Yamamoto," Tsuna growled from where he stood hip-deep in water, his clothes stuck to him like a second skin.

Yamamoto only smiled wider at the threat, "You say that, but you won't do it. I know you better than almost anyone, so I know when you need a push to get you going."

"It's okay, Tsu-kun," Haru said as she waded up to him. He looked around, realizing he was the current center of attention. "It's really okay," she repeated in understanding. Her understanding had been a must, considering she was one of the few that had seen what lay beneath his shirt and hadn't been disgusted by it.

"Alright!" Tsuna yelled, splashing the water up at the dry swordsman. "But don't say I didn't warn you!" He got out of the pool and grabbed a towel, stomping like a little kid the whole way to his room. Yamamoto smiled over at Gokudera and Ryohei, relieved to see matching grins on their faces.

When Tsuna came back down, he still had a Hawaiian shirt on, but it was a short sleeve one that he hadn't buttoned up all the way to the throat. Below that was a pair of short swimming trunks. He gritted his teeth when everyone stopped and stared at him, the scars on his chest, arms, and legs obviously the focus of attention.

"Are you happy?" Tsuna growled at the waiting swordsman.

"Yup," Yamamoto replied as he handed Tsuna a fresh V-Beer. Tsuna took a long drink, turning his back on everyone to try and get them to focus elsewhere and hide his flustered face. He was incredibly uncomfortable with being so exposed like this, but it was the only way to get Yamamoto off his back. He sagged with relief when he turned back around and set down his empty bottle. Everyone had went back to enjoying the party. He still got a few curious looks, but it wasn't the open revulsion he'd been afraid of.

"See," Yamamoto said with a cocky grin, "There's no reason for you to have been hiding them."

"Really," Tsuna said, half-mocking, half-agreeing. He grinned cruelly, "I still owe you one for tossing me in." Before the swordsman could react, Tsuna grabbed his wrist and spun him around with a shove toward the pool. He almost caught himself on the edge, but a well placed push from Tsuna toppled him over. Tsuna couldn't help but smile at the satisfying smack the swordsman made as he hit the water belly-first.

He started to turn around, planning on getting out of range for revenge, but unfortunately for him, Ryohei and Gokudera were waiting with large grins on their faces. The two each grabbed one of his arms and jumped in the pool with him between them, leaving him no choice but to go swimming. Within seconds, every other guy that was poolside, with the exception of Hibari, joined in the fray. This left the girls and kids running for the deck so they didn't get caught in the laugh-filled water fight that took over the pool for nearly half an hour.

As the half-drowned Tsuna dragged himself out of the water finally, he found himself smiling. He had everything a boss could want right here around him. Everything that made his job worth it.

"Are you okay, Tsuna?" Kyoko asked as she brought him a towel.

He nodded, gratefully taking the towel and looking for a shirt or something to cover up with. He'd lost his Hawaiian cover somewhere in the splashing, head-dunking, and other activities that the guys were finally starting to break up from. Unfortunately, nothing seemed to magically appear, so he ended up throwing the towel wide across his back and shoulders to cover at least some of his body.

"I'm fine," he replied awkwardly. Other than his first day back, he'd kept his silent promise to Mochida and left Kyoko in his care. Although, honestly, Haru had kept him to occupied to even think of the other girl.

"I'm glad," she said, smiling brightly. Tsuna started to open his mouth to ask her how things were going with Mochida, but he found his lips otherwise engaged when Haru jumped up and gave him a very passionate, almost possessive kiss.

"Tsu-kun," Haru said as she broke it off, leaving Tsuna winded and overwhelmed. "Fuuta and Lambo want to know if they can give Dela and Giana a tour of the house."

"Who're they?" Tsuna asked. Haru pointed, sending his attention over to where Fuuta and Lambo were sitting on lawn chairs, talking to two girls. One girl was around Fuuta's age and the other was around Lambo's. The family resemblance between the two girls explained it for him. Must be Fuuta's girlfriend's little sister.

"Um, sure," Tsuna agreed. "Just tell them not to go into my office or any of our bedrooms." He didn't want the curious kids finding the passages down to the lower floors. The only connections were in the Guardian's rooms and Tsuna's office. A sudden thought hit him as Haru went to tell them and he amended, "Not their own rooms either!"

He turned back to Kyoko, who was quietly chuckling to herself. At his curious glance, she explained. "It's almost like you're their papa how you take care of them all." He blushed, realizing it was true. To cover it, he reached for another V-Beer.

"So how are you and Mochida doing?" He asked, his earlier awkwardness forgotten. Tsuna actually wanted to know, although not in the jealous way that others might assume. Haru's kiss had reminded him that he had something better now. A light within the darkness instead of one shining outside it. He still cared for Kyoko, but it was diminished. It was almost as if the friendship for Haru and his love for Kyoko had been traded between the two girls. The realization was strange, but not unwanted. Knowing that allowed him to talk to Kyoko without any complicated feelings getting in the way.

"We're doing good," Kyoko answered with a bright smile in Mochida's direction. "He has to work a lot down at the factory, but he always makes sure to spend time with me." Tsuna nodded, pretending to know about Mochida's cover story. Apparently the man had told Kyoko he was working in a factory to keep her from worrying about his long or strange work hours.

As if talking about him summoned him, Mochida threw an arm around Tsuna's shoulder.

"You're not trying to steal my girl, are you, Tsuna?" He quipped. Tsuna smiled, unhurt by the friendly accusation.

"Nah," Tsuna replied, his smile widening. "Haru would get a bit feisty if I tried something like that."

"So, you two really are together now?" Mochida asked, pulling his arm away in surprise. Tsuna nodded with a smile in his eyes and looked in Haru's direction.

"Yes," he replied simply.

"I'm happy for you," Kyoko said. Tsuna almost laughed but restrained himself, merely letting the merriment show in his eyes. How many times when they were going to Nami-chuu together did he have a nightmare of Kyoko saying that exact thing and him finding himself on the alter with Haru? So much had changed since then that it wasn't even funny. Then again, that might have been his Vongola blood's hyper-intuition working back then and he had merely been in denial.

Realizing the party was still missing someone, Tsuna left Kyoko and Mochida alone and went inside. He gave Lambo and Fuuta a warning look when he saw them with the girls, heading up the stairs toward Lambo's room. After being reassured that they were only going to look and not go in, Tsuna let them off the hook. He knew he was being overprotective of the kids, but they'd been his responsibility too long for him not to be. Passing the stairs, Tsuna headed to the first-floor bedroom that had been given to Toshi.

Toshi was sullenly sitting on his bed, unwilling to go out. He was too afraid of doing something that would ruin the party. It took nearly ten minutes before Tsuna reassured him that there was nothing he could do to ruin it. Even if he destroyed the pool or fell into the table of snacks, no one would be mad at him. It was when Tsuna reminded the man that his bad luck streak had been broken for nearly two solid days that he finally warmed up and let Tsuna pull him out of his room.

Twice on his way down the hall, Toshi dug his heels in and tried to turn back. Finally, Tsuna got behind him and shoved him all the way to the back door. Opening it for the man, Tsuna pushed him outside before he could run away again. He came to a stumbling stop in front of the crowd, although no one seemed to notice. They all assumed he was Tsuna until Tsuna himself walked out next to him.

While most of the Family already knew of Toshi, Tsuna took cruel pleasure in the looks that went across Mochida, Kyoko, Hana, and Hibari's faces. Hibari only let a single flash of surprise cross his face before it turned into a considering look. As for the others, they all immediately rushed forward to ask Tsuna about the likeness between the two. Since Toshi still had his arm in a cast, they could fortunately tell the two apart.

"He'll be starting school with you guys next week," Tsuna explained after introducing him and assuring them that they weren't brothers. "I hope you guys will help him until he's familiar with Namimori."

"I've only been here a few days," Toshi added hesitantly. "Tsuna took me in when he found out I was homeless without asking for anything in return. I can't tell you how kind he's been to me." Tsuna smiled at the comment, although it wasn't true. It was simply business. He'd needed a helper for his mother and Toshi needed a place to live. Then again, Tsuna had to admit to himself that he would have helped the man even if he hadn't needed an extra set of hands. Toshi, however, didn't seem to realize that or even remember that Tsuna had made the deal with him. He'd fallen into helping like it was second nature.

Tsuna smiled quietly to himself while his friends warmed up to his double. All was well in the Sawada house.

All was well.


	44. Chapter 44 Loose Ends

As Kyoko fell into a discussion with Toshi, Mochida tossed his head, asking for Tsuna to go to the side with him to talk in private. Tsuna sighed. Obviously something business related that he had to pass along during his visit. Mochida looked saddened by the need, as well, but it was one of the few times he could enter Tsuna's home uncommented upon. Tsuna nodded, leading the other man inside to the empty living room and sliding the glass door shut. He tried to ignore the curious looks from Yamamoto and his other Guardians outside when he shut the curtains to give them privacy.

"What's up?" Tsuna asked, wanting to get business over with.

"Well, the boss wanted me to let you know that someone's going around knocking out facilities. He doesn't know if you have anything set up over here yet, but he wanted me to pass along a friendly warning so you can be on-guard. He said he would have mentioned it to you sooner, but he was too busy cleaning up."

"What kind of facilities?" Tsuna asked with narrowed eyes.

"I'm not sure. The boss said that three of his facilities were destroyed around two weeks ago. Apparently the work force for one of them all got kidnapped, too. His exact words were 'taken away' but I assume he means they were taken to be questioned by whoever attacked. Although, how he lost a whole work force, I'm not--" Mochida stopped, seeing the rage in Tsuna's eyes for the first time. "Tsuna...?"

"Don't leave until I get back. I'm going to take a walk and cool off," he replied through gritted teeth. "There's definitely a few words I'd like to send to your boss, but whether I send them by mouth or by blood will depend on how well I can calm down in the next hour." Before Mochida could reply, Tsuna turned and slammed open the back door, bringing sudden silence to the gathering outside.

"Tsuna...?" Yamamoto asked, seeing his anger. Tsuna had been fine less than a minute ago. The swordsman looked at Mochida in askance. What had the man said to set Tsuna off?

"I'm going for a walk," Tsuna growled, ignoring the questioning looks from everyone. Before anyone could respond, he leaped off the deck and began walking down one of the backyard's paths that would take him farther up into the mountain. He could sense Gokudera's presence automatically start following at a distance, but he ignored it.

He had other things to think about.

* * *

Gokudera could tell the boss was angry. A blind squirrel could tell he was angry. As they walked deeper into the mountain, no less than three times did the Tenth start back down the path with murder in his eyes. No less than three times did he turn back and start walking again, trying to calm himself down. 

The dynamite specialist was so focused on his boss, he didn't even notice the black-haired assailant that walked past him. Yanking on the Tenth's shoulder to spin him around, Hibari aimed a punch directly at his boss' jaw. It landed, sending his boss flying into a tree before Gokudera could manage to do more than step forward.

"What the hell did you do that for?!" Gokudera screamed, running to his boss' aid. Hibari simply shrugged and crossed his arms, unconcerned with Gokudera's panic.

"I thought he might be interesting prey like this," Hibari replied, looking over at where Tsuna was sitting back up without retaliating. "Looks like I was wrong."

Tsuna shook his head, trying to clear it from the blow. Like always, Tsuna could sense Hibari's lie. If he really wanted to fight, he wouldn't have used a fist instead of his tonfas. The lack of Hibari's weapon had surprised Tsuna into pausing long enough for the punch to actually land, a mistake he reminded himself to never make again.

"Thank you, Hibari," Tsuna said quietly, sagging as he sat against the tree that had caught him. Whatever Hibari's reasons for leaving the party and following them, the shock of the punch had done one thing that Tsuna hadn't been able to manage himself. That is, to knock him out of the cycle of rage he'd been in.

"Tenth! Why are you thanking him? He just hit you!" Gokudera asked, perplexed by his boss' words and actions. Before Tsuna could formulate an answer to satisfy, Hibari interrupted.

"Weak as always, Sawada," Hibari interjected. He leaned back on a different tree, making no move to attack or to leave either. Tsuna looked up, curious as to what the black-haired man would do in his situation. With another small shake to his head to clear it, he gave up on trying to figure it out and just asked.

"What would you do to restore Discipline if a whole school was out of order?"

"I'd bite them all to death," Hibari replied predictably with a small smile.

"It's not that easy, Hibari," Tsuna said in return, glad to have a devil's advocate that was on the devil's side. "Mass-biting wouldn't do anything. They're like cockroaches. If I do nothing, they'll overrun everything. Yet even if I do something, I have a feeling it's only going to be putting a band-aid on the situation."

"Tenth, are you talking about the labs?" Gokudera asked. Tsuna nodded, getting to his feet as he tried to think.

"Mochida let it drop that the Momokyo-kai were behind the labs. Their boss wanted to send me a friendly warning so that I could be on-guard. Too bad the bastard didn't know I was the one that had them destroyed and his 'work force' taken away in the first place. Calling innocent kids a work force..." he grumbled in distaste. Tsuna felt like he needed to spit at the thought. The idea nearly set Tsuna off again. Hibari's eyes narrowed at Tsuna for a moment before Tsuna continued.

"Just when I got all the aftermath taken care of, I get the friendly warning. I don't know if the boss had guessed I was behind it or not, but either way, I can't let his participation in those facilities just go. From the message, I can tell Mochida's boss doesn't care one way or another that his facilities were taken out. He's just going to spring up another like it's nothing. I'm not sure what to do to stop him."

"Tenth..." Gokudera said, trying to think of something to say to help. "So that's why you wanted to tear Mochida's head off."

"Ah," Tsuna nodded. "Bad case of 'want to kill the messenger'. That's why I left the party before I hurt him."

"Cockroaches have to be destroyed at the source," Hibari said nonchalantly, seemingly uninterested in Tsuna's conversation to Gokudera.

Tsuna looked at him for a moment before smiling sadly. The black-haired boy made it sound so easy, but punishing another boss could have major repercussions. Yet would punishing his subordinates be any better? The boss in question could use kids as forced labor, so any shred of human decency in the man was long gone. He would care less if someone took his place. Tsuna sighed, coming to an unhappy decision.

"Come on, lets go back," Tsuna said to Gokudera. He began to walk calmly down the path again, leaving his Cloud Guardian in the wooded mountain behind them.

When they returned, the party had turned into an adult-only affair. His mother was missing, apparently inside putting the kids to bed. Fuuta's girlfriend and her sister had disappeared, as well. He sent a glance over at Haru and Bianchi with a pointed glance at Kyoko, Hana, and Toshi. The two seemed to get the message, because soon after, the five went inside to get more ice and drinks for everyone. Tsuna wanted to sigh in relief. The only ones left were his male Family and those that wouldn't find what he was about to tell Mochida strange.

Mochida looked up a bit worriedly as Tsuna walked back up to him. Although there was a cold fire of anger in the pit of Tsuna's stomach, it wasn't focused at Mochida. Too bad the other man didn't know that. All he saw was the cold killing intent still in Tsuna's eyes, making him step back as if he wanted to flee.

"Mochida," Tsuna said quietly. "The only reason you're still in one piece is because I'm not willing to spill blood in my own house. If we were anywhere else and if you were anyone other than the man Kyoko cares for, I'd be carving this message into you and sending it back to your boss with a bow on it." Mochida paled, realizing how serious Tsuna was. If it hadn't been for Mochida's lucky combination, he'd be a dead man already. Tsuna ignored him, satisfied that the man understood how angry Tsuna was.

"Tell your boss I'm not happy with the toys he's playing with," Tsuna continued. "Flare is a torture drug that I won't allow to be made and using enslaved children as a 'work force' crosses the line." Anger flashed in Mochida's eyes at the accusation that his boss was doing such stuff.

"Flare isn't a torture drug! And the boss wouldn't use kids! How dare you--" Ryohei's hand coming down on his shoulder silenced him.

"Flare is an extreme torture drug, Mochida," he said seriously. "Tsuna knows that more than anyone considering he was hit with it half a dozen times when he got those scars." Mochida looked at Tsuna, but the other was looking away, not wanting to let Mochida see the pain in his eyes from the memory. Another hand came down on Mochida's other shoulder, this time it was Yamamoto's.

"And considering I've seen those kid's your boss supposedly wasn't using...I can tell you that, yes, he would use kids," Yamamoto said sadly. Mochida looked from one to the other, not comprehending what the two were telling him.

"T-That's not right. Boss wouldn't--" He stopped as Tsuna looked at him with pity.

"You're boss isn't what you think, Mochida," Tsuna said softly, his killing rage spent. "I don't know how he managed to blind you, but he's a very bad man that I have to punish him."

"B-But--" Mochida continued to stutter, not managing to emit anything other than 'but'.

"Give the message to your boss then go home and sleep, Mochida. I don't want you caught in the middle of this if I can help it." With that, Tsuna's hand flashed, hitting Mochida across his temple lightly. The man instantly collapsed and Tsuna gave orders for him to be taken home. Tsuna had held back on the blow, so he knew that Mochida would only be out for an hour or two. It hadn't been anything to deeply damage him. Unfortunately, Haru and the girls returned while Mochida was being carried out.

"What happened?" Kyoko asked, surprised to see Mochida being carried away by Yamamoto and Gokudera.

"He just had too much to drink," Tsuna lied. "I think someone spiked the punch." Kyoko immediately gave chase, running up to the boys and hovering over Mochida as they finished carrying him out.

"It seems fine to me," Hana replied suspiciously.

"I lied," Tsuna said honestly once Kyoko was out of hearing distance. "Knocking Mochida out was better than letting him cause a scene and spilling the beans to Kyoko."

"I don't get it," Hana replied.

"I gave him a message to pass on to his boss and he didn't like it too much," Tsuna explained.

"His boss?" Toshi asked in curiosity.

"Ah," Tsuna confirmed, not really wanting to talk about it. "Mochida is one of the Momokyo-kai and his boss and I are having some difficulties."

Haru and Hana jerked a little bit, not having known that Mochida was part of the yakuza. Before any of them could come up with a response, Dino thankfully interrupted. The blond-haired man had been on the other side of the pool talking with Basil, Romario, and Iemitsu. While he had seen what had happened between Tsuna and Mochida, he understood Tsuna's desire not to talk about it. This was supposed to be a party, after all.

"So, Tsuna, when are you guys going back?"

"Um, eh..." Tsuna mumbled, trying to remember.

"Sawada-dono's jet is scheduled to leave in two days," Basil supplied, joining the crowd.

"You have your own jet, Tsu-kun?" Haru exclaimed. Tsuna nodded with a smile toward her enthusiasm.

"The Ninth gave it to me for my birthday. It's called Bluefin. We'll be riding it back to Italy together."

"Ha-hi?" Haru's eyes widened in surprise, making Tsuna pause.

"You will come to Italy with me, right?" He wanted to smack himself for making assumptions again. Tsuna anxiously awaited her answer and he could sense Ryohei and Iemitsu becoming anxious, as well. Did she not want to go? Did she want to stay in Japan instead of being at his side?

"Of course I'll come to Italy with you, Tsu-kun," she finally said with a smile, wiping away his fears in an instant. He wasn't the only one that let out a sigh of relief, he noticed.

"Anyway," Tsuna said, turning back to Dino. "There's still a few things we have to take care of over here before we head back. It shouldn't force us to stay longer, but it might." Dino nodded, taking a drink to cover his sadness. He could read between the lines and knew what Tsuna had probably meant. Iemitsu decided a change of subject was in order.

"So, Tsuna," he said with a mischievous grin. "Have you given Haru a puppy yet?" Tsuna's face turned beet red.

"No puppies!" He yelled automatically.

"Sawada-dono doesn't like puppies?" Basil asked as Haru started begging in the background.

"He doesn't seem like the type to hate cute things," Dino added with a shrug.

"Maybe he's a cat-lover?" Romario offered.

"Naw," Ryohei added, smiling since he was one of the few that was in on the euphemism. "Sawada just doesn't want an extreme addition to the Family yet."

"But a puppy isn't that big of a deal, even if they are filthy, stinking creatures. Unless Tsuna is afraid of the commitment," Hana replied, suspicious of Tsuna's deepening blushes.

They were tearing him to shreds without even knowing it! He glared at his father for starting this who merely chuckled in response.

"No puppies!" Tsuna repeated, turning an even brighter red while Haru continued her pleas. When his words didn't work, he turned to Toshi and gasped as a last resort, "Pretend to be me!" Toshi had a nonplussed expression on his face, but Tsuna darted for the safety of the house anyway.

"It's just a puppy," Toshi called to Tsuna in confusion. "If I'm supposed to be you, is it okay if I just tell her yes?"

"NO!" Tsuna bellowed from where he hid inside. At his forceful yell, Ryohei and Iemitsu couldn't hold their amusement back any longer. Clutching their sides, they ignored the curious and confused looks of the rest of the crowd and howled in laughter.

* * *

"What do you mean I shouldn't go myself?" Tsuna asked across his office desk to the person sitting there. Tsuna had waited until nearly noon to head for Momokyo-kai headquarters to ensure that Mochida had time to pass along the message and his boss had time to stew. When he finally started heading out the door, none other than Basil had been there to stop him. 

"First, that would be like admitting that the Momokyo-kai was worth of thy time, thereby increasing his status," Basil replied, enumerating the reasons on his fingers. "Second, it would be saying the Momokyo-kai boss was better than thou since he merely sent subordinates to thee, yet thou respond in person. Third, as a boss thee cannot risk thy personal safety for a mere punishment. What the Ninth has thee do in Italy is different than what thee might choose to do here in Japan, Sawada-dono. Fourth--" Tsuna finally put up a hand to forestall the lecture and to forestall any more thee's and thou's. When Basil got nervous, his speech became ever more formal.

"Fine, fine, I get the point. Is this more of the stuff dad's been teaching you?"

"Yes, Sawada-dono. Whence the Ninth retires, Master will be unable to continue as Outside Adviser due to Sawada-dono's position as Master's son. Thus I and several other candidates have been undergoing constant training to satisfy thy needs."

"I'm sure you'll do fine, Basil," Tsuna said reassuringly with a mental reminder to have Basil re-taught Japanese by someone other than his father. He started to open his mouth to ask Basil what he thought Tsuna should do since he couldn't go himself, but a knock at the door interrupted. One of the guards constantly posted outside stuck his head in.

"Mochida here to see you, sir. He says he bears a gift of apology from his boss." Tsuna nodded. If Mochida brought it, it had to be something he didn't find dangerous. They were friends, after all. Yet Tsuna had this nagging sensation he couldn't get rid of. He'd been betrayed by people he thought were friends in the past.

"Let him in and send for Gokudera, please," Tsuna ordered politely. The guard opened the door wide, allowing Mochida through before running his errand. His former love rival walked forward hesitantly, unsure of his reception after the previous night.

"Quit being so silly, Mochida. We're still friends. I just had to get my point across last night," Tsuna said, waving Mochida to come forward without all the awkwardness. The dark-haired man's shoulders sagged in relief and started walking normally, crossing the room in a few large steps instead of the hesitant small ones he'd been using.

"My boss wanted me to give this to you, Tsuna," Mochida said. His voice took on the quality of repeating a formal message when he continued. "He says, 'I send my sincerest apologies for my negligence and poor judgment, Vongola the Tenth. Please accept this token as my pledge to never again repeat the same mistake."

Mochida pulled out a small wrapped box and laid it on Tsuna's desk formally before backing away and sitting down, his duties done. Tsuna nodded acceptance of the gift, but made no move to open it. As if on cue, Gokudera choose that moment to enter. Tsuna ignored him for a moment while he took his place behind Tsuna's chair.

"Tell me Mochida, what did your boss think about my accusations?" Tsuna asked quietly. Mochida was confused by the question.

"He seemed upset, of course. He swears the drugs in the factories were harmless pharmaceuticals. Some new stuff that has less risk of overdose and side effects yet cheaper than stuff people can buy off of the street. Boss was even hoping he could get it legalized once testing was complete."

"And about his work force?" Tsuna asked darkly.

"Are you still on about that, Tsuna? I already told you that boss wouldn't use kids for labor. There's no way--" He stopped when Tsuna growled low in his throat in warning. "He denies it," Mochida said firmly.

"I see," Tsuna said, standing and pacing next to his desk. "Your boss is a habitual lier, Mochida." He gave Mochida a warning glare before the other could object. He wasn't dealing with Tsuna at the moment; he was dealing with Vongola the Tenth and the man had better remember it. "Because your boss is a lier, I can't trust that he gave you something harmless. I'll praise you for your faith in your boss, but your boss should be worthy of that trust in return. In your case, Mochida, your boss is a failure." He slammed his hands down on his desk, trying to get the point across to Mochida. "Lies to protect and lies to allow one to spend a subordinate's blood like cheap change are two totally different things. His lies are going to end up spending your blood like that, Mochida!"

"My boss wouldn't lie to me!" Mochida replied, standing up in anger at the accusation.

"Then are you telling me he sent you here full of that bullshit because he thought I would hesitate to kill you out of friendship?" Tsuna yelled darkly. "Rest assured Mochida, even friends can cross the line."

Mochida paled. "Tsuna, you--"

"Sit down, Mochida," Tsuna ordered firmly. The man sat in shock. Tsuna turned to Gokudera and motioned for Basil to step away from the desk with him in case the box had Flare in it. "Open that carefully for me, Gokudera. I don't want you hurt because Mochida is a fool."

Gokudera lifted the lid slightly, then slid a blade just below it to cut any wires that might be attached. Once he verified it wasn't trapped in that way, he set the lid aside. Looking inside, he paled and reached back for the lid before his boss saw what was inside. Tsuna stopped him.

"Pour it out, Gokudera. Let Mochida see what his boss sent to me," he had a feeling he already knew. Very few things could make Gokudera turn green anymore. He walked forward to his desk again, the threat of a bomb gone.

After Gokudera poured out the contents, Mochida ran for the trashcan in the corner, heaving while he lost his lunch. It was a finger. A small, little index finger no larger than Tsuna's pinky. A child's. Tsuna's inner flame flared with anger, his eyes flashing with raging flames not only at the threat and insult implied with the 'gift', but the very fact that a child had been injured for this message to be sent.

"Do you still think your boss doesn't lie to you, Mochida? Do you still believe he doesn't use children?" Tsuna growled, his nose flaring and his jaw set. His eyes began to dilate as anger became rage and his rage turned cold. "I'll give you one chance, Mochida. Tell me where your boss is."

"I--"

"This is your only chance, Mochida," Tsuna repeated. "I'll either get the answer with you in one piece or in several. Trust me, I'm very skilled with torture when I need to be."

"But Kyoko--"

"Like I said, Mochida," Tsuna said dangerously. "There some lines that even friends can cross. Give me your answer. Do you choose to stay loyal to a boss that sold you out as a pawn or tell me where he is and join our Family instead. I'm giving you this choice, Mochida. Don't waste it," he warned.

"But boss wouldn't--" Mochida cried, unable to accept the truth. Tsuna got tired of waiting for him to come around. He wanted the bastard's location _now,_ before another child got hurt. Tsuna grabbed Mochida by the hair before the other man could respond and drove him face first into his knee. The dark-haired man came up grabbing for his broken and bloody nose.

"Tell me, Mochida," Tsuna repeated as he wrapped Mochida's arm around his back, threatening to break it. "I'd rather not spill your blood, but I need the information. Like I said, I'll get it out of you one way or another." Still Mochida couldn't seem to grasp what was happening and still shook his head in denial. He wouldn't or couldn't say. Remorse filled Tsuna's face for a full minute before he pulled up on Mochida's arm, a loud crunch sounding before the man started screaming. Tsuna pulled him up and grabbed him by the throat, temporarily closing off his windpipe before he pinned him to the ground.

"Mochida, focus," Tsuna warned, getting Mochida to look him in the eyes. "Where," he paused carefully to ensure Mochida understood each individual word, "Is. Your. Boss." He released Mochida's throat enough to breathe and talk, but kept him pinned down forcefully.

"Garage..." Mochida gasped, "Downtown...Black Dragon Alley."

"I know where it's at, Tenth," Gokudera replied, watching Mochida's punishment dispassionately. Tsuna let Mochida go. The man instantly grabbed for his broken arm, moaning in pain.

"Basil, please get someone to clean that up," Tsuna said calmly. His heart was still pounding from having to hurt a friend, but his cold rage kept his head clear. Basil poked his head outside, getting the guards to come in to drag Mochida out to be treated and put under watch in one of the lower levels of the house.

"Gokudera," Tsuna ordered. The silver-haired man in question snapped to attention. "I want you, Ryohei, and Yamamoto to go and wipe out every one of the Momokyo-kai that you find there. Ensure their boss is taken care of. I'd like to go myself but..." He looked down, unable to meet Gokudera's eyes. The dynamite specialist understood. The Momokyo-kai were behind the Flare labs. It was likely they'd be ready for Tsuna's presence.

"I understand, Tenth," Gokudera replied. Tsuna paused for a moment as aftershock hit.

"Sawada-dono...?" Basil asked curiously. Tsuna just shook his head, trying to clear it. Kyoko had flashed through his mind continuously while he'd been forced to hurt the man. Even Vongola the Tenth had weaknesses. When he finally got the mental image of Kyoko screaming out of his mind, he looked back up at Gokudera.

"Tell Hibari what happened. I'm sure he'll want to help ensure discipline considering children are involved." Hibari did seem to have a soft-spot where I-Pin was concerned. "The idea of a child's finger being gifted should entice him to help, even if he goes in solo." Tsuna waved for him to go.

Gokudera nodded and silently left to complete his orders. Tsuna went over to his desk and picked up the finger. His rage finally ran out and was replaced with sadness and remorse. As he placed it back into the box and shut the lid, Basil didn't comment on the tears that fell in with it.


	45. Chapter 45 Betrayal

"Something isn't right," Yamamoto muttered. Gokudera looked at him askance. He knew this was the right place, but even he got a nagging feeling that something was wrong. Like they were forgetting something. Gokudera shrugged. Maybe it was just because they hadn't been able to track down Hibari like the boss wanted.

"Why are they in such a crappy place when they could afford facilities like those we took out?" Yamamoto asked in sudden inspiration.

The three boys were standing in the alley across from the Momokyo-kai's supposed hideout. The two-story garage in question wasn't what they'd expected. It looked abandoned from the exterior, it's paint flaking off and windows busted out; even the doors were missing. Nothing like the secure facility they had thought they would encounter.

"Maybe it's underground?" Ryohei suggested. The two boys looked at him like he was an idiot, which he was at times.

"They wouldn't leave their main access point so open, lawn-head," Gokudera pointed out. Ryohei shrugged and went back to shadow-boxing. He'd leave the reconnaissance to the others. He just busted heads.

"Lets go check it out," Yamamoto said finally. They weren't going to get anything figured out from across the street. "Ryohei, you stay back here and watch our backs."

"Roger," Ryohei replied as the two walked casually out into the open. Black Dragon Alley was the black sheep of Namimori. Anything that a person didn't think Namimori had could be found here. From street-illegal car parts to women, everything could be bought and sold here. All the more reason not to stick out by trying to stealth. The best way to blend in was not to try.

Within seconds, the two boys had made it across the way with Ryohei still hidden in the shadows of the alley behind them. No one seemed to care who they were or why they were there. Their suits got a few curious glances, but nothing more. Yamamoto's bamboo sword was the least scary weapon currently in sight on the road even though it was probably the most dangerous.

Gokudera poked his head into a window, looking around. Trash and dust littered the interior. The shelves that had once held supplies and goods were in a broken heap, having been taken apart by pillagers. The cash register for the garage was busted in two, obviously the aftermath of a years-old robbery.

Yamamoto stepped inside carefully, on guard for any traps. When nothing was forthcoming, he decided to leave the first floor for Gokudera and began heading up the stairs to check out the second floor. A loose step squeaked, making both boys jump. Something definately didn't feel right. He continued deeper into the second floor, checking room after empty room for any secrets the Momokyo-kai had hidden.

Gokudera walked back outside, intending to check around in the large garage part of the repair shop. He stopped when heard a faint fizzing sound. Almost as if a fuse...

"Yamamoto, get out of there!" He screamed, realizing it _was _the sound of a lit fuse. He started to run back inside but a sudden explosion blew him backward. He barely raised his arms in time to protect his head from shrapnel. The heat and the force of it sent him flying and he could feel stinging in his arms from where rubble and other small things had lodged into his arms.

After landing, he continued laying stunned on his back for a moment while he began trying to get his lungs working again after the sudden impact of the blast's shockwave. The sound of engines whirring behind him caught his attention momentarily, but he ignored it in effort to get to his feet and get to Yamamoto before the swordsman was caught in the collapsing building.

Whoever had set the bomb had did it well. Gokudera stumbled to a stop as the first floor caved in first, with the second floor landing on top of it in one piece. Gokudera recognized it as a primary tactic to destroy an escape route. Then, to his horror, the roof and the walls began to cave inward instead of outward.

"Yamamoto!" He screamed again, trying to be heard over the roaring engines behind him. He spared a glance to see what all the commotion was and found himself beginning to be encircled by a motorcycle gang. He didn't have time for this. Within a millisecond, he lit and sent flying several rocket-bombs to clear the area. It proved quite affective considering they each hit a gas-tank. Gokudera once again felt the heat and shrapnel from a blast brush up against him, but this time he stood firmly against it before he began to stumble toward the building.

He tried to wave the smoke from the blasts away to see how much of the building was left and whether or not Yamamoto had survived. Why was there so much damn smoke? The explosions shouldn't have caused the blinding screen of white and gray that Gokudera continued to stumble through. The sound of screaming behind him caught his attention.

"Ryohei?!" He yelled, turning back. Yamamoto might already be dead in the collapse, but Ryohei could still be helped. Back-tracking, he stumbled out of the smoke cloud and found himself in the alley Ryohei had been hiding in. "Oi," he yelled at the man, "What's wrong?" Ryohei was huddled over, sweating and screaming as he punched the ground.

"P-Pa-ain," Ryohei gasped as he tried to control himself. "Ex-ex-tre-eme pa-ain," he managed to get out before he began convulsing. Gokudera cursed as he grabbed the boxer's arms and began dragging him deeper into the alley and away from the smoke. He finally realized that the smoke hadn't been from the explosions, but had been the second phase of the enemy's plan. Flare-laced smoke bombs.

It had probably been intended for Tsuna, but had hit Ryohei instead. Ryohei, the one Guardian that could withstand V Special to a degree. The one who lived his life as if he had a constant Dying Will. The one guy that the other two hadn't remembered would be in danger.

"Hold on, lawn-head," Gokudera yelled, hoping that Ryohei would hear him. "I'll get you out of here." Gokudera only managed one final glance at the ruined garage when the smoke broke up for a moment before re-concealing it. "Yamamoto..." he breathed as he continued to pull to safety the one he knew was still alive. Focus on the living, Gokudera reminded himself.

Focus on the living.

* * *

Hibari looked around in disgust. Crowded, indecent, undisciplined. Black Dragon Alley held everything he hated in humanity. Yet he had still come. Crowded he could forgive if needed. Lack of discipline had it's purposes occasionally. But what brought him here was indecency. The indecent behavior of the Momokyo-kai made him want to bite everything nearby.

The dark-haired man never realized his own weakness until the little girl, I-Pin, had brought him chocolates one Valentines Day. That day had allowed him to realize one of the things that kept him human. He, who had always been too feared to be approached by people his own age and older, had always found the innocent and unbiased attention of children to be his balm. Those who don't yet know how to judge based on stereotypes and misconceptions. Those who could see deeper into a person than most adults. Those that didn't yet know fear or other darker emotions. Those who lived carefree and happy. They were the reason he hadn't given in to the crowded, indecent, or the undisciplined out of misguided hate and anger.

With a single gift, Hibari had realized that about himself. So, that made the news that he'd heard from Sawada the previous night all the more disturbing. Slavery was quite the indecent behavior toward children. Regardless of what Sawada chose to do, Hibari would destroy the mother-nest of the cockroaches that dared to be so undisciplined and indecent in his beloved Namimori. He'd bite them _all _to death; boss, subordinates, and anyone else who got in his way.

He growled low in his throat when he came upon the wreckage of the building he'd been informed was the Momokyo-kai's main hideout. Rubble was scattered everywhere. The remains of several motorcycles were laying untended in the middle of the street. Hibari looked around, but saw no one nearby that could be the possible owners. A small fizzle of smoke caught his eye. Walking over to it, it proved to be the used remains of a smoke bomb of some sort. Hibari tossed it away, looking at his fingers in curiosity when they started to tingle after touching it.

The sound of rubble shifting caught his attention. He turned back around, curious if it was something he could bite. A single arm poked out from beneath a large slab of concrete, obviously trying to get hold of it and push it off. Ever the model citizen, Hibari went to aide the person, secretly hoping it was someone he could bite afterward.

With their combined efforts, the slab shifted minutely, opening a space for the person to crawl out.

"Thank ya," Yamamoto replied after he pulled himself up onto the slab that had been over his hole. From the looks of it, the building had literally collapsed around him instead of on him, leaving a hole that had been merely covered by the large slab that Hibari had helped move. "Lucky!" He said as he looked around at the rubble. He firmly held a handkerchief over a bleeding head wound and his eyes widened a little bit when he realized how lucky he really was. If he hadn't have gotten back to the stairwell in the center of the building before everything started collapsing, he'd be dead at the moment. It had been Gokudera's yell of warning that had ended up saving his life.

"Why are you here?" Hibari growled, chomping at the fact he couldn't bite this one.

"Tsuna sent us. The Momokyo-kai sent him a 'present' this morning and he sent us to wipe them out in return. They said it was a promise not to repeat their previous mistake, but after hearing what the gift had been, I assume they thought their mistake had been to get caught."

"A gift?" Hibari asked, intrigued. What could have made the little herbivore decide on mass-murder?

"It was a finger," Yamamoto said sadly, not meeting Hibari's eyes. Hibari's eyes narrowed as Yamamoto specified, "A kid's finger."

"So, where's the rest of your group? I assume you came with a crowd," Hibari said in distaste, trying not to let the swordsman know how much the news of the finger affected him. Yamamoto shook his head carefully, trying not to let his head wound bleed anymore.

"Something must have happened. They wouldn't leave me for dead unless their own lives had been in danger."

"Lets go find them," Hibari replied, throwing Yamamoto's arm over his shoulder. Yamamoto looked up at the unexpected offer of help, grateful and surprised. "It would mess up discipline if you died on the street," he replied to the swordsman's reaction.

Blood loss can make one feel strangely nostalgic, Yamamoto thought to himself, feeling like he'd heard Hibari say something like that before.

* * *

Vongola the Tenth wasn't happy. Even more so, Tsuna wasn't happy.

Ryohei had been near-catatonic from pain when Gokudera had finally managed to get a retrieval unit to pick them up. He was currently asleep in the private medical-bay under the estate. The doctors had been forced to put him in an induced coma until the Flare worked it's way out of his system. Having been through it himself, Tsuna understood the need.

Gokudera was down there, as well. He had wanted to immediately go back for Yamamoto, but having seen the two come back in such a state, Tsuna wouldn't allow it. He'd cruelly ordered Gokudera not to leave his med-bay room for twenty-four hours, giving time for the doctors to treat him and to deal with any other damage that might have occurred. They didn't know the make-up of the smoke that had been used and just because Gokudera didn't _think _he felt anything wrong, didn't mean there wasn't.

And as for Yamamoto, they didn't know. Over an hour had passed since he'd sent the retrieval unit back out to the scene with Bianchi and Reborn in tow. He'd received a call ten minutes ago saying they couldn't find him. Tsuna could only pray that the enemy hadn't gotten to him first. He knew what his likely treatment as a prisoner would be.

Tsuna sat at his desk, continuing to pray around his own self-criticisms. He knew now that he'd walked wide-eyed into the trap. The finger had been bait that he hadn't thought twice about taking. The enemy had used his weakness of his friend Mochida against him. They had used the perfect bait to force his hand by using a child's finger. They'd made him do nearly everything they wanted.

Only the Ninth's orders had kept him from being in a bed beside Ryohei. He'd even made a mistake there. In his anger, he'd given out orders without thinking things all the way through. Without thinking about all the possible counter-strikes and consequences. And because of it, Ryohei had been hit with the dose of Flare that had probably been intended for him.

The Ninth had already been informed of Tsuna's blunder. His only reply had been, "Do it again. Do it right." What that was supposed to mean, Tsuna didn't know. He didn't even want to contemplate yet. Not until they knew if...

"Yo, Tsuna," Yamamoto said as he walked into Tsuna's office. He was summarily dropped on the floor when his walking aide stopped supporting him. Tsuna could see blood running down his face from where he held a head-wound. Before the swordsman could say another word, he had Basil send for a med team. Before the swordsman could even begin to fuss at the med team, they had already sedated him and began towing him down through the elevator hidden behind one of Tsuna's office walls. From the look on a few of the medic's faces and how quickly they sedated him, Tsuna could only assume that Gokudera didn't like being ordered into seclusion.

Tsuna sagged in relief. Yamamoto was alive. They were all going to be alright. He let out a sigh while Basil called the retrieval squad back for him.

"What are you going to do now, Sawada?" Hibari asked nonchalantly from where he was leaning against a wall, his arms folded across his chest. Tsuna looked up, a dangerous gleam of determination in his eyes.

"I'm going to do it again and this time I'm going to do it right," he replied. He got up and headed for the elevator. As he got in and Hibari took the invitation to accompany him, he continued darkly, "We'll start with Mochida."

* * *

Hibari was curious. Because of that curiosity, he had taken Sawada's invitation to accompany him in the elevator. But Hibari wasn't curious about what the elevator connected to. He was curious about the gleam of blood-lust he'd seen in Sawada's eyes momentarily. When had his little herbivore turned into a carnivore? Having only had occasional contact with the man, Hibari had never seen this side of him before.

He'd seen Sawada have all the emotions a normal person had in daily life, ranging from joy to rage. He'd seen determination from him in their spars. Even the required killing intent. But never actual blood-lust. Not the desire to hurt and maim instead of going for a clean kill. Not once had Sawada shown that in Hibari's presence. It made him wonder what had been going on in their Italian home.

The feeling of blood-lust began to come off of Sawada again as they walked deeper into the underground complex. Hibari smiled when they entered a small cell holding a man. Mochida, Hibari recognized after a moment. He was restrained in a chair and there was a cast on his arm. The look of fear he gave Sawada when the door opened told Hibari just how he'd gotten his arm broken.

"Y-you s-sh-should be dead. My act was perfect," Mochida said with wide eyes before he could stop himself. Hibari leaned back against a wall, content to merely watch the play. Sawada shut the door quietly before turning to his prey.

"So, you knew you gave me false information. That should make this easier," Sawada replied with a cold look in his eyes. "Do you remember what I told you, Mochida. What I said I'd do if you made Kyoko cry?"

"B-but I didn't--" A open handed slap across his cheek silenced him. Sawada bent over and looked Mochida in the eye, instilling fear with a single glance.

"Yes, you did, Mochida. Or you would have if my men weren't so well trained. Because of your misinformation, Ryohei got hit with the dose of Flare that I'm sure was meant for me." Sawada stood back up and began walking in slow circles around the man while he continued. "I'm sure Kyoko would be crying for her injured brother if she knew. But also, because of your misinformation, I'm going to have to hurt you, a lot. See, I have to make sure you don't lie to me again and experience tells me that pain tends to make people tell the truth. And since I'm going to have to hurt you to get the truth, I can't promise you'll live. And you know that Kyoko would cry over that, too."

Hibari raised an eyebrow. Experience? What had the chibi been doing this past year and a half in secret? He was about to find out. Sawada stopped in front of Mochida again and this time, instead of a slap, he landed a powerful fist into the side of Mochida's head. The force began to tip the chair, but Sawada calmly held it steady with a foot painfully digging in between Mochida's legs. Sawada looked at his prey in boredom as he leaned forward, digging the foot deeper into Mochida.

"So, do you want to give me version one before I rip version two out of you?" Tsuna offered calmly. Mochida looked at Sawada in fear, realizing how serious the other man was.

"But I thought we were friends," Mochida said lamely. Sawada's face contorted with anger before his mask of boredom could cover it. He struck Mochida forcefully in the stomach this time. The man strained against the bindings holding him in place from the need to double over at the blow. Sawada began circling his prey again.

"Even friendship has boundaries, Mochida. You've stepped over it one too many times. I forgave you when you made use of my absence and stole Kyoko away. I forgave the fact that you were the Momokyo-kai's lapdog and messenger. I even forgave the fact that you were the one that brought me your boss' gift." Hibari's eyes narrowed, but Sawada didn't seem to notice.

"I will not forgive how you stepped across the line this time," he continued. "You purposely gave me wrong information that put the lives of my Family in danger. Information you thought would send me to my death. Tell me, Mochida, does that sound like a friend to you?" Trying to look for help, Mochida turned his head toward Hibari.

"I don't help cockroaches," Hibari replied to the look, shifting against the wall to get more comfortable. This was proving to be quite an interesting show.

"Are you one of his lapdogs, too?" Mochida spat. Hibari looked at him in distaste and reached for his tonfas at the insult. Coldly and calmly he punished Mochida for it. Blood began dripping from the head wound while the man shook his head to try and clear it.

"My will is my own," Hibari informed him when his eyes started focusing again. He could see Sawada leaning against the wall this time, watching with a look of boredom on his face.

"Then why aren't you stopping him?" Mochida yelled finally at Hibari.

"Why should I? He's being disciplined, all things considered. I, on the other hand," Hibari said with a cruel smile, "I would have already bitten you to death." He took his place back against the wall while Mochida looked at him in shock. Hibari ignored it, quietly hiding his own anger at the man. This man had known that children were being hurt yet he had done nothing. The very fact that he'd willingly brought Sawada a kid's finger told him as much.

"I really wanted to let you out of here alive and in one piece, Mochida," Sawada said when he advanced again. He ran a hand down the cast covering Mochida's arm. "I even had my men treat you because I had thought we were friends. But you lied to me, Mochida. You lied to me and because of that, my Family got hurt. So now, I'm afraid I can't have mercy on you anymore." He knelt down in front of Mochida's chair and Hibari watched as he lightly and gracefully placed a hand on Mochida's bound one.

"First, I need the location of your real hideout," he said softly, gazing into his prey's eyes. Distracted by his coaxing expression, he ignored Sawada's hand at the critical moment. There was a loud crack when he began breaking his prey's fingers without hesitation. Mochida screamed at the pain, but Sawada ignored it as he continued. "I need the numbers of how many people are there. I need the name of your boss and his description. I need to know how well they're armed. And finally, I need any other information you can give me."

He stood up from Mochida, leaving behind a mess of broken fingers. Sawada reached up and grabbed Mochida forcefully by the hair, holding him steady and forcing his prey to look at him. Mochida's screams were silenced by the cold, bright flames he saw reflecting in Sawada's eyes mere inches away from his own.

"You'll give me that, won't you Mochida?" Sawada pleaded, his cold and dominating presence overpowering Mochida in every way. Over the course of the next hour, Hibari watched dispassionately while he found out first-hand what Sawada had been learning in secret. In the end, he was left with only one thought that made him smile.

Carnivore, indeed.

* * *

Tsuna hung up the phone as the last of his cover-up orders were sent. Mochida wasn't someone that could just disappear. For Kyoko's sake, his body had to be found and laid to rest. He would probably be found in a day or two from where his rental car would be found crashed and burned in a head-on collision. The Ninth's men were prepared for such situations, so he left it to them with his thanks.

For now, his hands were tied. Until the Family's spies could verify Mochida's information, he refused to make a move. He wouldn't let his own anger blind him to the proper way to do things anymore. He wouldn't take a chance that might lead to his Family getting hurt again. He wouldn't be rash in his judgments. He couldn't.

That was his job as Vongola the Tenth.

"I'm still too weak," he said to the empty office. He reached for a drink to calm himself, coldly calculating his next move. It had hurt to torture Mochida to death. It had _hurt_. But he'd had to do it. It had been his weakness for those he considered friends that had allowed him to make so many mistakes. So many people relied on him not to make the mistakes that would put them in danger. They were all his Family and relied on him to protect them. Yet his had nearly spent their lives wastefully. The blood of Family is more important than that of friends, yet he had put his friend's life first.

"I'm still too weak," he repeated with a sigh.

"No," Reborn said as he popped up onto Tsuna's desk. "You just have a lot to learn still, baka-Tsuna." Tsuna smiled for the first time today. Trust Reborn to tell him to his face when he was being an idiot. "You're not used to having full access to the resources of whole Family. You've been on the bottom of the totem pole in your training so far. Hitmen are given orders, they don't give them out. The Ninth left this to you so that you could see how much more you have to learn." He sat down on the edge of the desk while Tsuna pondered over his words.

"Being a boss isn't easy," Tsuna told him. He leaned back in his chair, waiting for Reborn's reply. It wasn't long in coming.

"You still have a few more years before you have to worry about that. The Ninth will make sure you're well-prepared before the time comes." Tsuna nodded in agreement. Considering how much he had blundered, he didn't doubt the Ninth would prepare him better in the future. For a test run, he had failed miserably as a boss.

"So what's the situation with the spies?" He asked, turning to business.

"They've confirmed the information. I've got three squads on standby, awaiting your orders," Reborn replied quietly.

Tsuna's heart clenched when he thought about all the people that was about to die. Yet he couldn't let them go. He couldn't be weak. The reason he had sent his core trio out to destroy the Momokyo-kai had been because he was weak. He knew they wouldn't kill those they didn't need to. The casualties would have been minimal with only the boss being the main target. However, if he sent three squads in, nothing would be left. It would mean total annihilation. Tsuna bowed his head. He couldn't be weak. The memory of the child's finger was still fresh in his mind. He reached into a drawer he had hoped to never open and pulled out a box. Pushing it over to Reborn, he gave his orders.

"Send them in. Wipe out everything and bring me the boss' heart," he said softly, trying to ignore the way his heart was pounding. Silently, Reborn nodded, took the box, and left.

Taking another drink to keep himself from crying, Tsuna sat back in his chair and began his vigil. When they returned, he would find out whether or not the Momokyo-kai's heart was black. Until then, all he could do is wait. Wait to see who lived and who died. Wait to see the true horror of what a boss' orders could bring.

It was his job as Vongola the Tenth, after all.


	46. Chapter 46 Truth

_Lifeless, accusing eyes stared at Tsuna from every direction. He could feel them in the darkness. They wanted revenge. Revenge for their pain and suffering. Revenge for their deaths. He was alone in the darkness, at the mercy of the horde closing in around him. They began to wander into the light, getting closer and closer as Tsuna backed away in fear._

_To his left, there was a faceless horde of Momokyo-kai, their bodys twitching in agony as blood continued to gush out of their death wounds._

Why? Why did you kill us?_ They cried._

_To his right, his followers. Faceless men in black suits with bullet holes and gashes etched into their bodies._

Why? Why didn't you protect us?_ They cried._

_Before him, children. Their bodies twisted and emancipated from being starved and beaten. One walked forward and to Tsuna's horror he held out a fingerless hand, begging for an answer._

Why? Why didn't you save us?_ The little boy asked for the silently crying children._

_Tsuna turned, wanting nothing more than to run away from the cries and pleas that he could no longer answer. What waited behind him made him fall to his knees._

Why? Why did you kill him?_ Kyoko asked. Behind her, with his arms wrapped lovingly around her was Mochida, his body torn and bloody from the torture Tsuna had destroyed him with. Blood dripped down from his empty eye-sockets unto Kyoko's pristine shoulder making Tsuna's stomach begin churning in horror._

_All around him, the hordes came closer, wanting to devour him in revenge. Tsuna began begging for forgiveness. He had to kill them to protect others. He had tried his best to protect those he could. He had tried to save those he could. He hadn't wanted to hurt anyone._

_Still the horde grew closer, unappeased by his remorseful pleas for forgiveness. Their vengeful hands grab hold of him and began clawing him; trying to tear him apart. He began screaming when the starved children began biting into his chest in hunger and the Momokyo-kai began ripping into the skin of his arms and legs out of revenge. His followers held his head steady while they began carving a V mark into his head. The mark of the executed. And over it all, Kyoko listened to his screams with deaf ears and Mochida watched on with his eye-less sockets._

Why?_ The chant continued, unimpeded by Tsuna's screams of pain and horror._

Why?

* * *

Gokudera looked up from the small piano in his room where he'd been playing a lullaby for Lambo to help him get back to sleep. He had thought there had been a knock at his door, but apparently not. Ever since Lambo had seen Gokudera blow up a man ten years from now, the little boy had difficulty falling to sleep. Half the time, the little cow would end up in Gokudera's room after a nightmare. After the third time in a row that it happened, Gokudera had figured out Lambo's weakness for lullabies. The dynamite expert was glad that the soundproofing in his room was decent. The quiet melodies hadn't seemed to go beyond his door, but were loud enough to soothe Lambo back to sleep.

He started to put his hand back on the keys, planning on continuing the song he'd been playing, but another knock, more insistant this time, stopped him. It hadn't been his imagination. He went to open it, curious who it could be this late. Surprisingly, the door opened to reveal Haru in her pajamas. She had been starting to turn away when he hadn't answered, but she turned back in surprise when the door finally opened.

"Ha-hi!"

"What's wrong?" Gokudera growled.

"Um, it's Tsuna. He's having some kind of nightmare but I can't wake him."

"What do you mean?" Gokudera stepped into the hallway and shut the door, not wanting their conversation to wake the sleeping boy inside.

"He keeps tossing and turning and moaning in his sleep," she explained. "I tried to shake him, but it didn't work. I'm not sure what I should do, so I thought maybe you would know." Gokudera gritted his teeth. He knew why his boss was probably having a nightmare, but he wasn't sure what to do either. Should they try harder to wake him or let him sleep past it?

"Yamamoto's the nightmare expert," he finally told her, going across the hall to Yamamoto's room. He rudely banged on the door, not caring if it was the middle of the night. The swordsman answered, rubbing his tired eyes at being woken up so early. Haru blushed a bit at the fact he wasn't wearing anything other than pajama pants, but stayed thankfully silent.

"What's wrong?" Yamamoto asked. Before Gokudera could answer, a scream from down the hall split the air. Yamamoto's eyes widened, instantly becoming fully awake. He shoved his way past Gokudera and Haru before the two could do more than look over at Tsuna's open door in surprise. They ran behind him in worry as Tsuna let out another scream.

When the trio finally burst through the door, they found Tsuna convulsing and screaming in his bed, trapped within his nightmare. Even in his sleep he held his head to try and stop the images that were haunting him. His back arched, lifting him off the bed while he let out another hoarse, pain-filled cry.

Having never seen Tsuna's late-night antics, Gokudera and Haru stopped and stared in shock. On the other hand, Yamamoto flew forward, having seen this countless times before. With practiced hands, Yamamoto forced Tsuna into a sitting position between convulsions and roughly shook him. When that didn't work, he slapped him across the face with a loud thwap that made Gokudera grimace and Haru gasp. This time it had it's intended affect of waking Tsuna.

"Yamamoto...?" He gasped in disorientation. The swordsman nodded and began wiping the cold sweat from his brother's face.

"It's okay now, Tsuna. You're awake." The words made Tsuna sag as all the tenseness ran out of his body. "Was it Mosca Lake again?" Yamamoto asked, curious since Tsuna hadn't had a nightmare since they had come home. Haru had driven away all of Tsuna's nightly horrors until now. Tsuna shook his head from where it was held in his hands.

"Ghosts," he answered quietly, his voice slightly cracking on the word. Yamamoto pointed for Gokudera to get Tsuna a drink while he continued to try and get their boss and brother to open up. Haru was still standing in shock in the middle of the room, but Yamamoto ignored her. This was something she'd have to get used to if she was going to be with Tsuna.

"Ghosts of who?" Yamamoto asked carefully. Gokudera walked up with an extra-large glass of V Special which Tsuna took gratefully, guzzling the whole thing within a few seconds. He sagged in relief as the alcohol hit him, it's fake warmth bringing calm in it's wake. He answered after he handed the glass back to Gokudera.

"The Momokyo-kai, our men who died because I sent them in, the kids I didn't save in time, and..." He looked up at Yamamoto, his eyes full of pain and unshed tears. "And Mochida," he finished softly, his voice once again cracking while he looked down in shame and pain. Yamamoto looked at him in shock for a moment before trading a surprised glance with Gokudera.

"Why would Mochida be a ghost, Tenth?" Gokudera asked quietly. The two had been under medical-arrest in the lower floors for most of the day. They hadn't been given any news other than that new teams had been sent in to the real Momokyo-kai headquarters and had wiped it out. Tsuna looked up at his silver-haired friend, obviously pained at the question. He looked away once again in shame.

"They should find him in a day or two," Tsuna said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Ha-hi?!"

Tsuna looked up, only then realizing that Haru was in the room. He looked at her in shock as everything he'd said in the past few minutes resurfaced in his mind. He looked down again, unable to meet her eyes. Tears began to silently fall unheeded down his face. He was a monster. He had killed a friend. It didn't matter why. He had done it without mercy. There was no way that Haru could love a man like that.

"Gokudera," he said quietly, ignoring his own tears, "Find Haru another room for the night. What she does in the morning is up to her. And have Basil or dad set up for the Bluefin to leave tomorrow. I--" he paused as his heart clenched. "I don't want to be here when they find Mochida."

"What about Ryohei?" Yamamoto asked carefully. Tsuna shook his head.

"Kyoko will need him here," Tsuna replied sadly. It was his fault that Kyoko would need her brother. "I'll write him a letter and let him know what's going on for when he wakes up."

"Okay," Yamamoto agreed softly. He went over and poured Tsuna another large glass of V Special, enough to make him black out again. Tsuna took it with a surprised look.

"I don't think you'll be able to go back to sleep without a little help," Yamamoto explained. Tsuna nodded agreement and drank. Within seconds, the glass fell from his limp hand and Yamamoto carefully caught him. After laying him back in a comfortable position and covering him up, the swordsman picked up the empty glass and turned to the others.

"I think we need to talk," he said quietly, his eyes focusing on the still-shocked Haru. After a glance, Gokudera agreed and began guiding Haru out of the room to the parlor. It was time for Haru to know the dark truth and decide what was most important to her.

The two boys could only pray that she chose Tsuna.

But where to start? Yamamoto looked up at Gokudera, but the dynamite specialist looked just as clueless. Haru had accepted the drink Gokudera mixed her, trying to hide her shaking hands. Find out how much she already knew, he decided.

"Haru," he said carefully, getting her immediate attention. "Has Tsuna told you anything yet? Like how he got his scars or whatnot?" She shook her head after a small sip on her drink.

"He said someone gave them to him and that he sometimes had to give them to other people, but I thought he was just...I don't know. I didn't think he was being honest. I mean, Tsuna wouldn't do something like that." She looked up hoping to get reassurance from Yamamoto, but he couldn't give it. "He couldn't could he?" She asked, turning to Gokudera.

"Haru," Yamamoto said soothingly, "A lot has happened since we've been gone. For example, how Tsuna got hurt." He decided to give her the truth bluntly. "He was tortured, Haru. He was tortured by people that wanted nothing more than to break him. They used a drug on him that was made for people with special qualities like Tsuna." She looked at him, her wide eyes telling him how much she wanted him to stop. But Yamamoto couldn't because she needed to know the truth. Not part of it. All of it. He got her to stand after putting down her drink and motioned her to follow him while he continued.

"They beat him within an inch of his life between the time he was taken and we finally found him. He couldn't fight back. They had him tied up too securely and with the effects of the drug, he was in too much pain to think of a way out. The drug they used is called Flare. When we got back here to visit, Tsuna was informed that the drug labs that make the stuff were here." With Gokudera beside him, they showed Haru the elevator in Yamamoto's room and ushered her inside. She seemed a bit frightened and slightly overwhelmed with everything they were telling her, but Yamamoto continued nevertheless.

"You remember when me and Gokudera were missing for a few days?" She nodded and stepped out of the elevator with them on the floor Yamamoto had chosen. They began escorting her through the underground complex despite her wild-eyed looks around the halls. She'd seen Tsuna use the elevator before, but she hadn't known what it connected to. "We were taking out those facilities," Yamamoto continued. She snapped up to attention, stopping in place for a moment.

"Ha-hi? B-But Haru remembers they said a lot of people died. Y-you two...?" Yamamoto looked at her sadly and got her moving again.

"We do what we have to, Haru," Gokudera said in defense. "The Tenth wouldn't have sent us unless it was needed." Yamamoto nodded in agreement and picked up the thread of explanation again.

"I don't think you heard about the last lab, though. It wasn't in any of the papers. They had been using enslaved kids, Haru. These were really bad people and the kids weren't in good shape when we got there. You probably remember the day we came back, right? Tsuna was in his office all day?" He waited for her nod before continuing. "He wasn't finding homes for puppies, Haru. He was finding homes for those kids we saved. He just said puppies because he didn't want anyone worrying."

She looked at him for a moment in surprise before blushing a bright red. Suddenly all Tsuna's blushes made a whole lot more sense and all her pleas took on a whole new meaning. Yamamoto smiled at the look on her face before continuing sadly. What he was going to say next wasn't pretty, but she needed to know. Not only as Tsuna's love, but as a member of Tsuna's Family. Haru couldn't be kept in the dark anymore. He stopped in front of a non-descript door, waiting for the right time to go in.

"Now, you remember at the pool party when Tsuna got really mad?" Again she nodded silently. "He'd just found out that a local yakuza group had been part of it. A group that Mochida happened to be a member of."

"I remember," Haru said quietly. "Tsuna said he and the boss were having problems."

"That's right," Yamamoto confirmed. "He gave Mochida a message to pass along to his boss and then knocked him out. Tsuna didn't want Mochida hurt anymore than the rest of us. The next day though..." Yamamoto stopped, unsure how to say it. Thankfully, Gokudera picked up the thread since he'd been there.

"Mochida brought the Tenth a present from his boss. A kid's finger. The Tenth immediately got information from the bastard and sent us to clean out their nest before anyone else could be hurt by them." Gokudera lit another ever-present cigarette and pointed for Yamamoto to pick it back up. Yamamoto nodded and continued, oblivious to the shocked and horrified look on Haru's face.

"Tsuna sent us in, but it was a trap. I almost got buried when the building exploded," he looked up at Gokudera who in turn rolled up his long sleeves so Haru could see his bandaged arms, "Gokudera got hurt in the blast too. And Ryohei, he got hurt the worst. See, he has a little bit of that special quality that Tsuna has, so when the bad guys used a smoke bomb laced with Flare, it hurt him." He sighed, finally opening the door to the room they were standing in front of and ushered her inside.

"Ha-hi!" Haru said, her eyes becoming even wider. Ryohei was laying on a bed connected to life-support and the sight wasn't something that Haru had expected.

"He should be okay in another day, since it was a small dose," Yamamoto assured her. "Right now, he's in an induced coma until the Flare works its way out of his system."

"Have you ever seen lawn-head cry because of pain, Haru?" Gokudera asked. She shook her head no. Ryohei was a boxer, he was used to pain. "Well, he was crying by the time the retrieval squad got to us. That's why they put him asleep. Otherwise, he'd been in so much pain he'd die of a heart attack. How the Tenth survived six doses is only due to his greatness." Gokudera went over and put out his cigarette before one of the doctors came in and started yelling at him. Yamamoto rolled his eyes the moment Gokudera's back was turned. Greatness, indeed. More like a bloody miracle.

"Anyway, Haru, that's the last thing we know. I can probably guess that Tsuna had to hurt and kill Mochida for the real information so that they could put an end to the Momoykai's actions and find out where their last hidden lab was so that we could free the rest of the kids. They had to have had one more considering they sent Tsuna a finger. I'm not sure though. I did hear that the Momoykai were all killed by some of our people. But, Tsuna doesn't like hurting people, Haru," he said, trying to put all the emotion he could into the words. His eyes begged her to believe him. "He doesn't like it at all. That's why he has nightmares."

"Then why?" She cried, showing emotion for the first time since Tsuna had slipped up in his room.

"To protect us, Haru. To protect us all. If they didn't get hurt and die, then our people would. _We would_," Yamamoto replied passionately. "He does it so that doesn't happen. So he doesn't loose any of his precious family. So people like you and the kids and the other people in the Family aren't hurt by the dark things lurking in the shadows. The things that the police can't take care of. The things that _would _end up hurting even you if he didn't do something. If he had to kill Mochida, you should trust that it was something he _had _to do. Tsuna wouldn't have killed him unless it was absolutely neccessary in order to protect his Family."

"Don't hate the Tenth for what he has to do, Haru," Gokudera said softly when Yamamoto finally ran out of words. "The Tenth is a great man, but he's still only a man. He'd probably say that he could live with you hating him as long as you were safe, but that doesn't mean the Tenth would be happy."

The two boys fell silent, out of ideas of what to say to help her understand. Haru seemed to be a bit overwhelmed by the sudden influx of information. It was too much for her to comprehend all at once. Yamamoto looked over at Gokudera but only got a shrug in return.

"Here," Yamamoto said finally, "Lets get you back upstairs and in a warm bed. Maybe some sleep will help. Just..." He sighed as he started guiding her back through the underground corridor. "Just don't decide what you want to do rashly. Whether you want to go with Tsuna to Italy or if you rather move back in with your parents. You're free to do whatever you want as long as it isn't going to the police. I'm sure you could even stay in the estate if you want. Just think about it carefully first, okay?" She nodded, unable to think of anything to say in return.

There really was nothing she _could _say until she had more time to wrap her mind around it all. The man she loved was a murderer. The man she loved was a protector and savior. The man she loved hurt people. The man she loved kept people from getting hurt. Too many contradictions. It confused her and overwhelmed her the more she thought about it.

What was more important? The sins or the virtues?

She shook her head to herself, unable to decide just yet.

* * *

Over breakfast, Tsuna could tell Haru was upset. Even through his hangover, he could see it. Everyone could see it. His bright, energetic moon was waning and it was his fault. He sighed, picking at his food unhappily. He should have expected it. Even the moon disappeared from the sky when the darkness grew to be too consuming. Last night, he'd unintentionally threw this darkness onto her. A momentary slip had been all it took. Now she would be gone from his life.

There was no way she could understand. He was a murderer. No ands, ifs, or buts. He had thought he'd explained that to her the first night he'd been back, but he maybe she hadn't truly understood. Just like he hadn't made Kyoko understand when he'd first left Namimori, he'd assumed his words had made sense to her. He kept making the same mistakes over and over again. When would he learn?

He had to do something though. He couldn't leave with her unhappy like this. There had to be something to make her smile again. Something he could give her before it was time for the plane to leave. A sudden inspiration hit him and he turned to her, hoping his words would bring a smile to her face.

"Before I leave, why don't we get you a puppy?" Tsuna asked.

The reaction to his words wasn't what he expected. Not only did Gokudera, Yamamoto, and Iemitsu choke on their food, but so did Haru. She turned bright red, pounding on the table while she tried to get the lump of food down.

"HA-HI?!" She yelled when she finally managed to get a word out. Tsuna looked around the table in confusion.

"What? You said you wanted a puppy, right?" He became perplexed as she turned a brighter red and grins spread on Gokudera and Yamamoto's faces. Iemitsu looked at Tsuna like he'd just said something indecent, but Tsuna shrugged it off. He was talking about getting Haru a dog, not a kid.

"We could go pick one out downtown before my plane leaves," he continued calmly, ignoring their reactions. Haru kept looking at him with wide eyes, her face becoming redder by the minute.

"Like you can just go pick one up on the side of the road!" She yelled finally, standing up and reaching across the table to slap him.

"EH?!" He yelled back, nursing his injured cheek while trying to figure out why he'd just been slapped. "Why not?!" He found himself slapped again on the other cheek as she yelled in return.

"What kind of girl do you think I am? We're not even married and you want to go downtown and just pick one up?!"

"EH?!" He asked, his eyes going wide in an ever-deepening confusion as he nursed his red cheeks. He stood as he yelled, "Since when do you have to be married to get a puppy?!" At this, Yamamoto and Gokudera couldn't hold it any longer. They began laughing openly, pounding the table every time they ran out of breath. Tsuna could even see tears in Yamamoto's eyes, they were laughing so hard.

"What's wrong with you two?!" Tsuna yelled, not liking being laughed at without at least knowing why. "She said she wanted a dog, damnit! It's the least I could do for her before we go back to Italy!"

"A...dog?" Haru said, sitting down suddenly in surprise.

"What the heck did you think I was talking about?!" Tsuna grumbled, his cheeks still stinging. Gokudera and Yamamoto finally started to get control of themselves, panting from their fit of merriment. Their eyes seemed to sparkle for some reason while the conversation continued, but Tsuna ignored them. He wanted to know why Haru had been suddenly upset at him over getting a puppy. He'd thought she had wanted one. Unless...Tsuna looked over at his two friends, his mouth gaping and his eyes wide at the sudden realization.

"You told her...?!" At their amused nods, he found himself sitting down in surprise, as well. He looked at Haru, a faltering smile on his face utterly at odds with his wide and shocked eyes.

"You wanted to get me a puppy-dog, Tsuna?" She asked quietly. Tsuna blushed as he tried to explain.

"Um...eh...yah, you just seem so upset after what you heard last night that I thought a puppy-_dog _might make you happy again." She looked at him in surprise, her eyes softening as she suddenly seemed to grasp something.

"You really are the Tsuna I know," she mumbled to herself. He looked at her in askance, but she shook her head and smiled. Her energy seemed to suddenly spike and everyone was surprised when she jumped to her feet suddenly. "No time to get a puppy-dog," she exclaimed. "I've got to go pack if I'm going to be going to Italy with you."

"Eh..?" Tsuna asked, shocked. Where had that suddenly come from? He had thought that after last night she'd never want to look at him again, let alone go to Italy with him. She smiled again, her eyes sparkling. Walking around to where he was sitting, she planted a passionate kiss squarely on his lips. His eyebrows flew up into his hair at the sudden action.

"W-What...?" He panted when she broke it off. She stood back up, planting her hands firmly on her hips.

"I'm going to be a mafia boss' wife," she declared before heading off to their room to pack. Tsuna looked around the breakfast table at the other guys still sitting there. What the heck just happened? Iemitsu shrugged and the other two boys gave quirky half-grins.

"Girls," they said together.

It explained everything.


	47. Chapter 47 Italian Home

Haru had shown her energetic approval and amazement at Tsuna's plane. She was just coming to realize that everything around Tsuna was big and luxurious as a display of power. So utterly unlike back when the only thing he owned was a manga collection and his CDs. Even when he had gotten ownership of Black Glove Mountain, it had been a public recreation facility, so the implications of his ownership had never really hit her before. But seeing Tsuna's private jet brought it home: Tsuna was loaded with cash.

Once the realization hit, she shrugged. It didn't really matter to her other than the fact she was going to get to ride in a cool jet. Even if the things around him change. Even if he has to do things he never would have done before. Even if the world came to an end. Tsuna would still be Tsuna. The man she had loved even back when he was still living in Namimori.

The moment they were in the air, she began exploring, to the amusement of the others. Gokudera and Yamamoto seemed content sitting around the bar talking with the music going in the background. And Tsuna...she smiled when Tsuna walked up to her and offered to give her a tour of the plane. He'd been too busy talking with the pilots to do it before liftoff, but now he was free to be her guide.

The plane was actually made up of several small rooms. The first area right off entry hatch was the main entertainment room. The next room was a quieter version without the music and entertainment facilities. Hibari was found in this one, reading a thick book on one of the many large couches. Thankfully, he ignored their presence as they passed through to the third room.

The third room was sleeping facilities for long rides. There were multiple bunks and several bathrooms in this one. And behind that, Tsuna showed her his private room in the tail of the plane. She jumped on the large bed and looked out the one-way dome above it. The view was amazing. She watched as they passed a flock of birds and began trying to find shapes among the clouds. Tsuna just laughed at her enthusiasm, causing her to naturally stick her tongue out at him in return.

"I'm glad you like it," he told her. She jumped back down off the bed, going over to play with the fish in the large tank embedded into one of the walls. He sat down on the edge of the bed, trying to think of something to talk about. Honestly, there was only one thing he wanted to know, but he didn't know how to broach the subject. Finally, he decided to be blunt.

"Are you sure this is what you want, Haru?"

"Ha-hi?" She asked quietly, watching as the fish followed her finger across the glass. Tsuna bowed his head and sighed.

"I-I'm not treated the same in Italy that I am in Japan, Haru," he explained. "A lot of people are scared of me and for good reason. There's also a lot of times I'll go missing and come home looking like I've just been..." He stopped, not sure how to phrase it so that she wouldn't get sick. He had almost said, 'like I've just been helping the local butcher' but she wasn't naive enough for that to work. She was smart enough to understand what he meant when he said that and therefore get sickened by the implications. "Like I've just been through hell," he finished lamely. "There will also be times that we won't be free to talk or see each other, even if we're in the same building. And I have to do a lot of bad things every day. Are you sure you want to be with someone like that? Someone that can't tell you everything and can't be with you every moment like you deserve?"

"What are you talking about, Tsu-kun?" She asked. "Of course this is what I want." She sighed and went over to look at the trinkets stored on the shelves opposite the fish tank. "Yamamoto and Gokudera told me a bit last night. They explained how you have to do bad things sometimes, but it's okay," she smiled, turning back to him. Before he could move, she jumped into his lap and looked him in the eyes. "Tsuna is still Tsuna," she laughed.

All the tenseness ran out of Tsuna's shoulders. He didn't know if Haru was clueless or just that much in love with him. How could she say she willingly wanted to be with a stained man? He stopped caring. If this was really what she wanted, he was all the happier for it. It meant she would still be at his side for a while longer. One day, she might finally become disgusted with him, but until that time Tsuna decided he was going to enjoy the moments he did have with her.

Starting with the fact that she was straddling his lap, alone, on a bed, mid-flight, looking at him with a bright smile. He let out a low moan in the back of his throat when the knowledge hit him. It apparently hit her at the same time because she leaned forward and planted a passionate kiss on his lips. She broke it off but he gave chase, trying to get her lips back on his. She laughed as she kept darting out of his range, giving rise to his primal urges. She finally gave back in, letting him catch her lips with his own. He moaned again as the plane decided to drop out from under them due to turbulence, giving him a pleasurable sensation of vertigo coupled with Haru's fiery embrace.

He let desire take over, running his hands up either side of her legs before firmly grabbing her rear and pulling her tightly into him. He could already feel the throbbing need growing between his thighs. He freed one hand, reaching up and fumbling for the buttons on her shirt, but gave up and pulled it over her head in one piece instead. Within seconds, every piece of their clothing littered the room instead of their bodies. And as Tsuna delved deep into Haru and the plane bucked due to turbulence, he couldn't help but think back to certain conversations he'd overheard at Pink's about planes and clubs.

Either way, the trip from Japan to Italy had never seemed so short.

* * *

Tsuna groaned when he was led to the Ninth's office the moment they arrived. He should have expected it. It wasn't everyday he brought a girl home to live with him. He had made a call, informing Headquarters that he'd be bringing her, but he hadn't managed to talk to the Ninth directly about it. He could only hope that the man forgave him for going ahead and bringing her before he gave his thumbs up.

When he walked into the office and his escort respectfully bowed his way out, Tsuna wanted to groan again. The Ninth didn't look happy. Hesitant, Tsuna walked forward carefully, waiting for the Ninth to say something. The older man didn't even look at him. Instead he seemed intent of a sheaf of papers on his desk.

"N-Ninth...?" Tsuna asked, respectfully trying to get his attention. "You sent for me...?

The Ninth looked up for a moment, giving him a blank look that made Tsuna think the Ninth had forgotten why he'd sent for him. His face cleared after a moment and he smiled. Tsuna sagged in relief when the man gave him permission to sit. The Ninth wasn't upset, at least not at him.

"So, Tsunayoshi," he said after offering tea, "I hear you brought an interesting addition to our Headquarters. Tell me about her." He leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers, waiting for Tsuna to answer. The Ninth probably already knew everything about her, but he wanted Tsuna's version.

"Um...eh..." Tsuna didn't know where to start. What should he say? "Her name is Haru," he started lamely. "We were friends back when I went to Nami-chuu. She didn't go there, though, she went to Midori Middle. From what I remember, it was a school for elite students. Um...she's very energetic..." Tsuna took a sip of tea, trying to get past his nervousness. What did the Ninth want him to say?

"And what is she to you, Tsunayoshi?" The Ninth finally prompted. "Is she just a fling or someone that means more to you?" Tsuna looked down at the teacup in his lap, trying to find the words. Finally he looked up at the Ninth, trying to put all the words he couldn't say into his eyes.

"She's my moon," he said simply.

"I see," the Ninth responded in understanding. "In that case, I have something for you." He pushed a small box across his desk. Putting down his tea, Tsuna took it. He looked at the Ninth in surprise after looking inside. It was a ring, slightly aged in design, but lovingly polished and cared for.

"That is a Vongola heirloom," the Ninth explained. "My late wife wore it as a symbol that she wasn't a trophy wife. Most mafia Families have such rings for their women who aren't clueless about their loved one's actions." He smiled at Tsuna who was left gaping at the information. "I, too, choose the moon over the sun, Tsunayoshi. I didn't think you'd make the same choice, so I didn't give this to you before. But since you have, I'll give it to you gladly."

"Ninth..." Tsuna said, speechless.

"Don't get me wrong, Tsunayoshi. It's not a replacement for an engagement ring. It's merely a symbol that Haru might need in the future." He sighed, "I do hope you know what you're getting into. Even though you have her here with you, your training must continue." Tsuna nodded. He'd already thought about that. Thoroughly.

"In that case, go help her get settled in. I'll deal with sending polite refusals for all the proposed wedding contracts." Tsuna looked at him in surprise but the Ninth merely smiled. "I didn't want to broach the subject with you until after you'd gotten over your dislike of being touched, but it seems like there was no need to keep them around anyway." He made a small shoo'ing motion with his hand while he laughed, "Go, before your little firecracker decides to track you down."

Tsuna smiled in return and left respectfully, ring box in hand. He couldn't wait to see what Haru thought of her new home.

* * *

Tsuna couldn't help but get a fuzzy feeling in the pit of his stomach every time he looked at the ring on Haru's finger. It made him want to rush out and get her an engagement ring to go next to it. He momentarily wished he hadn't thrown away the ring he'd had made for Kyoko. His memory told him that he'd tossed it over a mountain during the drunken fit on his first night back to Japan, but it didn't matter. Haru deserved a ring intended only for her. He'd have to make a special trip down to Mafia Row and have her one made since he hadn't done it in Japan. For now, she'd taken the Ninth's gift without qualms or questions, for which Tsuna was glad. She'd figure out the importance of that ring eventually. For now, it was silent permission from the Ninth that she had access to all parts of Headquarters.

He didn't have to hide anything from her. The secret passages, the underground facilities, all of it was open to her. She had the whole place as her playground. Regi, the attendant at the firing range, was full of questions for her once he caught sight of her ring. He gave Tsuna a smile of approval after she answered him politely yet energetically. Tsuna couldn't help but smile in return. Haru was one of a kind.

Word seemed to get around to the rest of the Family. He kept catching people finding reasons to intercept them as he continued touring Haru through the Headquarters. Some he recognized as people he occassionally had to interact with, such as Regi. Others he didn't recognize at all, but knew by description. There were even people that he didn't even know by description that kept coming by and finding a reason to meet Tsuna's new love! Tsuna was a bit overwhelmed. He didn't know he had so many people curious about his personal life. Looking at Haru, she didn't seem to mind, happily yet energetically answering the same questions over and over.

"What's her name?" "How old was she?" "How had school been in Japan?" "What kind of things was she interested in?" "Was she excited to be a part of the Family?" "How did she meet the Tenth?"

The questions kept coming, non-stop. Finally, he pulled Haru back upstairs to their room, feeling the need to laugh hysterically. Even the mafia had gossips, it seemed. Worse, noisiness combined with skilled mafia interrogators meant trouble! They'd all been polite but quick to try and pull information out of her without her even realizing it. Tsuna had never known how much everyone seemed to want to know about him. Apparently, considering how many people had interrupted their tour, his bringing a girl home was going to be the source of talk over dinner tonight for the whole Family.

Haru wasn't as clueless as she seemed. She began laughing as soon as the bedroom door shut.

"I thought I was being surrounded by fifty Hana's," she gasped, wiping tears from her eyes. "Are they always like that?" Tsuna shook his head, trying to hide his own smile and failing.

"For grown men and women, I would think they'd have more tact. It's like they all prepared the same interrogation script and handed it out to be memorized."

She seemed to get serious for a moment, sprawling out on his couch and looking at him earnestly as she said, "I never realized you had so many people relying on you, Tsu-kun."

"I'm going to be a mafia boss, Haru," he pointed out sadly.

"And I'm going to be a mafia boss' wife," she declared with a large smile. Tsuna couldn't help but let that smile reflect on his own face as he crawled onto the couch on top of her.

"Yes, yes you are," he said quietly. Any surprised response she might have had was muffled when, for once, he surprised her with a passionate kiss.

* * *

Tsuna gave Haru one last worried glance before entering the school grounds with his two friends. Even with Bianchi escorting her to the registration desk to get her classes set up, Tsuna couldn't suppress the nagging feeling he had. He didn't want her going to a mafia school. It was one thing for him and the other guys, it was another for his girlfriend. She had been adamant though, citing her desire to learn all she could so that she wouldn't be a hindrance to him. He had tried to tell her not to worry about it, that being there was enough for him, but she had gotten stubborn.

More than anything, Tsuna wanted to stay at her side and protect her once she'd gotten him to agree. The Ninth had warned him not to, though. Doing such a thing would be unbecoming of the Vongola's heir. He wasn't allowed to fawn over her in public. He wasn't allowed so much as a kiss on her hand in public. Currently, she was nothing more to him than a friend and he wasn't allowed to reveal their true relationship until she was properly engaged. It was almost like a damned medieval courtship.

Tsuna wanted to grit his teeth in frustration and once again remind himself to get her a damn ring. He stopped himself from growling, realizing that he _had_ been, audibly, for the past few minutes. Yamamoto and Gokudera merely tried to hide their grins while the students that recognized him jumped out of his way.

Apparently it was okay if he went to a bar and hired himself a whore. As long as he didn't make any bastard children, he could screw anyone he wanted. To make Haru a proper wife in the future, however, meant jumping through hoops to satisfy the Ninth's upper echelon. They couldn't have their leader and boss-apparent taking a harlot as a wife, after all. Regardless of the fact that others did it all the time.

Must get her a ring, Tsuna repeated to himself. At least then, he could be in her company without giving anyone else things to snicker about. His discontent was obvious as he made his way to his new homeroom and new homeroom teacher. He could tell his discontent was obvious since even new students jumped out of his way _without_ knowing who he was.

All three boys were in their second year at Don Girarde. While the school year had already started, Tsuna and his friends had been given an excused leave for his trip to Japan. New students had come in during that time, latecomers and people that Tsuna just hadn't met before his trip. Their faces seemed so young to him, even though he knew there was hardly any age difference between them. Maybe it was the innocence he still saw in them. Most of them were young mafiosos who hadn't yet been forced to dip their fingers in the darker side.

Tsuna sighed, his discontent becoming deeper for a different reason. New faces meant new fear of him once word got around that he was back. By the end of the previous school year, he'd managed to get the fear out of most of his classmates, but there were still those that didn't see beyond his combat potential. He had no doubt those people would try and spread that fear before the new people knew better.

It was the price for power that he would forever have to pay.

* * *

Haru walked down the halls, looking for her homeroom. Someone called Mr. Purdy was supposed to be her first teacher. She was a bit nervous, considering the things Bianchi had explained to her while they had been picking out her classes. She'd chosen Home Economics due to Bianchi's input, citing that a mafia wife would need to know how to use poison-cooking if her man ever got out of line. Haru didn't think that was right, but considering she'd get to learn how to make camoflague too, she didn't argue. Camoflague was a type of costume and therefore Haru wanted to take the course.

She also had a few other seemingly innocent courses. Accounting, History, Customs. The last two beyond that, Bianchi had picked out for her. At first, Haru had thought gym class might be good for keeping her in shape, but Bianchi had stopped her. After hearing Bianchi's explaination of what gym class here was like, Haru had been sweating with gratitude. Instead, Bianchi had picked out two courses intended for female, non-combatant mafioso.

First, was a etiquette course. This was intended to teach the women who weren't going to be bosses or fighters how to blend in and not bring shame to their Family. Haru had been a bit miffed when Bianchi had picked it out, but remembering the mansion she was living in now, she decided she had better take it. If Haru wanted to be able to be at Tsuna's side regardless, there were probably times that she'd have to be in front of crowds of the rich and snobby. The amount of people that had been curious about her yesterday had told her how important Tsuna was. Only luck had given her answers that didn't shame or injure Tsuna's standing in the Family.

The second course that Bianchi had picked out was a Fitness course. This one looked interesting. Instead of the fighter's gym class, she'd be learning yoga, gymnastics, and self-defense. They'd also be having a work-out routine to keep the non-fighting girls from getting fat and complacent. Thinking back to the rich cake Cress had given her with dinner last night, she hadn't argued with Bianchi on this class.

"Are you lost?" A hesitant voice asked in the school's common language. Haru turned, trying to find the source. It seemed to be a girl in pigtails and large glasses who was partially hiding in a doorway.

"Kind of," Haru admitted, glad that she'd taken her English courses seriously back home. "I'm supposed to find Mr. Purdy's class, but I have no clue where it is."

"I'll show you," the girl offered shyly. "Are you new here?" Haru nodded, following the girl back the way she'd just came.

"Yup," she told the girl, "I'm from Japan. I just transferred here."

The girl stopped in place. Turning around she grabbed on her pigtails and yanked as she squealed, "JAPAN?!" Haru took a step back as the suddenly shy girl rushed forward to her. "Do you like manga?!" Haru laughed, her energy rising with the other girl's sudden excitement.

"Haru loves manga! I had to leave all mine back at home, though."

"Do you want to go out with me?!" She asked.

"HA-hi!" Haru exclaimed, surprised. The girl stepped back a few paces, realizing what she'd just said.

"No, no, no, not again!" She stomped her feet in frustration. "I mean, do you want to come with me after school? I know this Juice Bar that has a huge manga library." Haru smiled, relieved.

"Sure," she promised. "But first, I have to get to class. I don't want to make the teacher mad on my first day." The girl nodded, taking off again down the hall with Haru behind her.

"By the way," the girl said, "You don't happen to know Tsuna Sawada, do you? He's from Japan like you."

"Ha-hi?" Haru exclaimed again. "You know Tsu-kun?" Once again the girl stopped in her tracks and turned around. This time, she gaped instead of pulling her pigtails out of nervousness.

"Tsu-kun...?" The girl said, dropping her jaw even lower. Haru just looked at her blankly. Was calling him that something wrong? The girl laughed at Haru's confusion and her personality seemed to suddenly change. "Damn, I never thought I'd hear someone call Hellfire something like that."

"Hellfire?" Haru asked. The girl nodded.

"I'm Cheri," she said suddenly, putting out her hand in greeting. Haru took it, her confusion and surprise deepening as she gave her name in return. Once Haru dropped her hand, she explained. "Around here, people call me Demon Cheri because they're scared of me. Since Tsuna can beat me ten times out of ten, they call him Hellfire." Haru put her hands on her hips in outrage.

"Tsu-kun beats you up?" She asked. Cheri nodded, perplexed by Haru's reaction. "Where's his classroom?" Haru asked suddenly. Cheri looked at her in askance for a moment before leading the way. The moment Haru saw him standing next to his desk, she stomped up to him. He only got a moment of recognition before she slapped him with all her might, bringing stares of surprise and shock from everyone around.

"What was that for?!" He yelled, nursing his red cheek.

"I heard you beat up a girl, Tsu-kun," she said, crossing her arms in displeasure. He looked at her like she was crazy for a moment before noticing Cheri's presence behind her.

"Haru, you don't understand. Cheri and me spar. It's part of our gym class," he explained soothingly. "I told you things worked a bit differently here. Cheri is a formidable opponent. Don't underestimate her because she's a girl."

The fire started to go out of Haru's eyes as she simply said, "Oh." She began blushing at her actions, realizing how many people in the class were goggling at her. She had stormed into Tsuna's class and slapped him before he even had a chance to respond.

"Cheri," Tsuna called, still rubbing his stinging cheek, "Haru's a bit energetic. You've got to tell her the whole story before she goes off." Haru blushed again, but couldn't fault him.

"Sorry, Tsuna," Cheri responded. "I didn't know she would do something like this."

"It's fine," he said, ignoring Haru's deepening blushes. He gave Haru a faltering smile and told Cheri. "It's not the first time she's slapped me and it's probably not the last."

"Come on, Haru, I'll help you find your class," Yamamoto offered, guiding her out of the room before she could get any redder. As she went, Tsuna turned back to his classmates, strangely glad that he was getting surprised looks of laughter instead of fearful ones. He couldn't blame their shock. Who would have imagined someone would dare slap Hellfire Tsuna and get away with it?

"What?" He said to the room when his cheek finally stopped stinging. "You've never seen a guy get slapped by a girl before?" The surprised and shocked looks became a faltering chuckle and Tsuna couldn't help but sigh. It was definately going to be an interesting school year.


	48. Chapter 48 Rough Start

Haru was having a bad day. By lunch she wanted to cry. First, there had been the incident with Tsuna in his homeroom which she still regretted. She should have had more faith in him and asked him about it before she jumped off the handle like she had. After that, everything went downhill.

Her homeroom class was apparently full of new students. But instead of anyone else, the teacher seemed to center his attention on her, asking her all his questions first. Some seemed innocent enough, such as what her favorite food was. But then he'd asked her what her Family name was and she'd given her family name. He'd asked again, specifying her mafia Family name. The whole class had started snickering when she admitted she didn't know. The teacher had looked at her in understanding and merely went to the next person while she tried to hide behind her desk.

Her history teacher had called her naive when she answered the essay questions that he'd handed out. It had been basic knowledge questions to see how much they already knew of the world. She had written down as much as she could remember from what she'd learned in school back at Namimori. The teacher had given her a 0 on her paper, the first she'd ever gotten. She didn't care if the score was only an assessment and wouldn't be listed in her grades. She had objected, so the teacher had tore her down mercilessly, telling her the real answers. The answers that were basic knowledge for any mafioso, apparently.

After that had been Home Economics. On this one, the class started out fine. The teacher had even been impressed with her sewing skills. But then the woman had found out Haru knew Bianchi. The sewing assessment had turned into a cooking assessment; something Haru didn't have as much confidence in. She had tried anyway, making a curry with rice that she had thought she did well on. After a taste, the teacher had been displeased. Apparently cooking something tasty didn't matter if it wasn't poisoned. Haru had been crushed when the teacher had thrown it in the trash.

She was relieved when accounting came around. Numbers never lied. Her daddy had taught her that. When the teacher assessed her in this class, he had seemed mildly in approval. At least he hadn't turned on her. Haru didn't think she could take much more let down. Coming from an elite girl's school and then a elite co-ed high school, she had thought she'd be up to the challenge of Tsuna's school. But everything was so different here. It was major culture-shock. Her confidence rose a bit, however, when her Accounting teacher gave her praise, citing how she'd found all the mistakes in the ledgers she'd been handed without any help.

Finally lunch arrived and she sighed in relief. Lunch wasn't something she could fail at. All you had to do was eat. And just maybe, she would be able to see Tsuna. Even that was a disaster, though. She had picked up her tray without problems, but as she finally caught sight of him Cheri had interfered and pulled her aside to a different table.

"You can't sit with him," she hissed, holding her head low to the table so no one else would overhear.

"Ha-hi?" Haru said, perplexed. "Why not?"

"It wouldn't just ruin your reputation, but it would ruin his. He's a mafia boss-to-be, Haru. Think of him like a lord or a prince. What would happen if a prince suddenly had some strange girl at his side constantly?" Haru shook her head. How should she know? Cheri sighed and continued her hushed whispers. "People would assume a lot more about your relationship than was proper. The scene this morning was bad enough. You'll only make things worse if you go over there."

"Oh," she said unhappily, looking over at Tsuna sadly. He caught her glance and looked back, a mournful expression on his face for only a moment before he covered it and looked away. He had already known.

Cheri sat up from her hushed council and began eating normally now that Haru wasn't about to step on a landmine. Haru looked down at her plate, picking at the food there. She hadn't known there was so much formality that she would have to go through. Suddenly, she was afraid to say or do anything in fear that she might become even a bigger hindrance to Tsuna. She wanted to learn how not to be, but instead she was becoming an even bigger problem to him. She sighed, wishing that she hadn't been so stubborn when Tsuna had tried to talk her into going to a normal school. She was so depressed she didn't even notice when several other girls sat down with her and Cheri.

"So, you're new here, right?" Once of the group asked. Haru nodded, surprised by the sudden question.

"I'm Violet. This is Sara, Margaret, Finch, and Perenia," she said, introducing her companions. "We're the Mafia Wive's Club." Haru perked up, not noticing the glare Cheri was giving the girls.

"Mafia Wive's Club?" Haru asked, her eyes shining. "I'm going to be a mafia boss' wife," she said automatically.

"Really?" Margaret exclaimed, overjoyed by the statement. "You'd fit right in with us, then."

"So, who are you courting? I'm courting Vongola the Tenth," Violet said. "I've already had papa send the contracts, I'm just waiting on their response." Before Haru could give her answer to Violet's question, Sara interjected.

"Don't worry, Violet, there's no way he could turn you down."

"Of course, sweety," Finch said, the high pitch of her voice making Haru want to put her hands over her ears.

"I don't know," Perenia added, making the other girls look at her in dislike. "Vongola the Tenth seems like a prize catch. He's not going to be easy to land on the alter."

"I'm not even sure you'd want to land him on the alter," Cheri said, trying to dissuade them from their plans. "He seems kind of cold and haven't you ever seen him fight? Sca-ary." The group of girls looked at her with their lips curling in dislike, obviously disagreeing with her assessment.

"Who's Vongola the Tenth?" Haru asked quietly. She felt like a total idiot with all these girls talking about someone she didn't even know. For some reason, Cheri and all the others dropped their jaws at the question, making her blush at her own ignorance. "Is he someone famous?" She asked. Cheri continued to look at her in shock, but the others looked at her in understanding.

"Poor girl. You must be from a smaller Family if you've never heard of Vongola the Tenth." She turned, pointing toward the corner Tsuna was sitting at. "See that boy over there?" She asked. Haru looked closely, trying to see who she was pointing at. Maybe someone near Tsuna? Violet's next words made her eyes widen in surprise. "His name is Tsunayoshi Sawada," the girl continued, oblivious to Haru's reaction. "He's the boss-apparent for the Vongola Family. It's one of the most powerful of all the mafia Families. The woman that can land him on the alter would have fame, riches, and power to do nearly anything she wanted."

"Tsu-kun is..." she stopped at the sudden fierce glares the group of girls gave her.

"Who do you think you are, calling him something like that?" Finch said for them.

"It's okay, Finch," Violet interjected like a gracious hostess. "She probably doesn't know better. That's okay though, we can teach her everything she needs to know. Right girls?" The other girls nodded while Haru continued to sit in shock. "Just don't call him so inappropriately in the future," Violet ordered.

Haru shook her head, still trying to get her mind to wrap around what she'd just learned. Not only was Tsuna more important than she'd ever dreamed, but this girl wanted to marry him. Had even sent a proposal already! Haru looked at Cheri, her shock clearly still on her face. Cheri grimaced in return.

Temporarily forgetting the other girls, Haru asked Cheri, "Tsu-kun is that important a person?" Again Cheri grimaced as she nodded. A growl from Violet turned Haru back to her.

"What did I just say about calling him that? He's going to be my husband, so you better be more respectful," she demanded, crossing her arms in displeasure. Haru was too shocked to say anything other than the first thing that came to mind.

"But I'm going to be Tsu-kun's wife," she mumbled to herself. The group of girls looked at her in surprise before busting out laughing. She looked at them blankly, unsure of what to do. Cheri was still grimacing, unable to think of a way to help.

"Gimme a break," Sara said through her chuckles, "You didn't even know he was Vongola the Tenth. What makes you think you can be his wife?"

"But," Haru said, tears welling up in her eyes. "But Tsu-kun--"

"I said don't call him that, you arrogant backwater pig!" Violet said, standing up. Silence decended on the cafeteria and Haru leaned back in her chair at the rage in Violet's eyes. Before Haru could do more than stutter another 'but', she found her lunch tray knocked into her lap by the angry woman. Haru gasped and stood, looking at her ruined uniform in dismay. She couldn't take it anymore. She ran out of the room before anyone could stop her, trying to hide the tears in her eyes. Cheri watched her go and Violet gave a cruel smile of satisfaction.

"You're all idiots," Cheri said carefully into the silent cafeteria. Before Violet could ask her what she meant, everyone's heads turned toward a loud thump in the corner of the room. Tsuna was sitting in the corner with his head bowed, his fork stabbed halfway through the table, obviously trying to restrain himself. His two friends were whispering furiously to him, but it seemed to have no effect. When he looked up, Violet stepped back at the rage in his eyes. The rage directed toward her.

"What...?" She muttered, not knowing what she'd done to anger him. Cheri shrugged. She wasn't about to tell this golddigger how much she'd just screwed up. Instead, Cheri watched as Violet grew more pale at Tsuna's continued anger. The whole cafeteria tensed when he finally stood.

"Ninth be damned," he told his suddenly silent silver-haired friend; the one that had been whispering furiously the most. No one moved, not even his friends, as he walked out of the lunch room and followed the trail of Haru. Gokudera belatedly started following him while Yamamoto walked over to Cheri. He didn't even have to go around tables since people cleared his way for him.

He stopped, giving a glare at Violet before he asked Cheri, "What happened?"

"Oh, nothing," Cheri said, trying to hold back her own glare at Violet. "Just a gold-digger that thought Tsuna's childhood friend shouldn't call him by a nickname." Violet sat back down in her chair in shock, her eyes wide and her face pale. She finally realized how much she'd screwed up. Not only had she insulted a Vongola, but one of her matrimony target's friends.

"I see," Yamamoto said simply. "We had hoped that Haru's Ring of Acknowledgement would be enough for people to give her lee-way in learning. You know she's a recent addition to the Family, right?" Cheri nodded. If she hadn't known it before, Haru's lack of knowledge in Tsuna's identity had told her. "Well, Tsuna will take care of it either way," he gave her a small bow of thanks for her information. After another glare at the shocked Violet and cronies, he left, following the path that Tsuna had taken minutes before.

Cheri gave Violet a mocking laugh the moment Yamamoto was out of the room. "Man, you're screwed," she told the other girl. As if that was the cue, the cafeteria erupted into talk, everyone wanting to comment on what just happened.

For Cheri, it was just another day in the crazy life of a mafia student.

* * *

Tsuna followed Haru as quickly as he could. He shouldn't have allowed this to happen. Because of him, Haru had been hurt. His own obedience to the Ninth's orders and the formalities of the mafia elite instead of obedience to his own heart had kept him from protecting Haru when she needed him the most. He didn't care about the Ninth's orders anymore. He didn't care what others might whisper. He was going to find Haru and beg forgiveness on his knees if need be.

He had hoped that the Ring of Acknowledgement that she wore would be enough to keep back the snobs. When Violet and her cronies had surrounded Haru, he'd watched silently. The whole time he'd been praying that they'd seen her ring and had surrounded her to try to curry favor. Instead, it had been the total opposite. He knew they had been talking about him. Considering Violet had pointed him out to Haru while he pretended to be in deep discussion with Gokudera had proved it.

The whole time he'd watched as Haru seemed to become more and more agitated. He'd tried to restrain himself from going to her when he'd seen the tears start forming in her eyes at whatever Violet had said. But when Violet had insulted her and thrown the tray of food in her lap, Tsuna had snapped. He'd tried to control the surge of anger. Violet didn't even know how much restraint it had taken to keep from killing her right then and there. How much he wanted her throat in his hands. Only Gokudera's pleas and reminders had kept him from doing it. From returning the insult and destroying any semblance of an alliance Vongola had with them. They were arrogant and ignorant, not worthy of his anger, Gokudera had repeated until he'd calmed enough to think rationally.

Yamamoto's words had been what changed his focus. What had broke his rage and sent him after Haru. Gokudera had started to disagree, reminding Tsuna of the Ninth's command. Yet it felt like the right thing to do. So, doing what he did best, he ignored the Ninth's orders about displaying affection and went after Haru. He'd worry about consequences later. Right now, Haru was more important than any insinuations or gossip that the Families could come up with.

Haru was sadly easy to find. All he had to do was follow the trail of spagetti that had been dripping from her clothes. He knocked on the door of the girl's bathroom, curious if anyone other than her was inside. When no one answered, he called inside, "I'm a guy, but I'm coming in. Haru, I know you're in there." Before anyone could reply, he walked in, leaving Gokudera to guard the entrance. There was another girl inside, trying to help Haru clean off her uniform while she continued to cry. She squeaked a little, surprised by a guy in the girl's bathroom, warning aside.

"You can't be in here, Tsu-kun," Haru said around her sobs. He wrapped his arms around her. He ignored the other girl. He ignored the red sauce on her clothes. He ignored everything other than comforting her. He ignored everything except what his own heart told him to do.

"I'm so sorry," he said softly, kissing her on the head while she cried. "I didn't know they'd do something like that."

"She said she was going to be your wife, Tsu-kun," she sobbed. "She said I couldn't be your wife because I didn't even know what you were called. And the teacher said I was naive. And everyone laughed at me because I didn't know what Fam--" Tsuna silenced her with a kiss, once again ignoring everything other than his own heart. After her surprise wore off, she stomped on his foot, making him release her in his own surprise coupled with the sudden pain.

"I'm not good enough for you, Tsuna!" She yelled at him, making his heart clench. "I didn't know how important you were. I didn't know anything," she cried.

"Haru," he said, hurting by her pain, "I'm the one that's not good enough for you. I didn't protect you like I should have. I failed _you_, not the other way around," he told her passionately. She stopped, looking at him as if she was trying to believe him but couldn't. "I knew you didn't really know anything about the mafia, but I brought you here anyway. I don't care if you never know anything about that part of my life. You know the more important part. The part that no one in this place could ever touch, Haru," he continued, nearly crying in hopes that she would understand. He walked forward, once again taking her into his arms. This time she didn't fight it when he kissed her. He broke it off, looking her into the eyes with all the emotion he could never release in a single lifetime.

"I love you, Haru," he said simply. "I love you and I want to marry you. I could care less what everyone else want of me anymore. If I had a ring I'd give it to you right now," he said, his eyes begging her to believe him.

"You're an idiot, Tsu-kun," she said, her wide smile making her words a lie. He smiled in return, wiping away the tears in her eyes. He hoped they were happy tears this time.

"But I'm your idiot," he replied softly. They put their foreheads together as understanding and love passed between them. A sudden sniff broke them out of their focus on each other, however. Tsuna looked up, remembering that there had been another girl in the room. She was standing to the side, sniffing into the handkerchief she'd been trying to help Haru out with.

"That was beautiful," she cried without mockery. Tsuna couldn't help but smile at their one-person audience.

"Our little secret?" He asked. She nodded and went forward to help Haru again when he released her. "Are you going to be okay now, Haru?"

She nodded, wiping the last of her tears away while she continued trying to get the spagetti's red sauce off of her skirt. Tsuna looked down, only then realizing that when he'd embraced her, he'd gotten the sauce on himself. "I better go to the boy's room and get this off," he said with a smile. "I don't think the teachers would be happy if I was caught trying to get it off in here." She laughed in her normal, hearty way, waving for him to go ahead and go.

He did, with a smile, happy to hear the sound of her laugh instead of tears again. When he walked outside, he found a mob of unconscious eavesdroppers piled in front of the door with Gokudera smoking a cigarette over them. Gokudera shrugged. They hadn't taken his warning to leave so he'd hit them with a sleeping-gas bomb. Tsuna smiled, understanding it all with Gokudera's silent motion. He waved for his friend to follow him, feeling Yamamoto appear, as well.

"Sorry," Yamamoto said. "I didn't want to get caught in Gokudera's smoke, so I was hiding around the corner. Is Haru okay?" He asked. Tsuna nodded, bringing a relieved sigh. "Apparently the woman that did it thought she had some claim to you and didn't like it when Haru called you Tsu-kun." Once again, Tsuna nodded silently, leading the way into the boy's bathroom. A single glare sent everyone inside fleeing. By now, everyone in the school knew about the incident in the cafeteria and no one wanted to be the target for his anger.

"Ninth's orders be damned," Tsuna repeated when they were alone. He began wetting some napkins in water before trying to get the sauce off his pants and shirt with Gokudera's help. "What can we do to keep this from happening again?"

"Keep a watchful presence over her, Tenth," Gokudera suggested. "At least, until she gets her feet under her." Tsuna nodded. It was what he was already planning on doing anyway, but hearing Gokudera say it helped him focus.

"You won't be able to protect her while she's in class though. Maybe get a few people to keep an eye out for her during those times? You know that Violet and her buddies will be trying to torture her after this," Yamamoto added. Again Tsuna nodded.

"Any chance I can leave that to you, Yamamoto? Girls would probably be best so that she could feel more comfortable, but you know how I am with girls." Yamamoto smiled at the comment.

"You don't seem to be doing that bad, Tsuna," he encouraged.

"Well, she seems to have made one friend already. Hopefully it's someone she has some classes with." At their questioning looks, he blushed. "Um, we had an audience inside. Some girl that had been trying to help Haru when I went in."

"I'll ask around and find out who it was, Tenth," Gokudera offered, getting the last of the sauce off his pants before it stained. The white shirt was already ruined, but Tsuna didn't care. So what if it was evidence he'd held and kissed Haru? He was proud of that stain, not ashamed of it. Not like he'd been ashamed of his poor choices in the cafeteria.

"I'll ask Cheri to keep an eye out for her after school," Tsuna suggested, remembering his normal duties for that period of time. "At least until a car picks her up." Tsuna put out his hand and both Gokudera and Yamamoto placed theirs on top of it without hesitation.

"Operation Protect Haru," he said with determination.

"Fight-O!" They called in unison, heading for the door with their plans of attack set in their minds.

May anyone who even thought about hurting Haru again fear for their lives.

* * *

"He really cares about you, doesn't he?" The girl said to Haru after Tsuna left. Haru laughed, still a bit overwhelmed by the emotion Tsuna had shown.

"I knew he cared, but I didn't realize how much," she replied. The girl smiled up at her from where she was still trying to get the spagetti's red sauce out of Haru's skirt. "Thank you for helping me," she said while the she continued to work on her shirt.

"I'm not one to leave someone in need," she replied sadly. "Plus, I remember my first day last year and since I don't recognize you, I assume this is your first day." Haru was surprised by the understanding in the other girl's words and eyes. The girl smiled up at her, sensing Haru's reaction. "Not everyone here is elite snobs. There are more of us that simply have to put up with people like that than you might imagine. Although, I'll be honest," she continued, standing up to get new napkins, "I didn't know you were one of Vongola the Tenth's friends. Heck, I didn't know Vongola the Tenth could even be like that. He's normally so cold and quiet. If I hadn't been so surprised when he hugged you, I probably would have ran out of the room in fear."

"But Tsu-kun isn't--" Haru started to say. The other girl interrupted her before she could even get started.

"Maybe not to you, but for most of us here, he's an enigma. See, since he _is _so cold and quiet to everyone but his two buddies and Cheri, no one knows what he's really like. Most people think he's one of the arrogant snobs like those in the Mafia Wive's Club, so they won't go near him. I'll tell you right now, if I hadn't seen him just now, I wouldn't have believed that had been Vongola the Tenth. The rumors about him make him into such a monster in comparison. Especially since he's such a good fighter."

"Poor Tsu-kun," Haru said, bringing a surprised look from the other girl. "He's not like that at all. He hates a lot of what he has to do," she continued, remembering the nightmares he'd had the past several nights. "He's kind and he cares more about his Family than anyone else. I don't know how anyone could call him cold," she finished, ignoring the wide eyes the girl was staring at her with.

"Like I said," the girl said finally, "I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it. There we go," she said with a flair. Haru looked down, amazed at her now-pristine skirt. Her shirt would still be stained, but at least she could sit down without fear.

"Thank you so much," Haru said energetically, giving her skirt a small twirl.

"By the way, I'm Sangia of the Kuneri Family," the helpful girl said, holding out her hand in greeting. Haru looked at it surprise for a moment before taking it with a wide and energetic smile.

"I'm Haru! Of the...um...what was it again?...Vongola Family!" She exclaimed with a small curtsy. Sangia laughed and Haru joined her happily. Her first new friend!

Maybe Italy wouldn't be so bad after all.


	49. Chapter 49 Feelings

Haru walked into her science class feeling more confident. Not only had Tsuna reassured her that she was good enough for him, he'd told her firmly that he wanted to marry her. She kept having to repressed squeals of delight every time she thought about it. It had been the first time he'd come out and actually told her his feelings.

On top of that, she found out that she shared her last three classes with her new friend Sangia. After the two had finished salvaging Haru's uniform, they'd spent the rest of the lunch hour together in the school's courtyard, chatting about nonsense stuff. Haru still had to smile at that. When the bell had rang for lunch hour to end, she'd caught sight of Tsuna and the others watching over her protectively from a classroom window before they dodged out of sight.

The girl beside her seemed friendly enough. They had quite a bit in common, both being non-combatant students at Don Girarde. Haru had found out through their talk that Sangia was actually the second daughter of the boss for the Kuneri Family. Since her elder sister had taken the role of boss-apparent, Sangia had been pretty much left in the cold. Until two years ago, she'd been just like Haru, merely living a normal life unaffected by the mafia world. Then her father had decided she might have a use and pulled her away from her foster parents without a single explanation. So now, she was going to school with mafiosos at her father's will.

From what she told Haru, Sangia had a rough time her first year, too. No only had she been totally clueless like Haru, but she'd been defenseless. Not even other members of her father's Family had really cared what happened to her here. Yet she was forced to come, day after day, without ever getting a reason why. Sangia had laughed sadly when she told Haru the stories about all the times she tried to run away and was dragged back.

Haru couldn't help but feel empathy for the girl. It was almost like a fairy-tale without a white prince. At least Haru had chosen to come here under her own free will and had the support of Tsuna. Sangia hadn't had a choice and she didn't have a prince. Haru finally realized that had been the reason the girl had been in the bathroom during lunch. Sangia had been hiding.

"Why don't we both bring our lunches tomorrow? We could eat it out in the courtyard together," she asked the other girl.

"What...?" Sangia replied, sitting down in her chair in surprise.

"I'm used to bringing my own lunch anyway. It'll probably be more fun than sitting in the cafeteria with snobs and everyone else staring at us," Haru pleaded.

"But no one--"

"Exactly!" Haru cheered. "We'll have the courtyard all to ourselves!" Haru waited in anticipation, hoping for her to say yes. Sangia thought it over. It actually wasn't a bad idea. The only reason Sangia hadn't done it by herself was that she was scared of being out in the open alone and becoming a target.

"It's probably faux pas," she said sadly. Then she smiled and turned to Haru with excitement, "But let's do it anyway!"

Haru gave her a bright smile as the teacher walked in. Haru faced him with determination. She had a friend and her first plan to getting through tomorrow. But first, she had to finish getting through today. She _would_ be a mafia boss' wife. She would _not_ let anything stop her anymore.

* * *

Haru smiled to herself as she changed out of her work-out clothes and left the locker room with Sangia beside her. The rest of the day had went smoothly, all things considered. Her science teacher happened to be related to Lambo, so she'd spent half the class telling the teacher how the little boy was doing instead of him telling her about the wonders of science. Sangia and the rest of the class had merely watched in amusement and she'd ignored the whispered conversation that they'd started having about what had happened in the cafeteria.

After that had been etiquette. This was Sangia's second time taking this course, since she'd failed it the previous year. Haru got by with the skin of her teeth with Sangia's whispered clues. Haru could make it through a tea ceremony, but finding the right fork for salad had been extremely hard.

Finally there had been her Fitness course. The coach had been a strange woman. She'd checked over Haru's muscles like she was a horse before sending her on a warm-up run. After that, Haru had been allowed to have fun on the balance beam. She didn't even think Tsuna knew how much she'd practiced her gymnastics over the past few years. It was one thing she was proud of.

As she caught sight of Cheri and the boys, she couldn't help but wave in greeting. Tsuna waved back, true to his word on not caring what others might whisper anymore. While they crossed from their gym over to hers, Haru asked Sangia out of curiosity, "Why would there be a fuss if me and Tsuna are together, but not for him and Cheri?" Sangia smiled at the question.

"From what I hear, their spars are enough to ward off that kind of innuendo. She's more like one of the guys than one of the girls."

"That's silly," Haru said as the group joined them. Haru turned to Cheri while Sangia looked at Tsuna a bit warily out of the corner of her eye. "Do you want to join us for lunch tomorrow?" She asked with a smile. Cheri looked at her with a raised eyebrow, so Haru explained while they walked. "We're going to bring bento and eat in the courtyard."

"Isn't that against some unwritten rule?" Cheri asked, re-braiding a pigtail. "I don't want to stand out anymore than I already do because of sparring practice." Haru smiled in return.

"If it's not a written rule, then there's no reason we shouldn't." She looked up at Tsuna, curious as to what he thought. He smiled down at her softly.

"We'll come too," he offered. "The more the merrier, right? Plus, it's been a while since I had a real bento." He smiled as a thought occurred to him, but he just shook his head at her questioning glance. "That okay with you guys?" He asked to his two shadows. They both nodded with wide grins on their faces. They didn't like the crowded cafeteria any more than he did. The only reason they went there for lunch was because of Tsuna. The only reason Tsuna did was because he wasn't allowed to hide and eat alone. But the courtyard was public enough to satisfy his orders. "It's settled then. I'll ask Cress to talk to the cook for me."

"Nope!" Haru said, twirling around in place. She stopped in front of him with her hands on her hips. "Haru will make bento for Tsu-kun!" She declared firmly. He smiled again at her enthusiasm.

"Just don't drive the kitchen staff crazy," he warned with a laugh. "I'd rather not have them mad at me. Goodness knows they'll get Bianchi to help cook our dinner if you make them mad." Haru scrunched up her face at the insinuation that she'd drive anyone crazy, making Tsuna and the boys chuckle.

"You're normal," Sangia said suddenly, bringing everyone's attention to her. She was looking at the group, shaking her head in shock.

"You're the girl that helped Haru out, aren't you?" He asked curiously. She nodded silently, still trying to come to grips with something. "Thank you," he said with a warm smile. Sangia seemed to become even more surprised when he held out his hand in thanks and introduction. "I'm Tsuna," he said formally when she took the proffered hand with wide eyes.

"Tsuna," Yamamoto said in warning. Tsuna looked around, realizing that they'd walked through the courtyard without noticing it and Xanxus was waiting impatiently next to his car. He dropped the girl's hand.

"Let's fucking go already, kid," he growled, seeing that they'd finally noticed him.

"Who's that, Tsu-kun?" Haru asked hesitantly. The man was scary but he seemed to know Tsuna.

"I'm sorry, Haru," Tsuna said sadly. "I-I've got to go to work." He looked over at Cheri before Haru could ask him what he meant. "Please, take care of her for me. A car should be here for her in a while." When Cheri nodded, Tsuna didn't give Haru time to ask for an explanation. All three boys broke away from the group and headed for a separate car. By the time Haru got over her surprise, they were gone, the cars pulling swiftly away down the street. Cheri grimaced when Haru turned to her in askance.

"All I can tell you is that you might not want to be there when he first gets back." She refused to say anything more, regardless of how Haru tried to pull the information out of her. By the time they reached Prescott's, Cheri was at her wit's end with Haru's continued attempts. "Look, Haru," she said, trying to restrain her irritation. "He's a mafia boss-apparent. Use your imagination on what he has to do for work."

Haru fell silent for a moment before softly asking, "Things that will give him more nightmares?" Cheri and Sangia looked at her in surprise for a moment at the unwitting confession that Tsuna had nightmares. Cheri's surprise was overwritten with sadness when she nodded.

"Yes, Haru, the things that gives him nightmares," she said softly in agreement. Haru fell silent, following Cheri and Sangia quietly into Prescott's to wait until her car came.

* * *

"So, fucking brat, did you have fun on your shitty trip?" Xanxus said, making his version of small talk while the car pulled away. "I see you brought back a piece of ass." Tsuna glared at him, wanting to rip Xanxus' throat out for calling Haru something like that. Xanxus smiled cruelly, sensing the blood-lust coming off of his partner. At Xanxus' smile, Tsuna merely tossed him a chunk of zero-point ice into his lap in warning. Xanxus' smile disappeared. "Didn't mean to piss you off, kid," Xanxus said for his version of soothing. "Fuck, you went on a shitty vacation to relax and you came back with a stick up your ass."

"Who's this?" Tsuna asked, changing the subject. He nodded with his chin to the sweating man in a black suit sitting across from them.

"The old man's new training," Xanxus said, turning to business. "He wants you to slowly get to know ever single piece of trash in the Family from bottom to top. So, we'll be having a new helper every day until you've met them all."

"Oh, that's all," Tsuna sagged in relief. "I was afraid you'd went and done something stupid like bringing the target along with us." Xanxus growled at the idea that he'd do something that stupid, but Tsuna ignored him. He gave the man across from him a reassuring smile.

"Nice to meet you...?" He prompted with a handshake.

"Edward Turney, sir, Tenth," he amended nervously. "I'm one of the Family's lower-ranking hitmen, Tenth, sir," he explained. Tsuna laughed.

"You can call me Tenth, Edward. I bet it's kind of awkward calling someone so much younger than you 'sir'." Edward looked at Tsuna nervously, trying to return Tsuna's reassuring smile with his own faltering one. "So why did you join the Family, Edward?" He hoped that being called by his first name would help relax the man, but it seemed that the last question did it instead. The man instantly pulled out his wallet and ignored the rolled eyes Xanxus gave him.

"This is my wife and daughter, Tenth," he said, showing Tsuna the picture nestled within. "Me and Gina will be married six years next month and Emily will be nine later this year. Three years ago, the Ninth saved my wife when she was kidnapped by an underground slave ring." Tsuna looked at the man in surprise and he smiled, all nervousness forgotten. "I wanted to do something in return, so I got myself attached to one of the reserve squads."

"I see," Tsuna said softly. This man likely was only called in during dire emergencies or when they were just short of helping hands. He likely hadn't been sent on more than a handful of assignments in the past three years. Tsuna handed him his wallet back and looked over at Xanxus.

"What's the assignment?" He asked, hoping this man wouldn't have to witness a torture. Xanxus smiled knowingly.

"Only a simple punishment, shit for brains. I heard you had plenty of practice in information gathering during your trip," he said callously. Tsuna bowed his head, unhappy at the reminder. He listened quietly while Xanxus briefed them on the target and assignment.

"Lets get this over with as fast as possible, so that Edward can get back to his Gina and little Emily," Tsuna said with determination when the car finally came to a stop. He took the lead, not seeing behind him the cruel smile on Xanxus' face or the look of sudden devotion that Edward gave him. He was too focused on trying to get in and out before the man saw something that would give him nightmares. It was bad enough Tsuna had them, he didn't want others to have to get them as well.

* * *

Tsuna snuck out of his bedroom suite, closing the door carefully to keep from waking the satiated and sleeping woman inside. There was something he wanted to do, but he didn't want her to find out about it until he knew whether or not it he could manage it.

After finishing the job, Tsuna had left Xanxus and went to Mafia Row. Unfortunately, he'd been unable to find a single jewelry store open in the whole area. It had been his last hope after coming to terms with the fact he wouldn't be free to go shopping in normal places anytime soon. Nothing would be open before school and had to work with Xanxus after school. He doubted the Ninth would let him out of his work with Xanxus for a day so he could go shopping, considering the man's warning the first day they'd come back. His training must continue unimpeded.

Tsuna didn't want to wait until he was allowed time to go buy Haru a ring. He wanted to be able to give her one right away so that he could be free with his relationship with her. So he could enjoy being with her without the haunting knowledge that he was disobeying his Family. He didn't want to hurt them with innuendo and he didn't want Haru hurt by gossips. But, when he was honest with himself, he really didn't want to wait because he just really didn't want to wait. He wanted to give Haru a ring as a symbol of how much he cared about her. How much he loved her. So that every time she looked at it, she would know what she meant to him. So that never again would she feel unworthy out of uncertainty.

Tsuna had an idea. He couldn't give Haru diamonds or gold at the moment, but he could give her a piece of himself. He'd _make _her a ring using his own flame. Whether it worked or not depended on how well he could learn to control his flame and the zero-point breakthrough during the night. At first, he'd shrugged off the idea, knowing how stupid it sounded even to himself. Haru wouldn't feel comfortable with a ring of ice around her finger. Plus, a chunk of ice as thin as a ring would need to be would be fragile. Yet, after thinking about it harder, he realized he could _maybe _solve those problems.

Ice with the zero-point breakthrough was highly-compressed negative flame that was already incredibly hard if it was thick. If he could compress it even further, he could make it harder than steel no matter it's size. Then, if he could make it into layers and insert a wisp of sky flame between those, it might keep it warm enough to be wearable. It was a chance. The only chance he'd have to give her a ring anytime soon.

Tsuna turned off the surveillance in the room that had been set aside for Hibari, knowing this would be the last place anyone would think to look for him. Once that was done, he sat down in the unused sitting area and got to work. Pushing his concentration to the limit, he began by creating the smallest sliver of zero-point ice he could.

"Too big," he mumbled to himself, tossing the sliver aside. He tried again.

And again.

Dozens of times over the course of the next hour he tried again.

This time it came out as thin as he needed, but not strong enough. It broke in half with the slightest bit of pressure due to it's fragile thickness. He concentrated harder, focusing on making it stronger. He had to do this for her. He _wanted _to do this for her. He tried again.

And again.

Dozens of times over the course of the next couple of hours he tried again.

Before long, there was a growing pile of slivers and shards on the carpet next to the couch he was sitting on. Still, he couldn't compress it enough. He got close a few times, but in the end, they were all easily broken with the butt of his Glock.

"More," he mumbled. This time he focused his will with all his emotion and love he had for Haru, feeding it into the flame as he compressed it more and more before emitting it. He smiled. The sliver was hard enough to withstand all his attempts to break it. He tossed it aside, going on to the next phase; the form and the layers.

He focused, once again feeding all the emotion and will he could into the flame. Concentrating on four things was incredibly hard. Size. Shape. Compression. Layers. He growled to himself when he lost it and a rock-shaped lump of ice came out. He tried again.

And again.

Dozens upon dozens of times over the course of the next several hours he tried again.

He stopped, realizing that he was starting to loose consciousness. Looking over at the pile of shards that had covered the floor and now half of the very couch he was sitting on, he could understand why. All of the shards scattered around him had not only highly-compressed negative energy, _his _energy, but half of them had easily four times the normal amount of his energy compressed into it. Yet he couldn't give up yet. Looking at the clock, not even half the night had passed while he'd worked, repeatedly focusing on his goal instead of the thousands of mistakes covering the sitting area.

He decided to take a break and get a post-midnight snack to replenish his energy. Ever so quietly, he snuck down to the giant kitchen for the Headquarters. The night-cook caught him with his hands in the fridge, making him give a sheepish grin. The poor man, he hadn't recognized Tsuna at first and had chased him three times around the kitchen with a broom before realizing who he was. Tsuna couldn't blame the cook. He'd almost taken the cooked beef intended for tomorrow's stew by accident.

Tsuna was glad when the man recognized who he was. Tsuna was even happier when his rumbling stomach sent the man to work instead of begging for forgiveness after recognition. The man had simply laughed and pulled out fixings for an extra-large midnight meal. While he cooked, Tsuna sat on a stool and kept trying to get the ice to obey him like he wanted.

"What's that, Tenth?" The cook asked curiously, pointing with a spatula at the growing pile of ice shards on the counter after finally overcoming his surprise at Tsuna creating ice out of nothing. Tsuna sighed, giving up temporarily while he explained.

"I'm trying to make a ring," he said simply.

"Out of ice? Wouldn't that be a wee bit cold?" He said, going back to the stir-fry and noodles he was whipping up; Tsuna's normal night-time craving.

"Well, I'm trying to layer it so that I can put my flame between the layers to keep it warm. I can do that since this ice can't be melted under normal circumstances." To show the cook, he grabbed one of the larger slivers and held it over the cook stove's open flame.

"Well, I'll be," the cook said in appreciation and amazement when the ice didn't melt. Tsuna smiled. He forgot sometimes that stuff like this wasn't your average fare. "So what's the problem?" The cook asked, scrapping the stir-fry and noodles onto a plate and handing it to the starving boss-apparent.

"I can make it hard enough. I can make it small enough. But when I try to layer it and make it into the right shape, I can't keep focus on everything I'm needing it to do," he sighed again around a bite of food.

"So you know all the ingredients, but you can't get it to come out right," the cook said, leaning over the counter while he thought. Tsuna smiled, doubting the man could help any, but appreciative of the thought. He stopped, fork of food halfway to his mouth at the man's next words. "Have you tried taking one of the steps out? I know when I'm in a hurry to get a fancy cake done, I make it look like there are layers when there really aren't." He smiled at Tsuna's look of non-comprehension. "Normally, I make several cakes and then stack them on top of each other with frosting between them like mortar. But when I'm in a hurry, I make a whole, large cake and use a special pan to leave small holes where the frosting would be in a layered cake. Then I inject the frosting inside the holes." He smiled when Tsuna's blank look cleared.

Tsuna thought about it. He'd been trying to make the ring by first worrying about size, shape and hardness, then adding layers so that he could add his flame later between them. If he took out the layers and just changed the shape a bit, it might work. He could make a ring with a hollow inside, insert his flame, then close the hole. He looked at the cook with surprise and amazement, wondering why he hadn't thought of it himself.

"It just might work." The cook smiled widely, proud even someone like him could help Vongola the Tenth. Tsuna scarfed down the last of his food, wanting to get back to work. After a hurried yet genuine thanks and farewell, Tsuna dashed back to Hibari's empty room, careful not to get caught by anyone that might be wandering around this late.

He sat down, rubbing his hands together to warm them before he got started. He stared at his fingers, focusing everything he could on what he wanted to do. Size. Shape. Hardness.

He growled, tossing the first one aside. The shape was all wrong.

The next one was too big and the exterior wasn't smooth enough.

The one after that seemed perfect, but shattered in his hand when he tested it.

He tried again.

And again.

Dozens upon dozens of times again.

He focused everything he could in getting all three parts to come out right at the same time. Finally he thought he had one. He held it up to the light, looking at it closely. It was as clear as glass, smooth and without imperfection. He smiled.

His smile fell when he tried to insert his flame. It only reached around halfway through the ring before hitting a blockage of ice in the hollow core. He tossed it aside and tried again.

And again.

Thousands of times again.

He tried until the couch and floor was covered. He tried until the pile he started throwing behind him rose up and started sliding down his back. He tried a countless amount of times throughout the night. He ignored how tired he became. He ignored the cold that began to seep into him as the room grew chilly from the sheer amount of ice that surrounded him. He ignored everything until finally...finally as the moon set, he created it.

He looked at it in satisfaction, cradling it in his hand. He smiled, closing his fist around it before finally giving in to the darkness creeping around the edges of his vision.

He had made Haru a ring.

* * *

"Have you seen Tsu-kun?" Haru asked Gokudera. She had gotten up early to make Tsuna's bento and he'd already been gone. She was worried about him, because he hadn't shown back up by the time she finished getting ready for school. Even Cress had said he didn't know where he was before disappearing on her. Gokudera shook his head at her question.

"Lets go ask Yamamoto and lawn-head," he offered, stepping out of his room and leading her down the hall. Neither of them knew where Tsuna was either. They found out from Yamamoto that he'd missed the target practice that Gokudera had accidentally slept through again, which was unlike him. They looked at each other, wondering if maybe they should call an alert. Before anyone could actually suggest it, Cress came running.

"I've found Lord Tsuna," he said, running past them. The others fell in behind him as he continued running. "I checked the security footage for last night and found out where he went. The room's been in blackout since he went in." He led them into a room they passed multiple times a day. Hibari's room.

"What the hell happened here?" Yamamoto cried. The corner of the room holding the sitting area was covered in a large pile of ice. Yamamoto's cry woke Tsuna and the ice shifted as his head emerged from the pile that had fallen down around him during the night.

"Hunh?" He said sleepily, trying to stand and finding himself stuck deep in the pile of ice shards and nuggets. He looked around for help, automatically getting it as everyone ran forward.

"What's with all of this ice, Tenth?" Gokudera said, grabbing Tsuna's closed fist and pulling him free. He stumbled a bit, taking a bit longer than normal to catch his balance. When he looked up, they all could see him working hard to keep his eyes focused. His face was pale and colorless except for his bright red nose and ears, bringing worried looks from everyone.

"I wad ma'ding dumding," he said. He sniffed, trying to clear his stuffed up nose. "I was mak'ng someding," he managed when he tried again. "I muda fell adeep."

"You were making something and you fell asleep?" Yamamoto looked at him like he was crazy, but Tsuna didn't notice. He nodded, looking a bit unsteady.

"Wha' time id it?" he said, sniffing again before letting out a sudden sneeze. After wiping his nose with a handkerchief Gokudera supplied, he looked out the window and realized that it was already daylight outside. "I gotda get t' targed practid--"

"You've already missed target practice, Tenth," Gokudera said, tossing Tsuna's arm over his shoulder when he began stumbling to the door instead of walking to it. Yamamoto went to Tsuna's other side to help. "We need to get you into a bed. You're freezing. You probably caught a cold from sleeping in a place like this, Tenth."

"I dan't," he mumbled as Gokudera pulled him along. "I got da go da dhool," he said. Haru put her hand to his head when Gokudera stopped at the door to catch his balance.

"You've got a fever, Tsu-kun," she told him in worry. She felt his arms and reached past his sleeping robe to his chest. "And Gokudera's right, the rest of you is freezing. You need rest."

"'Aru?" He asked with a sudden smile, his eyes unfocused again due to his fever. "I dot you dumt'ing," he freed his arm from around Yamamoto, holding out the fist that had been closed ever since he woke up. Since he obviously refused to go to bed until he gave whatever it was to her, she held up her hand. He smiled wider, putting his fist on her open hand and opening it. Something small and warm fell into her palm as Gokudera and Yamamoto tried once again to pull him to his room. Haru's gasp of surprise turned them back around.

It was a ring. It was a smooth and warm ring of impervious zero-point ice. It was as clear as glass with a bright sky flame trapped in it's hollow core. Holes that were so small as to be invisible allowed the warmth of the flame inside to dispell the cold. Looking at it, several of them wondered how he'd managed to trap the flame so that it wouldn't be sucked up by the zero-point ice. It must have taken him hours to get the flame and ice just right so that they wouldn't touch each other.

After a moment, they all looked at Tsuna in suprise and shock. Whether surprise that he'd made something so beautiful or shock that he'd stayed up all night and foolishly fell asleep in ice after making it. He merely smiled at his accomplishment, uncaring of their reactions.

"I dope you dike it, 'aru," he said as best as he could.

"Tsu-kun," Haru said with tears in her eyes. "I love it." She closed her hand around the ring and held it to her heart while she looked at him lovingly with a wide smile of joy on her face. Then her face became tinged exasperation at his single-minded caring, "But you didn't have to stay up all night and let yourself get sick to make me a ring."

"I dunted doo," he said. He sniffed, trying again. "I wand-wanted to. Cause I dove-love you and I wand do marry you."

"Baka," she said, reaching up to where he hung between Gokudera and Yamamoto to kiss him, regardless of his cold. After she broke off, she waited for his eyes to focus again before saying, "I love you, too."

He smiled happily, almost drunkenly, as the two boys dragged him to bed. The whole way he continued trying to tell them around his stuffy nose that he had to go to school because Haru was going to make him a bento. They chuckled at his pleas, dragging him to rest whether he liked it or not. Haru smiled at their chuckles and couldn't blame them. He could barely stand with his fever and he thought he should go to school for Haru's bento!

Behind them, Haru smiled again, silently putting the ring on.


	50. Chapter 50 Back to Work

The week continued to pass. Tsuna was let out of bed after one day, not that they could force him to stay in it any longer than that. As Yamamoto predicted, Violet tried to take her jealousy out on Haru. Haru ignored the attempts. She could deal with the feet that would trip her. She could deal with the stolen notes and textbooks. She could even deal with the snide remarks and gossip the woman tried to spread. She could deal with it all because a little ring told her how much Tsuna cared for her. It gave her the courage to keep moving forward regardless of what Violet threw at her or how the woman kept trying to curry forgiveness and favor from Tsuna

Toward the end of the week, bento seemed to become the new fad, leaving the lunchroom cooks watching in amusement. They had managed to have the courtyard to themselves for two days before word got around that Tsuna was eating lunch alone with Haru. For some reason, no one thought to comment on the other people with them. The day after that spread, the courtyard filled up when people brought their own lunches as a legitimate excuse to find out what Tsuna was doing during his lunch break.

They all had to laugh at the numerous shocked glances they'd gotten that day. Since Tsuna had become properly engaged with Haru, he was now free to kiss her and love on her to his heart's content. Having a girl playfully feed Hellfire a chocolate-covered strawberry wasn't a sight anyone expected. He ignored them all though, happy to have people around him that knew who he really was and wasn't afraid of him.

Sangia found herself comfortably centered in the group. Haru had told Tsuna during pillow talk about Sangia's situation, so he was adamant about her staying with them for lunch. She'd tried to beg off when Tsuna had returned to school the day after he was let out of bed, but he'd stopped her gently. He wasn't about to let her stay out in the cold any longer when there were warm friends all around. She had been wary at first, not trusting their kindness.

By the end of the week when Cheri finally gave in and joined them, she was laughing and teasing with the best of them. Tsuna even thought he caught a gleam of interest in Gokudera's eyes. He almost teased the boy about it, but decided to let it flourish or wither on it's own. Otherwise, Gokudera might jump one way or another automatically based on how he took Tsuna's teasing.

Tsuna had been a bit relieved when after their first night in Italy, Haru didn't show up in their room until dinner-time. He'd tried to hide the blood on his shirt that first night, but he didn't know if she'd seen it or not. Regardless, after that night, he'd always come back to an empty room. While he was disappointed a bit that she wasn't there right away, he understood. He didn't want her to see him come home night after night with blood on him anymore than she probably did.

Then Friday came around and Tsuna remembered his other work at the club. He didn't know why the Ninth still had him continue working there. It had served it's purpose, Tsuna thought. Especially now that Tsuna had a fiance, he didn't see the need to go. Reborn had broken into the middle of that thought and had told him the other reasons.

Since Pink's had private booths, a lot of people used it as a cover to trade information. Knowing who came and went for that reason was a good way to know about secret alliances and other privy information. Such as which Families had ties even though they didn't have an alliance. Such as which Families were merely pretending to be rivals to become spies. Such as who specifically were spies. Tsuna knew a lot of the regulars after a year of working there, but he hadn't ever paid attention to the one or two-time visitors. He'd have to watch more carefully in the future.

Tsuna walked into Pink's in a rush with Gokudera at his side. He grimaced, knowing Pink would get on to him for being late. He couldn't help it though. Some guy had stupidly tried to steal a woman's luggage at the check-in desk of the hotel entrance. He'd automatically went after it for her and had to stick around to turn the guy in to the cops. Then, of course, the cops had wanted his statement. They'd kept him there for an hour while they got all the facts straight. Tsuna reminded himself to let Gokudera take the credit next time so he could go ahead like Yamamoto had.

Before she could catch sight of him and complain, he and Gokudera ducked back into the changing rooms. Like the waitresses, the security staff had uniforms too. Theirs was simple black t-shirts with their job written on the front and back. He switched his out for his school dress shirt, noting the appreciative glances the new waitresses gave regardless of his scars. He didn't spar four times a week for nothing. The waitresses in question seemed to be new. He ignored them, knowing that he'd be introduced later. First he had to go beg forgiveness from his weekend slave driver.

He walked up to the bar with a sheepish grin, hoping that she wouldn't give him a hard time. She gave him a knowing look, plunking him a drink down on the counter for him.

"Your buddy stopped by and warned us," Pink said in reference to Yamamoto. "You and your hero complex. If I had a quarter for every time you were late because you were out helping someone, I'd be dead from alcohol poisoning ten times over." Tsuna smiled, seeing that she was teasing him and wasn't truly mad.

"I see you got new girls while I was gone," he replied, turning his back on the bar to survey the main hall. The main floor was full of the normal crowd. Nothing special there. He glimpsed a few new colored outfits going from table to table, but couldn't quite make out any faces in the dim lighting. His eyes were still adjusting from the light outside.

"Yup," Pink said, going back to filling drink orders. "Onstage we got the twins, Silver and Platinum, and then there's Gold. Upstairs we got Black and Crimson. For down here, the new additions are Peach, Periwinkle, Turquoise, and Cocoa."

"Is Cocoa even a color?" Tsuna asked in amusement. Picking a color couldn't be that hard.

"Well, it sounded better than Brown and since no one ever chooses that color, I wasn't going to argue. Although, with her perkiness, I don't know why she wanted such a drab color." Pink pointed to a waitress in the back of the room and Tsuna's jaw dropped. His eyes could finally see that far back in the room and the sight it beheld was one he didn't know how to react to.

His sweet, energetic Haru was in a brown waitress uniform, it's texture and color making her look like she'd been dipped in chocolate. Instead of her normal sporty pony-tail, she had let her hair down. It fell in waves down onto her shoulders, accentuating her bare neckline. Even as he watched, she started to walk forward to the bar, her brown lace skirt bouncing like a confectioner's heavenly dream. He wanted to moan badly and he resisted the urge to pull her up into one of the booths and...

He blushed, realizing how obvious his thoughts were on his face. He knew it was obvious since Pink was openly amused at his expense. He, who had rejected every one of Pink's girls on more than one occasion, wanted this one...badly. Haru faltered in her bouncing stride, finally seeing Tsuna and Gokudera at the bar. Some part of him knew he should be angry with her getting a job at a strip club, but seeing her in a brown leather corset and brown fluffy lace skirt, he couldn't.

He turned red as her face scrunched up and she stomped to the bar. He only had that warning that her mood had shifted before she stopped in front of him. He almost cringed, knowing that when she was like that, he tended to get slapped. More than likely she thought he was here as a customer. The slap never came though.

"Why are you here?" She demanded, her hand on one hip and the other holding a tray with empty glasses. Once again, seeing her like this made him suppress a moan. He blushed, realizing he didn't quite manage to hold it back this time. Gokudera and Pink both tried and failed to hide amused snickers at his reaction.

"W-Why are you here?" He managed to repeat, throwing her question back at her.

"I work here, ba-ka," she said, drawing out the word playfully. She gave a little bouncing twirl, pointing out the obviousness of her costume while somehow managing not to drop her tray. He watched, speechless, until she finished her circuit. Then she reached past him, putting the tray down on the bar and handed Pink her orders.

"So do I, ba-ka," he threw back at her once his mouth started working again. He chucked a thumb at the word 'Security' written in wide letters on his shirt. "How long have you been working here? How did you even find this place?" He was proud of how he finally started to overcome his surprise and desire to actually say something other than merely repeating after her.

"Oh, this is my fourth day. I started on our second day in Italy, since, well, I didn't want to be at home alone while you had to...work. Reborn showed me this place when I asked for suggestions." Tsuna nodded sadly, realizing this had been where she disappeared to before dinner so he didn't have to be hesitant in coming home and getting cleaned up. She smiled at him, sensing his uneasy thoughts.

"It's okay Ts--" He automatically put his hand over her mouth and put up a finger in warning, silencing her.

"Orange. I'm Orange here." She smiled wider as he put his hand down.

"It's okay, Orange, I'm only a waitress. It's not like I ever go up into the booths, plus I like it here. Not only are the dancers teaching me a few things on their breaks, but I get to wear this cute costume." She gave a little bounce again, fluffing her lace skirt while Gokudera continued filling her orders. Pink laughed, seeing the look of desire pass over Tsuna's face and his mouth stop working again.

"So Orange _is_ a man, after all," she teased. "The girls thought maybe you were an eunuch considering how well you could control yourself around them." She grinned widely and continued mercilessly, "Especially after that night the guys got you drunk after-hours and they all decided to give you la--"

Tsuna stopped her mid-sentence with a panicked hand over her mouth. Haru didn't need to know about _that_. Pink's eyes sparkled in merriment and she fell silent, giving Tsuna the okay to release her. He tried to control his red face, but he didn't think he managed to succeed. He was flustered and he knew it. Between Haru looking like something he really wanted for dessert, Pink's teasing, and his overall surprise, he wasn't sure what to do.

A sudden thought came to him and he turned pale.

"Y-You h-haven't seen a Bouncer's Judgment, have you?" His eyes widened when she nodded sadly.

"Yesterday afternoon there was a riot and Aqua got hurt pretty badly. Yellow took care of the guy that hurt her though." Tsuna looked at her in shock, unable to comprehend how she was so calm about it. She looked down sadly for a moment before looking back up and smiling reassuringly at him. "It's not like they killed him. They just made it so that he can't hurt anyone again."

Before he could get over his shock, she picked up her newly-filled tray of drinks and returned to the work he'd interrupted. He found himself watching every energetic bounce of her lace skirt, his surprise at her answer quickly disappearing into the back of his mind. He turned to Pink, giving her a pitiful look.

"Help," he squeaked.

"Go trade places with Grey," she laughed, handing him a shot. "You can watch the booths and he can take the floor." She gave him a knowing look before saying, "I'll let you and Cocoa have your break at the same time, but be sure and be back on time." He let out another moan at the thought of what he could do in that amount of time.

"Thank you," he said, nearly running for his refuge after tossing back the shot. At least in the back hall where Grey was currently patrolling between booths, he wouldn't have Haru so deliciously in his sights.

Grey gave him a questioning look when he asked to switch places, but went willingly once he told the man that Pink had already given her okay. This turned out to not be as good of a trade as he had hoped. Pink had always left him to guard the main floor before, since he was powerful enough to take care of riots single-handedly. Plus, his small stature didn't automatically scare new patrons. He was good at being the ace hidden in plain view.

So, since she had always had him down on the main floor, he had never before had to patrol the booths. He knew in theory what went on in them, but the reality was another thing. One by one he had to lift up the small window inset into the doors and check to make sure the attendants and the customers were alright. Most of them were full of drinking groups, watching the stage-show from the window opposite the door or talking and enjoying themselves. The others, however, had the curtains closed on their windows and had ordered the 'deluxe' attendant services.

Seeing that sort of thing only made his mind turn back to Haru time and time again. Had he patrolled the booths before he left for Japan and subsequently lost his virginity, he would have been able to be dispassionate about it. He would have even been able to manage to ignore it all if only he hadn't seen Haru downstairs. Now, however, he was painstakingly aware of what everything he saw entailed.

When he realized how it wasn't helping him in the least to patrol the booths instead of being on the floor by Haru, Tsuna growled low in the back of his throat. Pink had known this would happen and had sent him to trade with Grey anyway. Not wanting to give into her plans, whatever they had been, Tsuna brought out every ounce of self-control he had in determination. He would not, no matter what, give in to whatever Pink had intended.

He figured out what Pink had intended when Yellow relieved him for a lunch break. Tsuna went back down to the main floor, intending to get a drink to show her that he wasn't affected by her dirty plan to make him flustered. However, it seemed like every other step he took across the main floor, one of the waitresses would oh-so-accidentally brush up against him.

When he noticed that it wasn't just the waitresses, but off-duty dancers, Tsuna started to get angry. He came to a stop with his nose flaring, watching the waitress walking toward him carefully. She didn't even notice his reaction, too intent on where she planned to brush up against him. When she didn't notice that she'd been caught and started to reach toward him on her way past, Tsuna grabbed her wrist.

"The next person that touches me will get their fingers broke," he growled icily. She gasped and looked up at him. Flame-filled eyes looked back until she was quivering.

"That's enough, Orange," Pink ordered, walking up to him. She had seen him getting angry from the bar and had immediately come to mediate. Tsuna let go of the waitress' wrist and she scuttled away. "I didn't think you'd get mad," Pink muttered as they walked back to the bar together.

"How did you think I would react with people treating me like a piece of meat?" Tsuna growled.

"I don't know," Pink replied with a merry twinkle in her eye. "When you first came in, it seemed like you were wanting to have a good time. You even set your eyes on one of my girls." Tsuna stopped her with a gentle hand on her shoulder. She raised an eyebrow until he leaned close to whisper to her.

"She's not one of your girls," he said softly yet firmly. "We're engaged." Pink jerked back, her eyes wide in surprise. Tsuna set his jaw in effort to not to let her see how upset he was.

"I'm sorry, Orange," she said finally. "I didn't know. A bunch of the girls saw that you were blushing and decided to test it. The ones that were here during the incident a year ago noticed that you were suddenly seemed a lot more open and wanted to get you to touch others again. The newer ones heard about what they were wanting to do and decided to make you run a gauntlet of girls to see how worked up they could get you just for fun. If I had known about you and Cocoa, I would have told them not to."

"Well, now you do, so you can tell them to back off," he growled while they started walking to the bar again. "Who I touch and when I touch is my choice, not theirs. They shouldn't have tried to force it in the first place."

"I'm sorry, Orange," Pink repeated. "I'll pass it around that the old rules still apply to you."

"I'd appreciate it," Tsuna replied. Pink ducked back behind the bar and pulled out a bottle of V Special in apology. Normally Tsuna wasn't allowed it, since it was the only thing that could get him drunk. Today was an exception. Still seething over his treatment, he brushed away the shot-glass she started to use and grabbed an actual glass for her to pour into.

"I'm burning it off faster than I used to," he said in response to her raised eyebrow. Not questioning him for once, she poured him a healthy amount. It was easily equal to four of five shots, but Tsuna drank it like it was water. "Damn," he muttered to himself.

"Did I give you too much?" Pink asked worriedly, not having ever seen anyone drink that much V Special at once before.

"Not even buzzed," Tsuna grumbled. Pink offered him more in surprise, but he turned it down. Even though it didn't seem to affect him, he couldn't tell how much more would. He could easily go from sober to completely drunk with the quantity that his glass could hold. Rather than chance a mistake, he had her pour him some pineapple juice that she used for mixed drinks.

He was still quietly trying to regain his normal calm when a hand caressed his shoulder. Not thinking it could be anything other than one of the over-zealous waitresses, he reached up and grabbed it. Haru's gasp made him let go and he turned around in shock. Even knowing he hadn't done anything other that put a little bit of pressure to the hand in warning, he started to panic. Repeatedly muttering apologies, he gently inspected her hand to make sure he hadn't hurt her. Tears were in his eyes at the though that he might have.

"It's okay, Tsu-, Orange," she corrected herself. "I was just startled. See, not even a bruise."

"I'm so sorry," he apologized again. "I was jumpy because a bunch of the girls thought I was on the market and were getting frisky. I didn't realize it was you."

"I saw," Haru said softly.

"You did?" He asked with a small cringe. Was she mad at him for letting so many get past before he caught on to what they were doing? Was she jealous? Upset?

"I thought it would be fun," Haru pouted playfully, "but I didn't get my turn." Tsuna's jaw dropped. Unable to suppress the urge, he turned and banged his head down on the bar, bringing curious looks from Pink and the other waitresses.

"I should have known," Tsuna said to himself. He raised his head after a moment and looked at Haru with a red mark on his forehead. "You're the one that suggested they all do that?" At her nod, he switched to Japanese to ask, "Why?"

"They were all talking about how they'd been trying to get their hands on you for a long time and how you suddenly didn't seem so untouchable," she explained with a still pouting lip. She, too, had switched to Japanese in order to keep their conversation semi-private. "Then some of the girls started talking and saying that you didn't like to be touched but I told them that it wasn't true. Then they all said if it wasn't true, they all wanted to try to make you happy by touching you. Haru agreed to help make you happy since Haru wants to always make you happy. Then they all told Haru to make you happy last since you might be very happy then."

Tsuna sighed, seeing where the mix up had occurred. Haru was just too innocent where some things were concerned. She'd never before encountered the dirty innuendo that was so commonplace around Pink's. When the girls had all said 'happy' Haru had thought they simply meant emotional happiness from their touches. She hadn't been around the place long enough to pick up the dirty lingo.

"Haru," he said carefully. "When they said happy, they meant the kind of happy that happens at night when we're alone."

Haru's mouth made an 'O' in surprise.

"But why did they--" She stopped, knowing the answer to her own question.

"You have to be more careful, Haru," he admonished softly. "I know you're trying, but people think differently around here. You can't assume what you think people are talking about is what they're actually talking about."

"Like puppies?" She asked playfully, making him flush.

"Hey, you two," Pink said, walking down to where they were sitting at the end of the bar together. "If you're going to stay here to chit-chat, at least do it in a language I can eavesdrop on." Tsuna smiled, seeing the playful look in her eyes. She could actually care less what language they used, but her curiosity was eating her alive.

"But then it wouldn't be a private conversation," he replied, switching back into the common language.

"Don't worry, I've been taking notes," a girl in a pale green outfit chuckled. From her oriental complexion, Tsuna had a sinking feeling. "Cocoa was just telling him about what we were talking about in the back earlier and he told her he only wanted to be happy with her when they're alone at night."

Tsuna turned red at her loud explanation and a cheer went up from all the waitresses. Glancing around, he realized that the room was empty except for the staff. The lull in patrons around dinner had hit, leaving Tsuna and Gokudera as the only men in the room.

"Orange, that's not how you pick up a girl," Red admonished with a chuckle. He began to turn even bright red when several other girls started trying to give tips to him. Beside him, Haru was turning a deep shade of pink, too.

"So, how are you going to get her to go home with you now?" Red asked once they ran out of advice.

"Oh, I don't know..." He said playfully, deciding to give them the show they wanted so badly. "How about this?" He jumped up and pulled Haru into a deep and long embrace, ignoring the catcalls that started ringing out. By the time he let her go, she was breathless and had a slightly unfocused look in her eyes.

"You should at least try and woo her first, Orange!" Blue called out from the back of the mob. In response, he pulled Haru in front of him and held out her ringed hand.

"I already did that. Or didn't she tell you we were engaged?" He made sure to say it loudly enough that no woman in the room could claim they misheard him.

"No way!" Red gasped, rushing forward to look at the ring. Haru soon found herself surrounded by co-workers, all clamoring to see the trinket.

"How did you get a flame in there without any tinder?" One of them asked. In answer, he ignited his flame for them all to see.

"It's mine," he answered softly. They gasped, seeing him clearly with his flame burning on his head for the first time. It was only on rare occasions, such as when he had to do a Judgment, that he left it on long enough for others to see. Normally, he only let others see a spark as he passed. This was the first time that they weren't distracted by other things and could see him with his flame.

"So I wasn't seeing things..." Haru muttered to herself in wonder. Tsuna let his flame go and blushed, knowing exactly what she was thinking about. Even though she'd seen him with the Dying Will Flame multiple times while he was still training under Reborn, this was the first time he'd let her see his Hyper Will... If one excluded the glimpses she might have gotten at the end of their nightly exertions.

"Um, eh..." Tsuna mumbled, trying to think of what to say in response. When he couldn't come up with anything, he turned his back on all of them and reached for his drink in effort to cover his flustered face. Unfortunately, he was assaulted with a knowing look from that direction via Gokudera. "Not a word, Scarlet," he growled at the silver-haired man who grinned widely at the order.

"I'm glad to see you're finally healed, Orange," a voice said from behind him. Tsuna stiffened, having not heard that voice in a very, very long time. White only talked to her clients and after his treatment, he'd not felt like talking to the person that had so intimately dug around his mind.

"What are you talking about, White?" He said without looking at her. For some reason, he couldn't seem to summon the courage to meet her eyes. "I've been fixed for a long time now." A sudden thump to the back of his head made him grab the spot that had been hit and turn around.

"Don't lie to yourself, Orange," she said with a look of understanding in her eyes. "I don't know what happened during the weeks you were away, but you definitely still had lingering effects when you left here. I'm assuming Cocoa's the one that finished fixing you."

"I wasn't--" he started to say in denial, but the looks of all the people around him brought his sentence to an abrupt halt. While the newer staff members were just looking around without understanding what was going on, the older members were all looking at Tsuna with the same expressions on their faces. Sympathy. Caring. Understanding. They had known how deeply he had been scarred inside and realized what it meant when he'd opened up to Haru. He sighed, having no pride left to bluster with.

"You're right," he finally admitted to White's open satisfaction. "But I can consider myself to be in one piece now, can't I?"

"You sure can," White encouraged.

"And it's all thanks to you and my little Cocoa-bean," he said with a warm smile at the two. Haru, not really understanding the conversation, merely smiled happily at his expression and the pet name.

"Here's to Orange's recovery!" Pink toasted. Turning back around to the bar, Tsuna saw that her and Gokudera had set up shots for everyone. Within seconds, the complete staff, including Grey and Yellow who had snuck downstairs, had glasses in their hands.

"To Orange's recovery," they yelled in return, making Tsuna blush.

"This deserves a party," Pink announced. "Shut the place down, boys," she called to Grey and Yellow. "Tonight, this place is reserved for the staff!" Tsuna's eyebrows flew up into his head, understanding the enormity of her gesture. Not only was she closing down ridiculously early in order to celebrate, she was doing it on a weekend which was their normal peak time of operation.

"Pink, you don't..." He started to say, but she waved away his objections. Behind him, Grey and Yellow were already escorting people outside from the booths and several girls had went down the Row to get food.

"We're Family, Orange," she said firmly. "Maybe not outside these walls, but inside you're one of my rainbow. You've been with us for over a year now and never once failed to protect everyone here like they were Family. I'll be damned if we're not going to celebrate your full recovery."

"Pink..." Tsuna breathed softly, touched by her words. Unable to say anything else, he said the only thing he could:

"Thank you."


	51. Chapter 51 Dreams and Waking

_"Papa."_

_Tsuna looked down at the small child wrapped around his leg in curiosity. _

_"Are you looking for your papa?" He asked, causing the child to giggle. It was a little boy, no older than Lambo had been when Tsuna had first met him. His eyes were bright as he smiled up at Tsuna with a wide grin and his short dark hair tousled from playing._

_"Papa silly," he declared energetically, smiling wider. Tsuna reached down, pulling the child off his leg and into his arms._

_"Your papa is silly?" He asked, honestly perplexed. The child nodded, playing with his fingers like he thought he was in trouble. "Who's your papa?" Tsuna questioned, wanting to help the little boy find his father._

_The child smiled brilliantly before hugging Tsuna around the neck. After a moment of surprise, Tsuna hugged him back, curious as to why it felt so right. Why did it feel so right to hold this little boy that he'd never met before? Before he could figure it out, the child pulled back._

_"You're my papa, silly," he answered with a tilt of his head, as if it was something simple that Tsuna should have already known. The child's eyes got brighter for a moment before an orange Dying Will Flame sprouted on his head, making Tsuna blink in surprise. "Mommy wants cake!" The little boy exclaimed suddenly. Tsuna began to mutter, still trying to wrap his mind around being told he was this boy's papa. _

_"I-I'm your--" he began to ask, but darkness washed over him before he could complete the sentence._

* * *

Tsuna's eyes snapped open, wondering what kind of dream that had been. If it was supposed to be a new twist in nightmares, he didn't understand it. It wasn't scary, just disorienting. He hadn't had any contact with children in the three weeks since he'd been back in Italy. Why the weird dream? Trying to shake it off and go to sleep again, he rolled over. He found himself smiling at Haru in the darkness. She'd tossed a bit during the night, somehow ending up diagonal on the bed with the covers tangled under one leg. Reaching over, he untangled them and started pulling the covers back up around her with an amused smile. The sound of a small rumble in her stomach made him freeze. 

_"Mommy wants cake!"_

The words from his dream resounded in his head. Tsuna shook his head, trying to shake it off. It was just coincidence. He finished covering Haru up and laid back down. He shut his eyes and tried to force himself to go to sleep, but another soft rumble from Haru made him sit up sharply. He felt stupid, thinking a dream like that could have been real. It wasn't possible, but he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep until he found out. Giving in, he softly shook Haru, almost as if he didn't really want to wake her.

"Ha-hi?" She mumbled sleepily from where she lay. "What is it, Tsu-kun? Did you have another nightmare?"

"Sorry for waking you, Haru," he whispered softly. "I know this sounds strange, but...do you want cake right now?"

"It sounds good," she admitted, "but it's the middle of the night. If you wanted cake, you could have just saved me some for in the morning." Tsuna stared at her in shock for a moment before jumping out of bed, making her squeal at the sudden action. "What are you doing, Tsu-kun?"

"Get up," he ordered. He tossed on his pajama pants and sleeping robe, tossing her a set, as well. The words "It couldn't be" kept resounding in his head, making him ignore her questions. The moment she was decent, she found herself summarily escorted outside to the elevators and whisked downstairs. She balked at the cold floor of the underground facility, but he grabbed her by the hand and yanked her along. The whole time, muttering, "It couldn't be."

Doctor Shamal looked up in surprise when Tsuna walked through the headquarter's medical-bay doors. "I don't examine guys," he said automatically. Tsuna merely propelled Haru forward into the doctor's arms. He looked at Tsuna in confusion.

"Examine her not me," Tsuna ordered calmly. Haru squealed at the idea of letting the pervy doctor examine her, but she fell silent when Tsuna continued to look like he'd just been hit by a two-by-four.

"Anything specific I'm looking for?" The doctor asked carefully, obviously perplexed by Tsuna's sudden urge to have her examined. Tsuna opened his mouth to answer. Then closed it. Then opened it again.

"Puppy," he finally blurted as if it made all the sense in the world.

"Puppy?!" Haru squealed. "What's going on, Tsu-kun?! You wake me up in the middle of the night asking me if I want cake and now you think I've got a-a-a puppy?!"

"Just let him check, please," Tsuna pleaded. "I had a really messed up dream and I need to know."

"Tsu-kun..." Haru said, speechless to all else. She stared at him for a full minute before finally, she nodded. "All right, if it'll make you feel better." Tsuna nodded in return and stepped outside, leaving Haru to explain to the doctor what he wanted. Less than five minutes later, they walked out to find a pacing Tsuna in the hall. Haru looked pale as she asked quietly, "How did you know?"

Tsuna's head flew over to Doctor Shamal, wanting confirmation of the implication. The doctor nodded. Tsuna's legs turned to jelly and he slid down against the wall. The dream had been real. Tsuna tried to explain about the dream to them, but it came out incomprehensible. Between the shock of his dream and the shock of the news, he was reduced to complete gibberish.

He shook his head to try and clear it. First things first.

"Dr. Shamal, please keep this between us. I-I want a bit of time before everyone finds out and I'm sure Haru does, too." Haru nodded in agreement, her face still colorless from shock. He stood up, his legs still feeling wobbly. "I'll have to tell the Ninth, but other than that, let's keep this private."

"Doctor-patient privilege. My lips are sealed," he reassured them. "She's only a few days along, so you should be able to keep it secret for a while if that's what you want." Tsuna just nodded blankly, leading Haru back upstairs where he planned to get her all the cake she could eat.

* * *

"Tsunayoshi?" The Ninth asked when Tsuna walked into his office. Even though it was the middle of the night, Tsuna had assumed the man would still be working. The Ninth was always working. He looked at Tsuna in worry when no answer for his late-night visit seemed forthcoming. "Are you alright, Tsunayoshi?" 

Tsuna shook his head numbly while he curled up in one of the chairs before the Ninth's desk. No, he was not alright, he silently said. He still felt like he'd been hit by a truck. Despite the news, Haru had calmly fallen back to sleep after a midnight snack, leaving him to try to come to terms on his own. She had said she'd worry about it in the morning when she had a head to work with, but Tsuna couldn't sleep until he'd thought the matter over.

"Did something happen between you and your lady?" The Ninth asked, breaking into Tsuna's reverie. Tsuna opened his mouth to explain, but no words wanted to come out. The Ninth sighed and ordered tea. For nearly ten minutes, the Ninth quietly waited for Tsuna to gather his thoughts and courage, but still Tsuna couldn't put his thoughts in order.

"Is it something you have to tell me about?" The Ninth inquired calmly. Tsuna blinked at him several times before nodding. He had to tell the Ninth about this. Trying to overcome his racing heart and scatterbrained thoughts, Tsuna once again opened his mouth in effort to tell the Ninth about Haru.

"Dream...and then Haru...and the doctor said..." he gasped finally. His thoughts were flying through his head too fast for him to actually voice, leaving him once again muttering and speaking in gibberish.

"Calm down, Tsunayoshi," the Ninth soothed with wide eyes. The old man had never before seen his normally composed heir in such a state. Tsuna shook his head, knowing that he couldn't stop until he spat it out. If he didn't say it while his mouth was still working, he'd never get it out.

"...and the dream...Haru wanted cake...downstairs...doctor...real...," he spluttered, trying his hardest to explain. "He's really real...but it was just a dream... but it wasn't just a dream... it was real... and Haru's really..."

"I get it, Tsunayoshi," the Ninth interrupted, giving him a worried look. "Something is real. But you're not making any sense. Take a deep breath and try to tell me what you're panicking about." When Tsuna fell silent and did what he was told, he found himself once again unable to utter a single word. Exasperated, the Ninth sent for Tsuna's father. Tsuna turned red at the thought of his father knowing, but it was too late for him to tell the Ninth alone.

"You sent for me, Ninth?" Iemitsu asked when he walked in. He gave Tsuna a questioning look, who pulled his legs up into his chair and tried to hide his head in return.

"You try to understand him," the Ninth ordered with a chuckle. "He's been trying to tell me something, but I can't make heads or tails of it. Something about him and his lady." Iemitsu sighed, making Tsuna hide his head farther in his knees. How was he going to explain it to his father that he'd been too stupid to remember protection when he was with Haru? How was he supposed to tell the man that he'd been so intent on enjoying himself that he forgot to plan ahead?

"Did you and Haru have a fight?" Iemitsu asked carefully as he sat next to him. Tsuna shook his head and sudden inspiration told him the way to explain without having to utter more than a single word. It also had the benefit of being a different word than the 'baby' that kept getting lodged in his throat. Without looking up, Tsuna stabbed a finger at his father, pointing firmly at him so that he couldn't misunderstand.

"Grandpa," Tsuna blurted. Iemitsu blinked several times before understanding dawned on both him and the Ninth.

"Haru's pregnant?" Iemitsu asked in surprise. From where his face was hid, Tsuna nodded several times. Strangely, now that they understood, Tsuna felt much calmer. He looked up from where he was curled up in his chair and put his chin on his knees.

"Dr. Shamal just said so," he explained in relief.

"No wonder you were babbling like a buffoon," the Ninth chuckled. Tsuna turned red in embarrassment, but couldn't refute the man.

"How far along is she?" Iemitsu interrupted, wanting to know the details.

"A few days," Tsuna answered after recalling what the doctor had told him.

"She's getting morning sickness already?" Iemitsu exclaimed in surprise. Tsuna shook his head. Curious, his father inquired, "Then how did she know already?"

"I told her," Tsuna replied softly.

"You told her, Tsunayoshi?" The Ninth repeated. The man narrowed his eyes before asking the next most predicable question. "How did you know?"

"The baby told me," he answered, his wonder at the knowledge overcoming his panic and unease. He looked at his father and the Ninth, strangely in awe of himself. Now that he was calmer, he knew that his dream hadn't been a fluke. His unborn son had actually been talking to him and let Tsuna hold him. "He said I was silly," Tsuna continued with a wide smile despite the looks of worry in his father and the Ninth's eyes.

"You're hearing voices?" His father asked. The expression on his face made it obvious that he wondered if his son had lost his marbles. Tsuna chuckled at that look, knowing exactly how crazy he sounded.

"Dream, dad," he corrected. Feeling that he was actually calm enough to make sense again, he tried to explain. "I had a dream. There was a little boy in it and he told me I was his 'papa'."

"But that was just a dream, right Tsunayoshi...?" The Ninth seemed unsure, knowing that miraculous things happened all the time to those in the Vongola bloodline. In answer, Tsuna shook his head, adamant that it hadn't just been a dream.

"It was too real," Tsuna said, begging for them to understand. "Even so, I thought it was a dream, too, at first. But... But he had told me that Haru wanted cake and when I woke up, she really did want cake. And then there was the flame he had too..."

"Flame...?" The Ninth prompted.

"He had a Sky Flame," Tsuna explained. "It was just like mine. I've never really thought of having kids before, since I always had my hands full with Lambo, I-Pin and Fuuta. Why would I dream up something like that out of the blue if it wasn't real?"

"Tsuna..." The Ninth asked carefully. "I know this might be a personal question, but have there been any abnormalities in your private affairs with your affianced?"

"Maybe," Tsuna replied sheepishly, blushing brightly at the question. He continued to blush deeper when the Ninth and his father raised eyebrows in askance. "I-I have trouble controlling my Flame," he admitted before finally turning crimson. He put his hands over his face to hide the redness he knew was there, more embarrassed than he'd ever been in his life.

"You can't control it?" Iemitsu repeated. "You mean...?"

Unable to be more embarrassed than he already was, he allowed the Dying Will Flame to sprout on his head in a silent answer before releasing it.

"I see..." Iemitsu replied with a soft chuckle. Tsuna could feel the redness of his face crawling down his neck at the sound.

"It's possible then," the Ninth said suddenly, bringing both of their attention to him. "If Tsunayoshi's seed was able to survive his flame, it had to have been strong." Ignoring Tsuna's embarrassment at hearing the Ninth talk about his 'seed', he continued, "It's likely that the child growing in his dear Haru has a very strong flame. If my intuition is correct, Vongola the Eleventh will probably be the strongest of all."

"Vongola the Eleventh...?" Tsuna repeated, his red face turning pale in a heartbeat. His heart clenched at the thought of his child following in his bloody footsteps.

"Assuming you don't have any other heirs to choose from," the Ninth added.

"Don't worry, son," Iemitsu soothed, seeing the look of dismay on his son's face. "If you're scared of bringing a baby into this world, you just have to make the world a better place. You have the power to do that, you know."

Tsuna blinked at his father for a few moments before nodding in agreement. With determination and focus, he could end the days of bloodshed by force. He wasn't naive enough to believe it could be done by peaceful means alone. No, he was willing to do it by fear if that's what it took. Tsuna would do it now, so that his son would never have to.

He still had time to do what was needed.

* * *

"Tsuna?" His teacher called. Tsuna looked up from where he'd been trying to cram a bit more German in his brain before class started. Since he didn't want to study during lunch anymore, he had to make up the time somewhere. 

A week had passed since the Tsuna had gotten the news about Haru. During that time he'd been working like a demon incarnate in order to learn as much as he could. He only had nine months in order to figure out a way to change things before his son would be born. He didn't have time to sit back and take things easy, although he still made sure to make time for his Family.

So far, other than the Ninth, his father, and Doctor Shamal, no one knew. The two still weren't used to the idea of being parents yet and they wanted to wait until they could face the hordes of questioning people without Tsuna being reduced to a gibbering idiot again. Since Haru wouldn't be showing for a while yet, the only hint anyone had was how Tsuna took away Gokudera's cigarette and put it out whenever Haru was around. He didn't think they had noticed the connection, but it was possible they knew and were silently waiting for him to give the okay to talk about it.

His dreams had continued, popping up occasionally when Haru had a midnight craving. He would get a few moments to chat with the boy in his dream before he would say "Mommy wants...", signaling the time for him to wake up. After the third time, Tsuna just started going with it, ordering whatever the boy had told him before waking Haru up with her midnight snack. A few times she grumbled, but the rest of the time she'd accepted it with a laugh. He'd finally been able to explain to her about the dreams, although he didn't think she really understood how real it was to him. She took it as just another faucet of his caring and accepted his offerings.

"Tsuna?" The teacher repeated, breaking him out of his reverie.

"Yes, Mr. Delphiny?" Tsuna replied, closing his German-Japanese dictionary.

"There's some people here that want to talk to you," he said, waving for Tsuna to go outside the class with him. Tsuna looked at him in confusion for a moment before going. At Gokudera and Yamamoto's questioning looks, he shook his head. He had no clue who it could be. Maybe the Ninth had sent some orders? Some change in Haru's 'condition'? Once he stepped outside the door, he looked at his guests in surprise, knowing automatically the probable reason they were there. There was a woman in a business suit, flanked with two police officers.

"C-can I help you?" He asked hesitantly after the teacher shut the door before anyone could get a glance at his visitors.

"Are you Tsunayoshi Sawada?" The woman asked calmly.

"Y-Yes. What's this about?" Tsuna asked, perplexed. In the back of his mind, he tried to think of any jobs he might have left evidence at and couldn't come up with any. He'd always made sure to be clean.

"We just need you to come downtown to answer a few questions," she replied smoothly. Before he could move, she nodded to the two officers flanking her. Both moved forward and he stepped back automatically. Something didn't feel right. Yet, he couldn't fight the authorities without marking himself as guilty. But guilty of what?!

"First tell me what this is about," he repeated. He found himself spun in place and pushed against a locker roughly by the two officers. "What the hell," he yelled at the uncalled-for treatment. The woman finally began speaking right as Yamamoto and Gokudera came flying out of the classroom in response to his raised voice. He stopped them with a single look.

"You are under arrest for suspicion of murder in the case of a Mr. Mochida from Japan and by affiliation the recent suicide of his wife," she said coldly. She began reading him his rights under Italian law, but he didn't listen. He was too shocked. Not at being arrested for Mochida's death, but the last.

"Wait," he yelled. "Wait!" He turned, forcing the officers off his back in an instant. "Mochida didn't have a wife!" He found himself tackled to the ground by the two officers who seemed to think he was resisting arrest by his actions. He didn't fight them, knowing they were merely doing their jobs. Instead, he glared at the woman who seemed to know what was going on.

"Did he not mention it to you when you killed him?" She said with a knowing smile. "Apparently him and a..." she looked down at the file in her hand, "a Miss Sasagawa had eloped three days before his death. She committed suicide two days ago."

Tsuna's eyes dilated in shock and tears began to well up in his eyes. "No, no, no, no," he moaned, repeating it continuously as the officers finished cuffing him. He looked up and glared at the woman, "You're lying. I don't know why you're doing this, but Kyoko is alive."

"I assure you, she's dead," the woman said firmly. She pulled out a picture from her file and laid it on the floor in front of where Tsuna's face was hovering a few inches above the ground, the officers having not let him up yet.

It was a picture of Kyoko. But not the Kyoko he knew. Not his beloved sun. Her face was haggard where she lay in a pool of her own blood. In the blood she'd spilled out of her wrists in the depression and pain that Tsuna had caused her.

"We'll get your lawyers and your father, Tsuna," Yamamoto offered quietly. Tsuna nodded silently, trying to hold himself together. He wouldn't cry in front of these bastards. Not until he knew the truth. Not until he heard from Ryohei. This could still be a lie. The picture could be a fake.

"Kyoko's not dead," he declared to himself, denying the woman's words. The woman seemed displeased with his words and tossed her head, silently ordering the officers to take him away. They yanked him up off the ground and led him away, his class and friends watching silently. Tsuna wanted to smile, even through the pain of the woman's lies. If they knew how many mafiosos they were currently surrounded by, they'd probably piss their pants.

"Anything you want to say in your defense?" The woman asked, knowing that Tsuna hadn't paid attention to his rights. He ignored her, having went through training for occurrences like this.

"I want my lawyer," he said, the final words he would say while in their custody.

* * *

Tsuna sat in a cell, awaiting his lawyers' arrival. They'd pulled him into a room to be questioned three times, but he'd stubbornly stayed silent. In the end, they'd tossed him in lockup since there was nothing else they could do. It's not like they could torture him to make him talk. Although they tried, in their own way. He'd been forced to look at the picture of Kyoko each time they'd tried to interrogate him. 

"Psst," someone hissed. When he didn't respond, they hissed again. "Psst, Orange." Surprised at being called that here, Tsuna looked up. On the other side of the bars was Grey, his uniform making Tsuna's eyes widen.

"Y-you're a cop?" He whispered back, going to the bars to try not to let his three cellmates hear him. Grey grinned broadly.

"Did you think I worked at Pink's all the time?" He whispered with a twinkle in his eye. Tsuna looked at his name tag out of curiosity and found himself laughing. So that was why the large man had picked the color Grey as his codename. His real name was Grey Hartford. "Why are you in here? Anything I can help with? Traffic tickets or something?" Tsuna was touched by the offer, but shook his head.

"They think I murdered someone," Tsuna said carefully, phrasing it a way that would make him seem innocent if he was being taped. His eyes told Grey the truth, though. He had gotten caught for murder. Grey grimaced. Definitely not something he could help with.

"Don't worry," Tsuna reassured him. "My lawyers should be here soon. I know we pay them enough." Right on cue, another officer walked up and began opening the cell.

"Tsunayoshi Sawada," he called unhappily. "You're being released." Tsuna gave Grey a wink on his way out the cell door, making sure his friend was the only one that saw it. His new escort grumbled the whole time after Tsuna was shown to the desk to retrieve his personal effects. The man was nearly growling when Tsuna inspected his Glock before belting it on his waist. The officer obviously didn't like seeing someone with a gun that wasn't law enforcement, but there was nothing he could do. Tsuna's father had made sure that Tsuna had all the proper paperwork done to make it legal.

His five lawyers walked up and flanked him the moment he was out of the holding area. Tsuna turned to one as they walked out the door, his question obvious on his face. The man immediately answered.

"They thought they had evidence on you for Mochida's death, even though you were out of town when his car crashed." He gave Tsuna a knowing look, telling him silently that he knew the truth. Tsuna merely nodded. "They were in the middle of trying to get you extradited back to Japan for questioning. Once we gave them security footage from the mansion, proving that you were in Italy when he died, there was nothing they could do."

"No!" A man yelled across the station. Tsuna stopped at the yell, curiously looking at the source. He was obviously an officer, but of Tsuna's native Japan. "You can't let him go! He killed him! The autopsy says Mochida died two days before the car wreck. Sawada was still in Japan!"

"Gimme a break, Takahashi," one of the Italian officers laughed. "His autopsy wasn't conclusive. The body was burned too badly in the fire. And what makes you think this Sawada guy was the one that killed him? From his file, he's got nothing but a few arrests for indecent exposure as a kid. Probably dares by his buddies. Actually," the cop who was playing devil's advocate looked at a file on his desk. "Actually, this guy has a few notations for being an outstanding citizen. Eighteen counts of citizen's arrest of petty thieves, nine times he helped firefighters during blazes that got out of control, and six times for saving people with C.P.R. One of which was a cop that got hit too hard in the chest and went into cardiac arrest." The man laughed again. "He's even noted down here as one of the few people that donates more than five bucks to the Officer's Retirement Fund _and _he donates to Knucklebomb's soup kitchen with the profits from his business in Japan. What the heck makes you think he's a murderer? He's more like a bloody saint."

Tsuna wanted to stay and listen to the conversation, but one of his lawyers silently prodded him into leaving before Officer Takahashi noticed him. The man wasn't looking pleased at Tsuna's wrap sheet. Quite the opposite of pleased, his nose was flaring in rage. Tsuna sighed before following them out the door of the station. It looked like he had a fan whether he wanted one or not.

"Has anyone contacted Ryohei yet?" Tsuna asked. The lawyer shook his head, but offered Tsuna his cell phone. Tsuna waited until they were in a car before dialing. After a few anxious seconds, Ryohei picked up. Tsuna didn't give him time to even say hello before blurting, "Where's your sister?"

"Hello to you too, little bro," Ryohei said sarcastically. "She's right here. Why?"

"Nothing. Just someone played a poor joke on me," Tsuna replied in relief. The picture had been fake. She wasn't dead.

"Well, she should be fine in another week and I'll head back up that way. She was a bit upset you couldn't come down for the funeral, but she understood."

"Alright," Tsuna mumbled. He knew he was a coward for running away from Mochida's death like he had, but he knew he would have regretted it if he had stayed. "One other thing, big-brother. Find out if your sister got married before Mochida died."

"What's going on?" Ryohei asked, suspicious of all the strangeness.

"I can't really explain. Just find out for me, please. And keep an eye out for Kyoko. Even if she gets to feeling better, I want you to stay there with her until I contact you again."

"Alright, little-bro," Ryohei agreed. Tsuna hung up and turned to his lawyer. "I want the name of the arresting officers and the name of the woman that was with them. I also want a copy of that picture they had in the interrogation room. Find out everything you can about it. Where it was made, who made it, everything."

"Yes, sir," his lawyer answered, immediately making calls. Tsuna just sat quietly seething the whole way back to headquarters, knowing the reason behind the fake photo. It was a warning. A warning that Kyoko's life was forfeit if Tsuna did something his invisible enemy didn't like. A warning that the police had been tricked into giving and reiterating, thinking she was genuinely dead.

But what did Tsuna's invisible foe want from him?


	52. Chapter 52 Family Trip

"We'll have to suspend your training," the Ninth agreed, leaning back in his office chair. "Not that it should effect your training much. There are other ways the individuals of the Family can meet you one-on-one and see what you're capable of, Tsunayoshi." Tsuna nodded. With him having a cop for a fan, he'd have to be on constant guard.

"What about my weekend job?" Tsuna asked. The Ninth shook his head. It, too, would have to be suspended. They couldn't chance the police outside mafia control finding the Vongola entrance to Mafia Row. The Ninth smiled in sudden inspiration.

"Actually, it would be better if you and the Family were out of police jurisdiction completely, so that they can't harass your friends. At least, until we get everything under control." Tsuna looked at him curiously as the Ninth asked, "How would you like to take a Family trip?"

"Where to, Ninth?" Tsuna wasn't opposed. It would give him and Haru time to come to terms with their 'puppy'.

"Mafia-land. It's in international waters and isn't listed on any maps, plus it's completely under our control." The Ninth smiled kindly. "I hear they've got a grand fireworks show planned in a few days."

"Alright," Tsuna agreed. "There's a few extra people I'd like to take with us, though. People I don't want left out in the cold." The Ninth nodded, giving in readily. "There's also something else I need, Ninth."

"You've but to ask, Tsunayoshi," the Ninth said readily.

"Do you still have those marriage contracts you refused on my behalf?" Tsuna looked down in his lap, knowing how the question sounded.

"I do," the Ninth replied, his curiosity evident.

"I think there's a connection between the authorities' sudden suspicion of me and the refusal of the contracts. They showed me a picture of Kyoko dead and mentioned she was married, but in reality, Kyoko is fine and she never got married. I think it was a clue they left me on purpose instead of simply an attempt to rattle me."

"I see," the Ninth mumbled. "I'll have them sent to you and see if any of them catches your eye. For now, go gather up your entourage and head out. I'll have Reborn make arrangements for you to be on the next cruise out."

"Yes, Ninth," Tsuna replied, standing and bowing respectfully before seeing himself out.

For now, this was all they could do.

* * *

"Tsuuuu-kuuuun," Haru begged. "You've been in here the whole cruise. Won't you come up on deck with us?"

"In a little bit," Tsuna replied absently. He was sitting at a table in his cabin, looking over the box of files the Ninth had given him before they'd left dock. For the past three days, he'd been scouring them non-stop in hopes of finding a clue. But when he'd asked for them, he hadn't realized there were so damn many. Plus, the Ninth had supplied him with copies of research on the women in question, leaving him with tons of information to go through.

"You've said that same thing for the past three days!" She pouted. "You said this was supposed to be a relaxing trip."

"It is. I'll be there in a little bit," he repeated, reaching for the next file. So far, he'd managed to eliminate thirty-six of the possible candidates. Some of them had already accepted other proposals before the Ninth had sent out the refusals. Others had no visible or invisible reason to want to hurt him or his Family. A few he eliminated due to the fact he went to school with them. Those wouldn't have used Kyoko in the warning shot, they would have used Haru. Only those that didn't have direct or recent contact with him would have used Kyoko, thinking she was still the love of his life. He hoped.

He reached back for the pile of eliminated due to the fact they went to school together. If it _was _one of those, it was still possible they'd intentionally used Kyoko in the warning instead of Haru. That way, he couldn't have instantly proved the picture fake and would have been forced to look at it again and again. He pulled the pile back onto his table, catching it as it started to tip. He began resorting it, planning on going over them again with that in mind. Haru stopped him.

"Tsunayoshi!" She yelled, making his head snap up and actually look at her for the first time. Haru had _never _used his full first name before. "You are going to put those files down and take a break," she demanded, her anger at him visible. Tsuna looked at her in surprise, his face turning flush when he realized how much he'd been ignoring her and everyone else since they'd left.

"Sorry," he said apologetically, bowing his head so she couldn't see the look on his face. "But I've got to look through these."

"What are they anyway?" She asked. Before he could stop her, she picked up one of the files scattered around and opened it up. He grimaced at the look of shock on her face when she realized what it was. "Why are you looking through marriage contracts?" she asked. Tsuna sighed. At least she'd asked instead of jumping to conclusions.

"There was an incident that I asked the others not to mention to you. I think one of the girls somewhere in these files is the cause." He crossed his fingers, hoping that she was satisfied with that much. Too bad this was Haru and not Kyoko.

"What kind of incident?" She sat down abruptly on the edge of the cabin's bed, bits of loose hair flying out of her pony-tail from the sudden movement. Tsuna got up and went over to her.

"N-Nothing big," he lied, kneeling down next to her. "Just someone who thinks they can manipulate me. I'm going to take care of it though," he promised.

"Why didn't you tell me, Tsu-kun? Is this why we took a sudden trip?"

"I didn't want to worry you," he replied softly, brushing the loose hair out of her face. "And yes, it's part of the reason we took this trip. The other part is because I thought it would be good for us." He lifted up her shirt a bit and kissed her belly to silently tell her what all he meant by 'us', making her giggle.

"Well, in that case, you better take a break," she demanded with a smile. Tsuna sighed again, knowing he wasn't going to get out of it. Then again, he thought while rubbing his tired eyes, a break might help. He'd been looking at the files so long, he was starting to see words floating around in the air.

"Okay," he laughed. "Let's go up on deck." Haru cheered, once again having won against Tsuna's woefully underpowered stubbornness. Where Haru was concerned, it was almost as if his willpower didn't exist. That was okay though. He'd never have to worry about being lost under a mountain of paperwork. Haru would simply go mountain climbing and pull him away before there was an avalanche. It might mean a bit more work later to find where he'd left off, but she was worth it.

He blushed when he got on deck. His friends all began cheering at his arrival. Gokudera even handed Haru a large bill, having apparently lost a bet on whether or not she'd get him outside. Gokudera didn't seem to mind loosing, for once, and Haru took the bill with a laugh.

"We thought you were turning into a hermit crab, Tsuna," Yamamoto said with a smile. The swordsman threw his arm around Tsuna and pulled him across the deck before he could retreat. He pulled him over to the topside-bar and reached for the paper umbrellas stashed in a cup on the counter. Tsuna tried to fight, but the helping hands of Haru, Gokudera, and Sangia held him steady while the swordsman gave him a crown, sticking the umbrellas throughout his messy and tangled hair.

"There we go, nice and relaxed," Yamamoto laughed after he finished. Tsuna grumbled half-heartedly, silently enjoying the teasing. Haru and Sangia snickered behind their hands, ensuring that Tsuna knew how silly he looked. He couldn't help the smile that broke out on his face finally. What was Family for if not to care for you?

Teasing and laughter included.

* * *

Tsuna walked up to the check-in desk, having left Haru in the care of the others. He'd meet up with them after registering. He smiled, remembering the last time he'd come through here. This time maybe he'd actually enjoy some of the resort.

"Next please?" The woman at the counter said. Tsuna stepped forward, his t-shirt and jeans making him look like a normal tourist if you ignored the scars on his arms.

"Tsunayoshi Sawada of the Vongola," he told her.

"Do you have any invitation letters or letters of recommendation?" She asked with a polite smile. He smiled in return, handing over the invitations that the Ninth had given him. The woman looked them over and stopped halfway. She looked up at Tsuna with her mouth gaping. He smiled at her reaction, knowing it to be the same one he always got when allied mafiosos realized he was the Tenth. It made him want to sigh.

"O-One m-m-moment, s-sir," she stuttered, reaching for the phone. Tsuna reached his gloved hand over the counter and laid it softly on hers, stopping her instantly.

"Look, if you're about to call your superior, don't bother. I'm here on vacation, not to have someone kissing my rear the whole time. Just set me up with a room for me and rooms for my guests and I'll get out of your hair." He smiled at her reassuringly and almost sagged in relief when _she _sagged in relief. He pulled his hand back.

"Yes, sir," she smiled, regaining her normal decorum. "Can I have the names of your guests?"

"Gokudera Hayato, Yamamoto Takeshi, Haru Miura, Kyoya Hibari, Sangia Kuneri, Cheri Olwick, Poison Scorpion Bianchi, and Reborn," he listed. He almost had left Bianchi at home, but realizing how she wasn't allowed in Headquarters, he figured she'd enjoy the vacation with her brother. He'd invited Chrome, but she'd refused since he couldn't take her two wanted friends. He'd have to remember to bring them back gifts.

"Here you go, sir," she said, handing him nine keys after inputting the information into the computer system. "The big one is for the penthouse and the others are the rooms in the two floors below it." Tsuna smiled, handing her back one of the smaller keys meant for Haru. He had a twinkle in his eye at her look of confusion.

"This should do it," he smiled, pocketing the eight remaining keys. "Anything else you need from me?"

"N-no, sir," she replied, suddenly looking like she wanted to call her boss again. Before she could actually do it, he nodded and walked away, exiting the registration building as quickly as possible. The moment he was outside, Reborn appeared, jumping onto Tsuna's shoulder out of familiar habit.

Tsuna handed him a key before asking, "They try and nail you down for a press conference again?" He looked up, seeing the nostalgic sight of the giant Reborn balloons floating high into the air above the gift shops. Even now, Reborn's fame hadn't diminished. Tsuna only hoped that he never got that famous. It was bad enough how people reacted once they realized he was Vongola the Tenth. Being recognized on sight would be even worse.

"I gave in this time since I don't have plans to drag you off to Mafia Land's backstage," Reborn replied. Tsuna smiled, remembering the 'training' that Colonello had put him through.

"Well, that's a relief. I'm already going to be pushing it. Between going through those files, checking in with the Ninth and Ryohei, and keeping Haru and the others happy, I'm not sure if I'll even have time to drop by and say hello to Colonello before it's time to head back."

"Don't worry about it," Reborn replied. "I'll give him your greetings."

"Thank you, Reborn," Tsuna said in genuine gratitude. "I know this is a vacation for everyone else, but I've still got work to do," He paused, wondering how much Reborn already knew.

"Focus on your Family and it'll all work itself out," Reborn encouraged. "For now, deal with those clowns."

Tsuna looked up, wondering why the hitman wanted him to deal with clowns. He started laughing hysterically while Reborn disappeared. His Family and friends were all waiting on them. They'd all gotten their faces painted; Cheri and Hibari being the only visible exceptions. The girls each had a butterfly, flower, or other mark on their cheek. Gokudera and Yamamoto, however, looked like they'd gotten in a paint-war. Either that, or they'd painted each other's faces blindfolded. Colors and blotches of poorly drawn somethings covered their cheeks, across their noses, and part of their foreheads.

The sound of his laughter brought their attention over to him and he quickly found himself surrounded. The evil grins on their faces meant doom, he was sure. He wasn't wrong. He found himself seated in a chair under a canvas tent before he could even yelp. Instead of letting the artist draw, they each took turns with the paint, covering him in moments. He laughed, though, when he was finally handed a mirror. It was almost as bad as the punishment game Reborn had put him through during his first Vongola New-Year, only in color.

"Well, at least no one will recognize me this way," he laughed. He turned to the normal artist who was taking his paint palette back with a frown. "What do you think?" He asked the man. The man's frown from having his booth taken over turned into laughter. With a smile, Tsuna paid for the used paints and followed along as he was dragged down the line of festival booths. At some point he handed out the keys to their hotel, soon after which Hibari and Bianchi disappeared from their little group.

Halfway down the booths, Haru got sick after eating a chili-dog, a chocolate-banana, and cotton candy. The others looked grossed out, but Tsuna held her hair back in understanding while she lost her lunch into the grass behind one of the booths. During the past week, Haru had finally started showing signs of morning sickness and the boat ride probably hadn't helped. Dr. Shamal had privately given the go-ahead for the trip before they left, but that didn't mean it was going to be easy on Haru. Once she finished, she claimed to feel better, but Tsuna didn't want to take any chances. He put her on his back and started carrying her piggyback.

"I'm really okay, Tsu-kun," she muttered again into his ear. "You can put me down." Tsuna growled low in his throat, knowing he was being over-protective. But he was allowed! He carried her all the way back to the hotel. All the way up the elevator to the penthouse suite. And then all the way over to the couch. He didn't let her feet touch the ground until she was comfortably seated, to the amusement of their friends. Everyone got comfortable around her and started chatting. While he ordered snacks for everyone and something to ensure Haru's stomach was settled, he kept catching her blushing every time she looked at him. Okay, so maybe he'd overdone it by carrying her through the hotel.

"What's these, Tenth?" Gokudera asked once he was done ordering room service. Tsuna grabbed a V-brand Beer out of the room's mini-fridge before going and looking. Gokudera was sitting on one of the room's many chairs, box of files in hand.

"That's work," Tsuna replied. "It's hopefully going to lead me to whoever's behind my little problem." Cheri took the box away from Gokudera, pulling one out randomly in curiosity. She raised an eyebrow at him after she got a peek at what was inside, but didn't say anything. Instead, she began flipping through the box, curious at who all had sent him proposals. He ignored her. It's not as if he'd accept any of them. He was sat down next to Haru, wrapping his arms around her while she continued to talk to Sangia energetically about something. He didn't bother to follow the conversation, content to merely have her with him.

"Where's Violet's?" Cheri asked suddenly. Tsuna looked up. Cheri had reached the bottom of the box and seemed to be disappointed.

"Violet who?" Tsuna said, his mind going blank.

"Violet Havlock," Yamamoto answered. "That girl that gave Haru all the trouble." The face popped into Tsuna's head instantly making him want to snarl.

"Why would she be in there?" Gokudera asked, also having a sudden look of dislike on his face. The three girls looked at each other in exasperation.

"She sent you a proposal, Tsu-kun," Haru said softly. "That's what caused the problem my first day at school, remember?"

"Are you sure?" Tsuna replied. All three girls nodded fervently. Getting up from where he was comfortably sitting, he went over to the box to look for himself. Sure enough, there was no file for Violet. "That's not right. If she sent me one, it should be in here. The Ninth said this was all the proposals he refused on my behalf. Either she was lying through her teeth or someone's been messing where they shouldn't."

He went over and grabbed the room's handheld phone, leaving the others to deal with room service. As he walked into the penthouse suite's bedroom and shut the door for silence, he dialed for Headquarters. After putting in his person identification code, he was connected with an operator. Seconds later, the line started ringing as he was connected with the Ninth's office.

"Is something wrong, Tsunayoshi," the Ninth answered politely, having already been informed who was calling.

"There are files missing, Ninth," Tsuna said, getting straight to the point. "I need you to please send me everything you can on a Violet Havlock. I think she might be the one that--" A sudden sigh silenced him. It wasn't a relieved sigh. It was a sigh of the inevitable.

"I was hoping you wouldn't notice it missing, Tsunayoshi," the Ninth said into the waiting silence. "We've already made the connection and I've been in talks with the Havlocks since you left in hopes to get the issue resolved."

"Talks? What do you mean, Ninth? If she's the--"

"Violet is a well-bred mafia woman of an allied Family, Tsunayoshi. It's not like we can simply punish her. Doing such a thing would destroy any semblance of peace we have with her Family. I've informed her boss of her actions and they plan to take care of it themselves. I'm awaiting notification of her Family's judgment on the matter."

"Why--" Tsuna started to ask in shock but once again the Ninth interrupted.

"You're too close to the woman to be impartial, Tsunayoshi, and you don't hold back when your Family is in the mix. That can be a good quality once tempered, but you're still too rough around the edges to deal with something like this. Let me handle it. Officer Takahashi should be leaving back for Japan in a few days, until then enjoy your trip."

"But--"

"That's enough, Tsunayoshi. Good night." He hung up before Tsuna could respond. Tsuna let out a yell of frustration and anger, throwing the dead phone against the wall out of pique. He'd barely gotten a few full sentences in. Let him handle it? Enjoy his trip? What the hell?! How was he supposed to learn to deal with that kind of stuff if the Ninth kept it from him?! Gokudera came flying in the door, having heard Tsuna's yell and the crash of the phone. He stopped, seeing his boss seething in the middle of the empty bedroom.

"What's wrong, Tenth," Gokudera asked automatically. Tsuna merely shook his head in reply, not wanting to voice his anger. He leaned against the bed's foot-board, trying to calm himself. Maybe Tsuna _was _too involved to deal with it impartially like a boss should but, damnit, it was his Family on the line. Not the Ninth's, _his_. How could he not become angry at a threat to his Family? The picture was still too vibrant in his mind. He knew that, which is why he wanted to be the one to stop that threat. Yet the Ninth had summarily taken it out of his hands. As if Violet's Family was actually going to do anything to punish her for threatening him.

He sighed, his anger giving way to acceptance. He wanted Violet's throat in his hands and he knew it. He also knew that the Ninth was right, doing such a thing would put even more lives on the line by breaking the shaky alliance they had with the Havlocks. That's probably why they'd offered up one of their Family's daughters as a wife in the first place; it might have been an effort to cement their alliance.

It was Violet that had taken the idea to her head and warped it into infatuation before the Havlocks had even gotten an answer. He knew it now that he was actually trying to think impartially. She had all the symptoms of a crazy stalker which he'd ignored all this time. The way she jealously acted toward Haru. The way she kept trying to suck up to him. The way she always seemed to have the same set of classes as him. How she always seemed to be in the corner of his eye, watching him. There were a hundred little things that she did that he'd simply ignored.

Tsuna sighed again. The Ninth was doing the right thing. The woman needed help, not his hands around her throat. He was still angry that she'd tried to manipulate him, but he also felt pity toward her. He could see it through her eyes finally. How much she wanted him but couldn't have him. Unlike Tsuna, who had found someone else worthy of his affection, she had instead started trying to scare away the person he loved. When that hadn't worked, she had tried manipulating him directly.

First she'd caused him problems with the authorities, dredging up a fanatical cop. Then she made his problems seem worse by making it look like Kyoko had died. But the woman had messed up there. She underestimated the Vongola. The fanatical cop hadn't had enough evidence to send Tsuna to trial, so he hadn't been in lockup long enough for Violet to come to his rescue and become indebted to her. Not only that, but he had ways of finding out the picture was a fake without waiting on lab results. How the cops had missed it, he didn't know. Maybe they had automatically accepted the information as legitimate without calling Kyoko's relatives to verify. The picture had looked real, after all.

"Here, Tenth," Gokudera said, breaking into his thoughts. Tsuna looked up, surprised at the bottle of beer Gokudera was offering him. "You seem a bit calmer now, so I thought you might want this."

"Thank you, Gokudera," Tsuna replied, taking the offering. He followed Gokudera out of the room, finally calm enough to be around others. "It seems the Ninth is dealing with my little problem, so I'll have more free time than I thought," he told the waiting crowd.

"Ha-hi!" Haru exclaimed, clapping excitedly at the news. Tsuna smiled. At least someone was happy.

And that's all that mattered.


	53. Chapter 53 Change

Yamamoto looked at his alarm and grumbled. Who was at his hotel door this late? He swung his legs off his bed as another knocked sounded so softly it was almost as if the person didn't want to wake him. Yamamoto smiled. Only Tsuna would knock like that this late. Gokudera would have rudely banged on the door instead and he doubted it would be any of the girls. He was proved correct when he opened the door to reveal a sleepy Tsuna.

"What is it, Tsuna?" Yamamoto asked seriously. Tsuna wouldn't wake him in the middle of the night unless it was important.

"Do you have any of those honey roasted peanuts they were selling at the booths?" Tsuna yawned, obviously still tired himself. Yamamoto's jaw dropped. Okay, so maybe Tsuna would wake him up in the middle of the night for something frivolous. Tsuna didn't seem to notice Yamamoto's surprise as he continued, "Room service didn't have any and the booths are closed for the night." Yamamoto shook his head to clear his surprise.

"Ah, I have some," Yamamoto said, waving Tsuna inside. He flipped on one of the room's lamps, trying to remember where he put them. Yamamoto finally found the little bag of left-over peanuts in the drawer of his side table. "It's not like you to be so specific on a late night snack, Tsuna."

As he handed them over, Tsuna yawned again and answered sleepily, "They're not for me."

"Oh, so Haru's up?" Yamamoto asked with a knowing smile. It was just like Tsuna to do his best to give Haru anything she might want. Considering she had still been sea-sick when they were walking down the booths, she hadn't gotten to try half the goodies there. The memory of the peanuts must have been driving her insane once her stomach finally settled. Yamamoto was surprised when Tsuna sleepily shook his head no, however.

"She's still asleep. The little guy said she wanted some, though." Tsuna started to walk out of the room with the peanuts in hand, but Yamamoto stopped him in confusion.

"Little guy? How would Reborn know what Haru wants if she's asleep?" Tsuna looked at him in his own tired confusion. Tsuna cursed and his face cleared. He hadn't watched what he said.

"Um...eh...I better get these back upstairs," Tsuna said, trying to retreat. Yamamoto wouldn't let him, though. He grabbed his wrist and pulled him back in his room.

"Nice try. Something's going on and you'd better spill it," the swordsman said. Tsuna sighed. Now that Yamamoto was fully awake, he wasn't going to let the matter drop. Oh well, he'd have to tell the swordsman sometime.

"D-Don't tell anyone other than Gokudera, okay?" Yamamoto nodded, reaffirming that he could keep any secret Tsuna wanted to share. Tsuna put down his head, trying to think of the best way to say it. Finally, he blurted in a rush, "Haru's pregnant and the little guy tells me what she's craving in my dreams. Well, good night," Yamamoto gaped, his eyes going wide at such a crazy thing. Once again, Tsuna tried to take the chance to escape, but Yamamoto wasn't going to let him go that easy.

"Wait, wait, wait, Haru's pregnant?" Yamamoto asked. Tsuna stopped with his hand on the room's doorknob. He looked back at Yamamoto with a sheepish smile on his face.

"Y-yes...?"

"And he talks to you in your dreams?" Yamamoto continued, trying to make sense of it.

"Y-yes...?"

"How's that possible? Haru can't be that far along. She's not even showing yet and how--?" Yamamoto stopped, trying to put his thoughts in order. So many questions, so little time.

"Um..." Tsuna said, unsure himself. "I think it's because he has the same flame as me."

"He? Flame?" Yamamoto was beyond using full sentences. He hoped the prompt was enough for Tsuna to understand. It was. Tsuna smiled sheepishly again, running a hand through his hair while he tried to explain.

"The little boy in my dreams has a Sky Flame, like me. I think it's actually his Flame talking since, you know, the real thing isn't that developed yet. It's trying to take care of Haru by telling me what she wants." Tsuna walked forward to where Yamamoto finally felt the need to sit down. "You should see him, Yamamoto. He has my eyes and Haru's hair. In my dream, he looks like he's about five, so he can actually talk to me. He calls me papa," Tsuna said with a bright smile.

"Y-you actually have conversations with him?" Yamamoto put his poor, battered head into his hands at Tsuna's nod.

"I only get about a minute with him before the dream ends and only once or twice a week. Usually only when Haru has a craving and I'm asleep. I--" Tsuna bowed his head, knowing how crazy he sounded. "I know it sounds crazy but it's real, Yamamoto. It's really real."

Yamamoto looked up, still in shock over everything. The look he saw on Tsuna's bowed face gave him the ability to shake it off though. Tsuna was serious. He really thought he got to talk to his unborn child in his dreams. That aside, Haru was pregnant. Yamamoto smiled when Tsuna peeked up to see what the swordsman's reaction was.

"Well, you better get those honey roasted nuts up to Haru then," Yamamoto said, his smile widening. Tsuna yelped, looking down at the forgotten peanuts in his hands. Yamamoto began chuckling when Tsuna dashed out the door and headed for the elevator.

At least his strange behavior had been explained. Being fine with Gokudera's smoking one minute, taking it away the next. The over-protective surges that Tsuna had toward Haru. The way Tsuna kept adding some of his lunch to hers when she wasn't looking. The conversations that would just stop whenever other people walked up to the two of them.

Yamamoto gave an evil laugh as he got up and went out of his room. Tsuna had said not to tell anyone other than Gokudera. That meant it was okay to tell Gokudera. He took extreme pleasure in banging on the dynamite specialist's door rudely. He was even more satisfied at the ensuing crash from inside as the man was roughly awakened in the middle of the night. Finally a bit of payback for all the times he'd done it to Yamamoto.

"T-Tenth?!" Gokudera exclaimed, his door flying open within a second. "Oh, it's just you, sword-freak," Gokudera rubbed his eyes while his adrenaline wore off. "What the hell do you want? It's the middle of the freaking night." Yamamoto grinned widely again.

"Oh, I don't think you'll mind when you hear what I've got to tell you." He began chuckling while he invited himself into Gokudera's room. The dynamite specialist grumpily ran a hand through his hair before giving the swordsman a considering look and shutting the door behind him.

"It had better be good," Gokudera muttered.

"What if I told you that we're going to be uncles?" Yamamoto replied with a grin. He settled himself down on the side of Gokudera's bed while the dynamite specialist looked at him in confusion.

"Sis is pregnant?" He asked, knowing somehow that it didn't sound right. Bianchi was still openly in love with Reborn, but Reborn wasn't a physical age where...

"No," Yamamoto laughed, breaking into his thoughts. "Haru is."

"Haru?" Gokudera repeated with a blank face. For some reason, the thought that she was pregnant made Gokudera reach for a bomb and turn toward the door. Dashing forward off the bed, Yamamoto latched himself around the man to hold him back.

"What are you doing?!" He yelled, seeing the serious killing intent on the man's face. He snatched the bomb out of the dynamite specialist's hands.

"I'm just going to punish her for breaking the Tenth's heart," Gokudera replied calmly, still trying to walk forward despite the restraining force of Yamamoto's arms around him. Unconcerned with his lost stick, he reached into his shirt and pulling out another.

"What are you talking about?" Yamamoto said in exasperation, taking that one away, too.

"If she's pregnant, someone must have gotten her pregnant," he growled, pulling out yet another dangerous bomb. "There's no way the Tenth isn't upset over it. I'm just going to make her learn what it means to betray him."

"You idiot," Yamamoto laughed, yanking the dynamite out of his hand yet again and tossed it down to the growing pile at their feet. Gokudera reached for another of his endless supply while Yamamoto continued, "Tsuna's happy! It's his, not someone else's!"

"It's the Tenth's?" Gokudera asked, finally coming to a stop. The bomb fell from his suddenly limp hand while he tried to understand.

"I'd say so since Tsuna says he talks to him in his dreams," Yamamoto chuckled. He reached over and shut Gokudera's gaping jaw in satisfaction.

"The Tenth is having a baby?" Gokudera repeated. When Yamamoto nodded silently behind him, his legs turned to water. Only the swordsman's arms still wrapped around him in restraint saved him from completely collapsing to the floor. With a laugh, he helped Gokudera over to his bed to sit so the man could overcome his shock.

"Just think," Yamamoto said in effort to help. "If Tsuna's the Tenth, this means you'll have the Eleventh to help raise. That's the perfect job for Tsuna's right-hand, right?"

"But I'm not good with kids," Gokudera replied softly in shame. "I kept trying for the Tenth with Lambo, but the little brat kept irritating me. No matter how hard I tried, I always lost my temper." Yamamoto looked at him in understanding. Over the past few years, they'd been able to truly come to terms with their own personalities and Gokudera's inability to deal with kids in the past was a sad truth.

"But that was the old you," Yamamoto soothed. "You helped Lambo out just fine when we went back home and you seemed to get along with the kids at the Hayakeshi House alright."

"All I did was keep my mouth shut and play the piano," Gokudera grumbled. "They'd just been through hell, so I bit my tongue whenever they started getting on my nerves." He stuck out his tongue, showing the swordsman the still lingering mark from where he'd bit through it at one point. Yamamoto chuckled softly at the sight.

"Well, as long as you can keep that up, I'm sure you'll make a good godfather for chibi-Tsuna. Babies need music, too."

"Godfather...?" Gokudera repeated, perking up.

"Who other than Tsuna's right hand man could be his son's godfather?" Yamamoto replied with a knowing smile. "It has to be the person that Tsuna trusts more than anyone to take care of his son if anything happened to him, you know."

"Godfather," Gokudera repeated, testing the word out. "Your right!" He exclaimed, jumping to his feet. "No one else but me is fit to be the godfather for the Tenth's son!"

"And I'll be Uncle Yamamoto," the swordsman replied, happy to have gotten Gokudera over his shock.

"Let's go!" Gokudera bellowed, grabbing Yamamoto's hand. The swordsman found himself dragged out of the room and down the hall before he could even get his feet under him.

"Where are we going?!" He cried.

"We've got to prepare!" Gokudera replied with unstoppable determination.

Yamamoto had a sudden sinking feeling.

* * *

A sudden shriek woke Tsuna out of a sound sleep the next morning. He jumped up out of bed, not even bothering to throw his robe on over the pajama pants he was wearing in his rush to see why Haru had cried out. Running out of their penthouse room and into the entertaining area of the suite, Tsuna came to a stuttering halt. 

The room was covered in baby stuff. Toys, clothes, even a large crib took up one corner of the room. It looked like someone had turned the whole room into a giant nursery. Haru was slowly walking through the room like it was a maze, going from one stack of items to another with a look of amazement in her eyes. The reason for her shriek was being carried under her arm: a giant, life-sized teddy bear that was so plush and soft it seemed like it was made from cotton candy. Tsuna picked up a baby blanket from the nearest pile out of curiosity and was surprised to see it had the Vongola Crest embroidered on it. Noticing his presence from his movement, Haru looked up at him with a questioning look in her eyes.

"It wasn't me," he said in all honesty. A knock at the door caught his attention while Haru continued to look through the piles of baby items.

"Delivery for Vongola the Tenth," a man called from the other side. Opening the door, Tsuna groaned when he saw the package the man was carrying. He took it hesitantly after signing the paper the man held out, trying not to react to the curious and openly amused expression on the man's face. Tsuna couldn't really blame him. It wasn't every day that a person delivered a giant baby bottle and a box of burp towels to a hotel room.

"Having a party?" The delivery man asked nonchalantly while Tsuna tossed the items to the side. Tsuna slammed the door in the man's face.

"What the hell is going on?!" Tsuna squealed, unable to hold back any longer. As if to answer, the door behind him opened up again and Gokudera walked in with his arms full of stuffed animals. Behind him, wearing a sheepish smile, Yamamoto followed with an arm-load of baby clothes.

"Good morning, Tenth!" Gokudera greeted him cheerfully.

"Can someone please tell me what's going on," Tsuna loudly said, trying to keep calm.

"Don't worry, Tenth," Gokudera replied, oblivious to Tsuna's distress. "I'll be the best godfather possible!"

"You got all this?" Haru gasped happily.

"Of course!" He cried in return. "The Tenth's son must have everything he needs and wants! I won't allow him to do without for the Tenth's sake!" Going through the stacks of baby items with Haru, Tsuna tried to control himself. He really, really wanted to go for the man's throat.

"I thought I told you to only tell Gokudera," Tsuna growled softly at Yamamoto.

"I did," Yamamoto whispered back. "But you know how he gets when he wants to prove himself. I kind of mentioned to him about the possibility of being your kid's godfather and he's determined to show you that he would be a good one. I didn't get the chance to tell him that you wanted to keep it private."

"You could have stopped him," Tsuna said softly.

"Are you sure that would have been a good idea?" Yamamoto asked softly. "Just look at him, he's trying so hard. He even stopped smoking this morning."

"He stopped smoking?" Tsuna repeated in surprise.

"Tossed his full pack out to sea," the swordsman confirmed. "He said it wouldn't be healthy for the little guy if he smoked." Touched by the gesture, Tsuna looked back at the silver-haired man who was happily showing Haru the toys he'd just brought in. Gokudera had been smoking for as long as they'd known each other. For him to even attempt to break the habit was proof of how much he cared.

"I think you'd be a great godfather, Gokudera," Tsuna declared over Haru and his discussion. His head snapped up and looked at Tsuna with shining eyes.

"Haru thinks so, too!" Haru agreed. While Gokudera wiped tears out of his eyes and tried to continue showing Haru everything he'd bought for the baby, Tsuna went to answer another knock at the door. Expecting it to be another deliveryman, he flushed when he saw Sangia and Cheri standing outside.

"If you're going to blush when you answer the door, then throw a shirt on first," Cheri grumbled, thinking the reason for his red face was the fact that he was bare-chested. She realized her mistake, however, when she brushed past him before he could overcome his shock. "Holy hell," she mumbled to herself, seeing the piles of baby items. Curious, Sangia tiptoed past him, as well, with a small blush due to his partial nudity.

"Who's having a baby boy?" Sangia asked softly. The question made Tsuna sink to his knees despite his attempt to hold onto the doorknob for support.

"Oh, no," Haru giggled in exasperation. "You can't say that word around Tsu-kun yet!"

"What? Baby?" Sangia asked obliviously. Tsuna moaned a little in response. For some reason, that word was the only one that caused him to turn into a weak-kneed, gibbering idiot. People could say son, boy, little guy, or any other variation, but hearing the word baby made his head spin.

"Wait," Cheri chuckled. "You mean you two are having a baby?" Tsuna groaned again when the word made his stomach flip.

"Haru is two weeks," Haru smiled.

"How do you know it's a boy already? If I remember right, you shouldn't be able to tell until around twenty weeks." Sangia asked.

"You wouldn't believe it even if I told you," Tsuna managed to say from where he was sprawled out on the floor. Giving up any thought of standing up, he let go of the doorknob and pushed it shut.

"Daddy's intuition," Haru giggled, ignoring Tsuna's pathetic state.

"Must be that Vongola intuition I hear about," Cheri replied with a nod of acceptance. She went over with Sangia and joined Haru in looking through all the new items for the baby.

"You could say that," Yamamoto grinned widely. "Although I don't think knowing helps him come to terms with it any better. Gokudera, it might have been a little too early for you to get all this."

"Hunh...?" He mumbled in reply, looking up from where he'd been engrossed in a catalog in effort to find more things to buy. Yamamoto pointedly looked in Tsuna's direction, making the silver-haired man look too. Tsuna was just staring blank-eyed at the piles of items and trying to wrap his mind around the word 'baby' that kept resounding in his head. Finally realizing how Tsuna had been barely managing to come to terms with the idea of having a child, Gokudera flushed. He looked around the room with a new set of eyes. "Maybe I went a little overboard..." he finally admitted.

"A little...?!" Sangia squeaked, making him blush harder.

"Tenth," Gokudera called to his overwhelmed boss, "Why don't you get dressed and we'll go get some fresh air...?" Still looking unsteady, Tsuna nodded and with Yamamoto's help, went to his room to change. When he came back out, he looked somewhat more calm. He even managed to make it through the maze of baby stuff to where Gokudera was waiting by the door without faltering. As he started to go out the door, however, Cheri and Sangia traded mischievous looks. Right before the door would have closed, they called out in unison:

"Baby!"

The loud thump of Tsuna once again becoming weak-kneed and hitting the ground could be heard all the way down to the first floor.

* * *

They spent three days at Mafia Land before getting the all-clear to head back to Italy. While the cruise had taken four days to reach the resort, it only took two days to return due to the fact that the island had moved during their second day there. Tsuna was glad. Haru seemed to get sea-sick a lot more often on the return trip. During that time, Cheri and Sangia ensured that Tsuna got used to hearing the word 'baby' until he no longer fell over whenever it was said around him. 

It took half the return trip home to talk Haru into not going back to work when they returned. She agreed after realizing that Tsuna was asking for the baby's sake and not hers. He didn't want to take any chances. It wasn't that he didn't trust her; it was that he didn't trust the guys that came to Pink's. Remembering back to how Aqua had gotten hurt, Haru stopped fighting him on it.

Hibari had disappeared for the most of the stay at Mafia Land. Occasionally Cheri had disappeared, as well, making Tsuna wonder if the two were off sparring to pass the time. Bianchi kept Haru and Sangia company when she wasn't sitting in on Reborn's conference or lectures. As for Gokudera and Yamamoto, they spent much of the time shipping the large amount of baby items back to Headquarters to be stored away until closer to Haru's due date.

But over all, everyone enjoyed the trip and felt refreshed upon their return. Everyone but Tsuna himself. He knew what was waiting on him when they returned home. He would have to face Violet, knowing that he wouldn't be allowed to have retribution for the pain she'd caused him. The Ninth had called and told him the matter was resolved. No ands, ifs, or buts allowed. Her Family had dealt with the matter and Vongola was hands-off now.

The Ninth pulled him into his office the moment they got back. Unfortunately, Tsuna hardly permitted to speak the whole time. The Ninth knew what he wanted to say and wouldn't allow him to actually voice it. Instead, he was forced to stand while he received his new orders.

"I think you've seen enough from a hitman's point-of-view, Tsunayoshi. It's time for you to see it from a boss' now," the Ninth said. Tsuna opened his mouth to object, having seen from a boss' point-of-view during the Momokyo-kai Affair, but the Ninth raised a warning finger to silence him. "Not only is it's a boss' duty to know all the facts before making a decision, it's our job to protect as many people as we can with our choices. I had wanted you to get to know the people you're protecting on a one-on-one basis where you could see what their resolutions and capabilities were, but after speaking with Xanxus, I don't believe that will work. You're too focused on protecting them from seeing the bloodshed that they don't need to be protected from." The Ninth sighed and leaned back in his chair. Tsuna merely stayed where he was standing since the Ninth had kept formalities up and not allowed him to sit.

"Starting tomorrow you'll be coming with me as my right hand. I had wanted to wait for this training, but I fear if I wait any longer, you'll completely loose your moderate view-point. You were so quick to jump on Violet's childish threat, it made me realize that maybe you've gotten a bit too used to the bloodshed. You still don't like hurting people, do you, Tsunayoshi?" Tsuna didn't answer, knowing the Ninth was asking a rhetorical question. Of course Tsuna didn't like hurting people, but he was willing to if it kept his Family from getting hurt. "Seeing things from a hitman's point-of-view has given you the ability to do anything. But now we need to temper that ability down so that you only use it when absolutely necessary. So that you become a fine blade that protects Vongola instead of one that destroys it out of rashness."

The Ninth leaned forward as he looked up at Tsuna, his eyes pleading for Tsuna to understand the importance of cool and calm decision-making compared to the fast and snap decisions that he had been making. The Ninth leaned back again after a moment, satisfied at the look Tsuna gave in return.

"Your new training will be more erratic since there won't be issues to deal with every day. I want you to carry this," the Ninth said, handing him a small, black cell phone, "at all times. If I call, I'll expect you to drop whatever you're doing and follow orders. I also want you to resign your position down in Mafia Row. You're going to become more well-known as time passes by my side, so it's better to break ties now." The Ninth fell silent, having come to the end of his orders.

"Anything else, Ninth?" Tsuna asked. Tsuna's head was a bit crammed full with everything the Ninth had said. He'd expected something a lot different when he'd been called into the man's office. Instead of being warned once again to leave Violet alone, he found his whole life being summarily rearranged.

"You may go," the Ninth said, waving him away. Tsuna left without argument, his head still spinning.

Everything was going to change.


	54. Chapter 54 Next Phase

Tsuna sat in homeroom, pointedly ignoring the simpering looks Violet kept throwing at him. It was obvious she hadn't learned anything. Her Family had probably slapped her on the wrist and told her not to do it again. The very thought made Tsuna want to wring the woman's neck. Getting him arrested and faking the death of one of his Family members wasn't something a normal person did to show their affection, yet she acted like it was nothing.

He knew what he wanted to tell the damn woman, but he gritted his teeth around the words. The Ninth had forbidden retaliation to keep the peace. Tsuna wouldn't be the one to break that peace. Like the Ninth had told him, he needed to start thinking about his actions more. Then she proved her stupidity and infatuation by ignoring the angry aura around him and walking up to him the moment homeroom was over.

"Tsu-kun," Violet said with a simpering smile, "I'm so sorry about what happened before, I hope you'll forgive me." Tsuna looked at her like she was completely insane, bracing himself against the back of his chair. Did the woman just not understand?

"Don't ever call me that," Tsuna growled before walking away. He continued to grit his teeth over the words he really wanted to say. Gokudera and Yamamoto both looked just at shocked by the woman's stupidity before following him out. She didn't give up. She followed him out in the hall, apparently having given up on being passive in her attempts to reconcile with him.

"Tsuna," she called, her cronies flocking to her side, "I hope that you'll still consider my proposal."

Tsuna stopped, the material of his gloves creaking as he clenched them tightly. He could feel his teeth nearly cracking while he continued to hold back the words he wanted to scream in the woman's face until she got the damn picture. Thankfully, Yamamoto and Gokudera weren't under any restrictions like he was.

"He's Vongola the Tenth to you," Gokudera yelled. "Considering what you tried to pull, you're lucky the Tenth doesn't rip off your pampered-ass face for trying to act like you're Family."

"He's already engaged, Violet," Yamamoto growled simultaneously, "and nothing you can do will change that. Go find yourself someone else to harass." Tsuna looked at her with all the rage he was holding back, reinforcing their words with all the silent power he could muster. Violet and her cronies were frozen under that stare. So was everyone else within range.

"Ha-hi?"

Tsuna looked over his shoulder. Haru had stopped mid-route to her next class, having taken her usual path that intersected with Tsuna's. Tsuna pulled back his anger and power, not wanting to scare her. He knew that she hadn't ever seen him fight or display his persona as Vongola the Tenth. And he never wanted her to see that if he could help it.

"Come on, Haru. I'll walk you to class," he offered, ignoring the frozen students in the area of the hall they'd just been speaking with Violet in. As he started to walk forward and throw an arm around Haru's shoulder, Violet seemed to wake up.

"That's the woman that seduced you from me!" She cried, pointing an accusing finger at Haru.

Tsuna stopped, his limits breached. He dropped his arm from Haru and turned, intending to unleash all the hell he'd been keeping himself from voicing. He managed three steps before Yamamoto and Gokudera both jumped in front of him, trying to save him from himself. He started to push past them with flames in his eyes, but they wouldn't yield. He stood leashed between them, their arms being the only thing saving Violet. From the other direction, another woman pushed through the crowded hall. The sound of Violet being smacked to the ground made everyone stop and stare; Yamamoto, Gokudera, and Tsuna included.

"S-sis...?" Violet looked up at her twin sister Irene who had been the one to strike in Tsuna's place.

"Don't you know what you're doing? Papa's gonna be angry if you keep this up," Irene said with her fists on her hips. Tsuna couldn't help but goggle, comparing in his mind the rough, gold-digging woman he'd met his first day at Don Girarde and the smooth, serious one that stood over Violet. Her accent had been totally trained away and her arrogant attitude had calmed into one of self-awareness. Not only that, but her face wasn't that of a pampered high-bred lady any more. Instead, she had a look of someone who'd found something worth fighting for.

"B-but Irene!" Violet whined. "He was supposed to be mine!"

"Your proposal was refused, Violet," Irene said firmly. "Get over it. Right now you make me ashamed we're Family." She looked at Violet in disgust before turning to the watching Vongolas. "Forgive my sister," she said with an apologetic bow. "Papa spoiled her a bit too much before bringing her here. I don't know how she managed to ignore all our lessons, but I'll see what I can do to get it through her head to leave you alone, Vongola the Tenth."

Tsuna nodded numbly, his anger forgotten by the surprise of the scene. Yamamoto and Gokudera finally let him go, having also forgotten that they were holding him back. In unison, they turned and resumed their walk to class as if Violet didn't exist. The woman's self-possessed sobs behind them were ignored by everyone but her cronies.

"Well, what do you know," Gokudera muttered when they were out of range. "Seems like stupidity isn't hereditary, Tenth." Tsuna found himself chuckling. He didn't know what 'lessons' that Irene had taken to heart that Violet hadn't, but he was grateful for them. It had turned Irene into someone that seemed worth keeping alliance with.

It was good to know his efforts to restrain himself weren't completely wasted.

* * *

Tsuna looked around with everyone else in the class. Who had brought a cell phone to school? While they weren't banned, it was generally considered polite to turn them off during class. He cursed when he realized it was coming from him. Tsuna turned red while he fumbled for it out of his back pocket, his teacher staring at him sternly. Tsuna had forgotten he even had it on him. He'd been carrying it for three days without it ever ringing. He was so flustered by the call that he nearly dropped the phone in the middle of flipping it open, bringing amused glances from his interrupted class.

"Hello, Sawada here," he said, trying to cover his red face with his free hand.

"OI!" Xanxus yelled across the line, "The old man wants you, fucking brat! I'm outside, get your ass down here!" Tsuna turned red again, Xanxus' voice had been loud enough for the whole class to hear.

"Y-yes," Tsuna replied. His face flushed again when everyone in the room started laughing. He fumbled the phone shut and grabbed his bag with an apologetic look at his teacher. The man rolled his eyes and waved for him to just go. Gokudera started to rise to follow, but Tsuna pushed him back down in his chair.

"Sorry, Gokudera. You can't come on this. I'll be counting on you to take notes for me though," he told his friend, hoping to distract him with a task. He hadn't explained his new training to them since he didn't really know what to expect either. All they knew was that Tsuna didn't have to go on Gauntlet runs anymore.

"Leave it to me, Tenth," Gokudera said, thoroughly distracted. Tsuna sighed and with a wink to Yamamoto, scrambled to leave.

Xanxus was his normal, temperamental self when Tsuna entered the waiting vehicle. He threw a tie and jacket at Tsuna for him to put over his school uniform's white button-down shirt and slacks. Tsuna did silently, waiting for Xanxus' usual brief. It wasn't long in coming, although it was quite different than the normal fare.

"The old man is heading over to inspect an armament shipment for resupplying Headquarters. He's also going to be negotiating for shipments to several of our trash facilities in other countries. You just keep your fucking mouth shut and pretend you're not there."

"Armaments?" Tsuna asked, putting the finishing touches on his tie.

"What, you thought bullets supplied themselves?" Xanxus laughed at Tsuna's naivety. "The fucking old man won't let us make our own, so we buy them off of outside scum."

"Don't those people sell to terrorists and people trying to start wars?" Tsuna asked, feeling misgivings about dealing with such people. Xanxus looked at him for a moment before bursting out laughing again.

"Shit, kid. And here I thought you were all hard-core after a year with me," he mocked, trying to control his laughter before explaining seriously. "The trash sells to whoever buys. They don't care about your fucking reasons; they only care about whether or not your cash is any good. Since we have plenty of shitty cash; the scum has plenty of fucking bullets. Plain and simple." He laughed again at Tsuna's appalled face.

"You're all fucked up in the head worrying about whether or not the trash are suppliers for wars," Xanxus continued, obviously amused. "Did you forget that you're in the fucking mafia? For all you know, the war you're worried about is one aimed at your shitty head. Get a grip, kid. Just follow the old man around and stay quiet. If you interfere with receiving the shipment, you're disarming half of your own damn Family. I could just imagine how well that would go over if rival scum found out we were low on supplies."

Tsuna blanched, knowing exactly what would happen. They'd instantly see Vongola as weak and try to rid themselves of their rivals. And without weapons and ammunition, Vongola would be sitting ducks. The car started to slow and Tsuna looked out to see normal-seeming warehouses. He caught sight of the Ninth with Iemitsu and several important-looking people Tsuna didn't recognize, probably the rest of the Ninth's upper echelon and the dealers.

"Poker face, kid," Xanxus warned when the car pulled to a stop. With a sigh, Tsuna put his mask in place. Whether he liked it or not, this was required for the Family.

It always was.

* * *

"Can you repeat that?" Gokudera told his sister. What he had thought would be a normal day had turned upside down. First the Tenth had left him behind in the middle of the day. He'd made sure to take detailed and precise notes, making sure to even cover the teacher's mannerisms and body language for good measure. Then, after school, his car hadn't shown up to take him on a job like normal. When he got back to Headquarters, he found his sister waiting for him in his room. How she'd managed to get past security was a mystery, until she explained what they'd be doing.

"We're going to be gathering subordinates, Hayato," she said in boredom. She played with the ends of her hair while she continued, "Tsuna is going to have a lot to do once the Ninth resigns. You alone wouldn't be capable of doing everything he'll hand out and still stay at Tsuna's side. Tsuna's protection is your priority." She gave him a look to ensure he knew that. He returned the look with a glare. Of course he already knew that. "So, when Tsuna asks you to do something, what are you going to do?"

"Do it, of course!" Gokudera exclaimed. "I'll do anything the Tenth asks of me!"

Bianchi rolled her eyes at his zeal. "And who's protecting him while you're out working?"

"T-That is..." he trailed off, realizing the conflict of interests.

"So, we're going to be gathering your subordinates so that you can hand off lesser tasks to others. Don't worry, Hayato, you'll just be meeting the replacement ones for those already in place for the Ninth." Bianchi stood to lead the way, but Gokudera stayed seated.

"I still don't like it," Gokudera said stubbornly. "If the Tenth asks me to do something, I should be the one to do it. I can't just hand it off to someone else that I just met."

"Quit being such a baby. The Ninth is setting up squads for Yamamoto and Ryohei, too, although theirs won't be as extensive. After you meet them, you're going to be working with them as a squad-leader for a while," Bianchi said with a small smile. "Not only do you have to learn to lead them and trust them, but you've got to pay your dues to earn their respect in turn." She sighed at the look Gokudera gave her. He still didn't like it.

"It's a two-way street, Hayato. If you don't step down it, neither will they. Start off trying a few jobs with them and see how it goes. If you still don't like it, you can go back to being a one-man show. Just don't come crying to me when Tsuna's dead because you couldn't be in two places at once." Gokudera blanched. He could never let that happen. Ever!

"Fine!" He burst out. Grabbing his jacket, he let Bianchi lead him. He was only going to do this for the Tenth's sake. Gokudera didn't expect it to go well, though. Only because the Tenth was such a wonderful individual did he even have a Family. Now he's supposed to lead his own team? No one but the Tenth and the Tenth's Family had ever given him respect or acknowledgment. Yet he was supposed to make people respect him and follow his lead? He didn't give his new 'subordinates' more than a day before they walked out on him.

As the elevator began sinking into the depths of the headquarter's underground facilities, Bianchi leaned against the handrail and began to truly brief him. "Tomorrow you'll be working as a unit with your subordinates to complete some larger jobs. Each of them are those that are hand-picked replacements from the previous generation. Every one of them is highly skilled and qualified. Each has at least five subordinates of their own on call if needed, although I think one or two has around twenty. Once the last generation retires, each of them will get larger squads. Chain of command, yadda, yadda... You can choose code-names for them after you meet with them."

"How many will _I_ have to deal with?" Gokudera dreaded meeting that many people, let alone trying to trust that many. Forget about them trusting him, he never expected that in a million years.

"Only nine," she said, growing bored again. "They'll deal with their own subordinates' names once you've set the theme. It's up to them to order around their own people, as well."

"Che, well lets get this over with," he mumbled as the elevator slid to a stop and the doors opened. Stepping out, he looked around. They were in some kind of conference hall. There was a seat at the head table with four chairs down each side and two final chairs on the end. Looking at the count, Gokudera knew that his sister must have set this up for him. He started to sit on the end with two chairs, but she shook her head and pointed to the empty one at the head of the table. He raised his eyebrow in question.

"For now, I'll simply be supervising, but in the future I'll be willing to help my little brother out on occasion." She smiled as his jaw dropped. Before he could really think of a reply, his new subordinates started entering. His dread increased for every one. Definitely something his sister had cooked up.

All nine of his new subordinates were female. He started to grit his teeth and glare at his sister, but she stopped him with a look. It was a look that said not to underestimate them. He sighed at that look and sat down once everyone was in place. They all stared at each other for a few silent minutes, getting their first impressions of each other. From the way they were looking at each other as well as him, this was the first time any of them had met.

"Well, I'll start off," Bianchi said for him, breaking the silence. "I'm Bianchi. My specialty is poison-cooking. I'm sister to the Tenth's right-hand and currently assigned as the Ninth's liaison to him. I'll be the only one here not codenamed since I'm already known as the Poison Scorpion." Bianchi sat back in her chair and turned to the girl next to her as a silent prompt.

"My name...you don't need it," the girl said, tossing her long blond hair out of her eyes. She had a blunt and straightforward demeanor when she started talking. "Infiltration. I scout. My team scouts. We're good at scouting. We get in. We get information. We get out. I'm always the first in. Others go in first, they tend to go boom. I won't go boom. Like I said, I'm a good scout. Fast, quiet, good at sneaking--" She opened her mouth to continue, but Gokudera cut her off.

"We'll call you Staccato," he said, naming her instantly. The woman shut her mouth, blushing. Gokudera wanted to roll his eyes. She could live with it. Music was something he knew and this girl screamed Staccato. He turned to the next one, a dark-haired girl this time. She seemed a bit cocky, but that was only due to her confidence in her own abilities.

"My friends call me Harrow. I'm a top rate sniper. I've got six brothers who all work surveillance under me. We're not the ones that go in to get it like Staccato," she smiled mockingly over at the blushing blond. "We do short-term distance surveillance for when you can't get close under normal methods. A lot safer for my guys and a lot easier for you than actually going inside. Once I'm on site, I can snipe a target through six feet of concrete as fast as you can say bullseye."

"Six feet of concrete?" Gokudera asked in awe. That must be a pretty powerful round to go through a wall and still have enough power to hit it's target. She gave him a proud yet cocky smile, answering his question silently. Yes, six feet of concrete. "We'll call you Fermata then," he said, naming her using another piece of musical terminology. It was better than simply using colors or something else incredibly basic. She nodded in acceptance at the name he chose.

For the next hour he got the basics on each of the girls, naming them one by one. Other than Staccato and Fermata, he ended up with Marcata, Tremolo, Legato, Caesura, Cadenza, Fortissimo, and Omaggio. Each girl had her own specialty and her own personality and he did his best in picking a fitting codename.

For example, Omaggio was fervent in her love and devotion to Vongola which ran nearly as deep as Gokudera's. Her and her team were willing to do anything Vongola asked of them. They specialized in defense and fortification of Vongola bases with a side specialty in offensively breaking sieges when the enemy might retreat onto their home ground.

Cadenza preferred working solo, much like Gokudera. She did it for a different reason. Her specialty was computer hacking and defense. She had a team, but they, too, worked as individuals. Other than that, he didn't get much more information about her. She was a bit of the quiet type.

Fortissimo was a bit loud and insane. She preferred heavy artillery and things that could shoot two-hundred bullets in a span of one minute. He'd had to stop her mid-explanation about the wonders of missile launchers.

Then there was Caesura who specialized in spying. She liked to go under-cover for long periods of undetermined time until she was called into action. Her underlings all specialized in background information, camouflage, and retrieval.

Marcata was a bit simplistic and attention-seeking. She liked front-line action where she was the one calling the shots for her team. She was one of the people that Bianchi had mentioned with twenty underlings. If there was a frontal charge into a building, she wanted to be there for the action. Her and Fortissimo were a lot alike in personality.

Next there had been Tremolo who had been difficult to name. She was actually a pilot and she had a total of three fully-manned helicopters in her private squad. The helicopters themselves were what he used in thinking of her codename.

Legato had been the last one he named. She and her team were all well-balanced from what she told him. They were used to running in formation together and knew how to pick up the slack if someone got hurt. She, too, was one of the ones Bianchi mentioned with a twenty-man team. She was a bit calmer than Marcata, more like an army commander than a thrill-seeking adventurer. Both had assault teams, but differed in how they used them. Marcata would be good if it was a 'no prisoners' type of situation, while Legato would be useful if there were hostages or kidnap targets.

By the end of the hour, he was a bit surprised at the subordinates his sister had ready for him. They were all as highly skilled and confident in their abilities as Bianchi had told him. Overall, he came to the conclusion that the ten women and their respective teams would be able to handle nearly any task the Tenth might have, leaving him with the ability to stay at his side and protect him personally.

"Well, if that's everyone," Gokudera said as he stood. He tried to seem confident while he continued with the instructions Bianchi had given him. "Our first assignment will be tomorrow afternoon. I don't know how many of you will be useful for it, but we'll figure it out as we go. Until then, you're free to do whatever."

"What about you?" Fortissimo asked. "We still haven't heard your introduction. If I'm going to have to be taking your orders, I at least want to know who the hell you are."

"I'm Gokudera Hayato," he said in surprise.

"That don't tell me shit," she replied crudely. The other girls watched silently, curious as to how he would react. He wanted to groan. He knew it would come to this. Yet, Bianchi's words still resounded in his head. He would have to get these people to respect him so that he could use them. If he couldn't use them, he'd be unable to stay at the Tenth's side in the future. Gokudera narrowed his eyes in determination.

"I'm the Tenth's right-hand man," he said seriously. "I'm also the Tenth's Guardian of the Storm. People call me the Smoking Bomb because of my specialty in dynamite and explosives. I also have a sub-specialty in gases thanks to my sister's training." He gave a respectful nod down at Bianchi, pointing her out in case any of them had forgotten. "You'll have plenty of time to see me in action later, for now that should be enough."

Fortissimo laughed mockingly. "Gases? What fucking good is that? You need to get yourself a mini-gun if you want a useful sub-specialty."

Gokudera narrowed his eyes. The woman was taunting him on purpose. She was trying to undermine him before he could even prove himself. Whether it was because she didn't like him or because she was testing him, he didn't know. But he wasn't going to back down. The Tenth needed him to be able to do multiple tasks and still be at his side to protect him. For him to do that, he needed these women and their teams.

Gokudera sighed, tossing a lit, gas-filled bomb at the woman before she even noticed. She gasped in surprise when it exploded, her reaction causing her to automatically breathe in the sleeping gas that surrounded her within a few seconds. One by one, the women around her started falling unconscious, as well. None of them had expected his reaction to the woman's challenge. He'd carefully chosen to use a bomb with a light dose, though, intending to prove his point when the room full of girls woke.

He had about ten seconds of free movement before they started stirring again. Fortissimo tried to yell when she woke, but he held arms behind her back so that she couldn't remove the unlit stick of dynamite he had lodged in her mouth. The rest of the women looked at him in shock when they woke to find Fortissimo restrained and in such a hazardous position.

"This is why gases are good," he told them simply once he knew they were all coherent again. "If she was the enemy, she'd be dead before she woke." He let go of her and took the stick of dynamite out of her mouth. She looked up at him speechless when he handed it to her firmly. "Keep that so you don't forget it."

With that, he left the room, intending to go back up into the main headquarters and see if the Tenth had returned yet. He ignored the surprised and considering looks the militant women gave him as he went. Along the way, Bianchi fell in beside him.

"I'm proud of you, Hayato," she said softly. "You took charge in there like a true leader."

"I'm not a leader," he grumbled. "The Tenth is a _real _leader and I only did it so that I could stay at his side. I'd rather pass along the Tenth's orders than pass along his protection to someone else."

"Spoken like a true right-hand," Bianchi replied.


	55. Chapter 55 Attack

"Public Relations?" Yamamoto asked, confused. Reborn nodded in confirmation. Their black car came to a stop and Yamamoto looked out in awe. They'd driven for nearly half an hour to where the center of business was located in the city near Headquarters. Reborn made no move to get out yet, intending to ensure Yamamoto knew his future role.

"The rain touches on everything in the open," he explained. "If the rain falls too hard, it can cause damage and expose the sky to those that are sheltered. If it falls too softly or not often enough, it creates a drought that can be just as harmful. It'll be your duty to find the happy medium that will let Tsuna flourish in the eyes of others without exposing his secrets."

Yamamoto continued to have a blank look on his face while Reborn spoke. When Reborn had told him he'd be meeting with a new team that he'd supervise, he hadn't expected something like this. With his sword skills and work as one of the Ninth's hitman for the past year, he'd expected something more on the lines of an assassination team or assault squad. He had never expected public relations to be a possible job. Reborn sighed at the look on Yamamoto's face.

"You'll be in charge of damage control for not only Tsuna, but for Gokudera and the rest of the Family. For example, it was this team that kept Tsuna's arrest from becoming front page news. The public might not know Vongola is a mafia Family, but they do know of Vongola's many public fronts. It'll be your job to make sure they don't see past those fronts and take care of any possibly harmful gossip or news."

"So, I'll be the go-between for Tsuna and the newspaper?" Yamamoto asked, his face clearing a bit. Reborn nodded.

"Not only that, you'll have contacts with television, radio, and other sources. There's another side that you'll be doing as well and that's plain Information Gathering."

"I don't do torture," Yamamoto said with a glare on his face. His eyes were hard, thinking back to the one he'd had to witness. Reborn had accepted his resolution at that time and continued to allow him to oversee clean executions, punishments, and warnings only. Now that he knew what his role was going to be for Tsuna, he understood why the hitman had been so understanding.

"I know that, Yamamoto. The information gathering you'll be doing is the type you prefer. You'll be getting information through outside informants such as the media and also through our network of spies."

"Spies?" Yamamoto asked, his glare disappearing in surprise.

"Gokudera will have access to spies that can be moved at need. You'll be accessing information from the network that's set in place for long-term use. Cops, lawyers, businessmen, and every other type of person you can think of; Vongola's network is extensive. Most of the people are in place for the what-if type of situation. They'll stay undercover and live their life in that place even if you never call on them. If you do need them, they'll have instant access to any resources you or Tsuna might need."

"I-I see," Yamamoto replied in awe. Vongola had it's hands in everything, even more so than he'd previously imagined.

"Through your subordinates, you'll be able to spread misinformation as well. After meeting everyone, it's part of your new training to learn when and where to let the rain fall and how hard. Come on," Reborn said, his briefing complete. "Your new team isn't one that you can meet all at once. We'll have to meet them one at a time starting with the editor of the newspaper."

"If you say so, little guy," Yamamoto agreed, stepping outside the car with him. As an ace baseball player, he'd had a little contact with the media, but he doubted it was anything like the scale he was going to have to learn to deal with. This was the Major Leagues instead of the sandlot. For Tsuna's sake, he had to pick the right strategy of play. In the future, whether to bunt or swing would be determined by him after hearing Tsuna's needs.

"The team needs me to hit a home run," Yamamoto quipped, falling back on his baseball jock facade for dealing with non-combatants. His days of killing were over and he'd proven his resolution to himself. He knew what his limits were now and he knew how far he was willing to go for his Family. He wouldn't balk at the pitch, especially when the pitcher is aiming for Tsuna's head. Even if the pitcher was throwing words instead of knives.

"I'll knock it out of the park," the swordsman finished with determination, following Reborn inside the tall building.

* * *

Tsuna sighed when once again his phone began vibrating in his back pocket in the middle of class. Without waiting on the teacher's permission, he stepped out in the hall to answer it. The teacher was used to mid-lecture interruptions, Tsuna not being the first to be on-call regardless of his current whereabouts. The sight of someone suddenly walking out of class happened at least three times a week and was a normal occurrence that Tsuna hadn't really thought about before. He'd just thought they went on extraordinarily long bathroom breaks when they didn't show up before class was over.

Now he was living the truth. Being constantly on-call whenever the boss-man needed him. Having to drop whatever he was doing when the call came. It was irritating at times, but at least he wasn't being called for a hitman's job. By watching in the Ninth's shadow, he was slowly grasping how the Ninth managed to keep Vongola running smoothly and protect them in the boss' seat.

Other than the armament shipment, Tsuna had been at the Ninth's side for a multitude of different occasions. Twice while negotiating contracts with foreign governments via video conferencing. Three times he had stood by while the Ninth dealt with rival Family bosses. Once, he even had to sit and watch over while the Ninth played third-party judge between an incident involving two Allied Families. Plus there were sporadic face-to-face meetings with business councils, overseas negotiators, and other people of seeming importance.

Each time, after dealing with the matter with Tsuna in silent attendance, the Ninth would go over it again with his heir in private. First, seeing what Tsuna thought of the decision and actions. Second, filling him in on the knowledge that had led to his decision. Then, finally, seeing what Tsuna's reaction was and whether or not he'd have dealt with it differently. In most cases, even if Tsuna had disagreed with the judgment or action at first, after hearing the Ninth's train of thought he typically found himself rethinking his previous objections. The Ninth always had all the facts. He didn't make choices or actions rashly. Everything had a reason, even during the rare times he showed anger.

Each time Tsuna was proven incorrect in his perceived judgment, he became sullen. He couldn't help it. Even if it was only hypothetical, his choices tended to be the wrong ones since he didn't know as much as the Ninth did. The Ninth always tried to cheer him up, pointing out that this was the reason he was still training, but it didn't help. Just like he'd thought when he first left Namimori, he wasn't up to being a boss. He was going to make a mess of things unless he learned more.

On the days that the Ninth didn't call him, Tsuna would find himself neck-deep in paperwork in the Ninth's office after school. Not only did he help look over business contracts and accounting ledgers for the Family's public fronts, but he looked over hundreds of other reports. Spy reports from those undercover, facility reports for international branches, wellness reports of the Family as a whole and on an individual's level, etc. Hundreds upon hundreds of just plain reports. He even had to read through six newspapers a day to ensure he kept up-to-date with local and world news. Not only to ensure that Vongola's public facilities were written about in a good way, but to ensure that the Family's secrets weren't even hinted at.

The Ninth always pointed out the obituaries and crime reports, which made him want to weep. Half the time, at least one or two could be blamed on an act that Vongola or an Allied Family had committed. After reading it, the Ninth would teach him how to really read it. What the articles said between the lines. It made Tsuna's head spin at how much information was there if he knew how to look for it.

The same went for the television news reports that the Ninth ordered him to watch before bed. In the morning, before his target practice, the Ninth would have him come into his office for a morning cup of tea. During this time, the Ninth would always ask what he'd seen during the news. After Tsuna finished telling him all he remembered, the Ninth would slowly inform him what the news really should have told him. The truth behind the truth. The lies behind the lies. Things he and his Vongola intuition should always look for and see.

Tsuna shook his head. Being a boss was more than just saying 'go here, kill him'. It was a hundred daily tasks and trials that Tsuna had to complete in order to protect his Family. It was a side that he hadn't ever really known about during his stint as a hitman. Yet, paying his dues as a hitman hadn't been for nothing. He understood that during the one incident that the Ninth had Tsuna watch. It had ended with the deaths of nearly thirty people in a building fire.

Once upon a time, Tsuna would have been horrified at the number and dismayed at their deaths. Now, he really knew what those deaths had been like. The screams of pain and the smell of the charred flesh was etched in his memory. He truly _felt _their deaths rather than having a mere bystander's empathy for them. A year of bloodshed and pain had made it so that even the faceless had faces now.

Instead of passionately saying, "That's so sad. So many people died in that fire," he now had the view that would make his heart clench and coldly say, "I was the one that turned their skin black and made their blood run cold. Even if I never got within a mile of them, every scream of their pain and moment of their death was because of me. One by one I killed them."

That was the difference truly knowing made.

It left him as hurt and worn as if he had did it single-handedly in person. He wasn't blind anymore nor was he innocent. Too much had happened and too much blood had been spilled by his hands for him to claim either. For him to even pretend that either blindness or innocence was a part of him was folly. He knew better now, yet he still had to move forward. He still had to continue to do what was needed for the Family, wearing a public mask of the two things he knew wasn't part of him in any way, shape, or form.

With a sigh, he answered his phone, flipping it open with a now-practiced gesture while he continued down the hall. "I'm on my way," he said instead of a greeting. There was a grunt of acknowledgment from the other side of the line before it cut off. He continued through the courtyard with determination in his step. He might not like it, but he was resolute. Tsuna would fulfill his role as Vongola the Tenth. He would protect everyone and keep them all safe. No matter the cost. It was a long and steep road he still had to travel, but he wouldn't give up until he reached the end.

Because Vongola required it.

* * *

Haru smiled continuously. She was extremely happy. Dr. Shamal had said the baby was perfectly fine and had given her an ultrasound picture. Although the child was still only a dozen weeks in it's development, Haru's imagination could supply a lot when she looked at the shapeless white blob on the black photo. The doctor had even promised that they could try the latest 3-dimensional ultrasound device when she got farther along.

But Haru wasn't happy only because of that. Even better, Tsuna seemed much calmer and at ease with his new training. He still had times he looked completely exhausted, but she no longer had to fear him coming home with blood on his shirt. Pink had been disappointed that she was loosing both of them when he started his new training, but had smiled when Haru secretly whispered the reason for her own resignation. Pink had smiled even brighter when she was told she'd be invited to their wedding; the whole club would be invited even.

A warm, fuzzy, excited feeling began building in Haru the more she thought about it. Tsuna had told her he wanted them to have the wedding before the baby was born so that it wouldn't have any stigma of bastard attached to it's birth. That meant that within a few months, she'd finally be a mafia boss' wife. The knowledge made her jump in joy every time she remembered it. The middle of a volleyball game wasn't a good time to jump for joy, however. She realized this when the ball bounced off her head and flew sideways while she fell.

"Ha-hi?!" She sat up, rubbing the spot it had hit her.

"Are you okay?" Violet asked in concern. Haru smiled up at the woman. Over the past few weeks, Violet had seemed to come around. She no longer tortured Haru and had even apologized for her actions. Violet had admitted her jealousy of Haru one day during Fitness class, the only class they had together since Violet's schedule otherwise followed Tsuna's. Haru knew what it was like to want someone and not be able to have him. She'd dealt with the same heartache in secret when Tsuna had been lovestruck with Kyoko.

"I'm fine," Haru answered, jumping to her feet. With a wave she started chasing after the errant ball. "I'll go get it," she called to the teams. It was only fair she go get it since it was her fault it had been knocked away. The rest of the girls waved acknowledgment before breaking up into small chattering groups while they waited.

Haru looked around. The ball was nowhere in sight. She started grumbling when it wasn't in the bushes or nearby grounds. It must have bounced and rolled farther than expected. She shrugged and extended her range. It had to be around here somewhere. She finally caught sight of it when she peeked down the alley between the gym and the school. Some strange guy in a school uniform was holding it. He must have stopped it from rolling, she assumed. She smiled brightly at him, fearlessly walking down the alley to take the ball back. He smiled in return, offering it to her silently.

"Thank you," she said gratefully. Who knows how far it would have went if the man hadn't stopped it. It had already bounced and rolled pretty far to get all the way behind the building and halfway down the alley. She began to turn to head back to the waiting volleyball match, but the man finally spoke, stopping her instantly.

"You're Haru Miura, right?" He asked quietly.

"Ha-hi?" Haru exclaimed. Haru began to feel creeped out by a strange guy knowing her name. Maybe they had a class together and she hadn't noticed?

"Do I know you?" She finally asked.

"Sorry," he said quietly. Haru looked at him for a second, wondering what he was apologizing for. Then she realized why when he advanced menacingly toward her. She began to back away, but he grabbed her and covered her mouth before she could scream. Darkness began to wash over her due to something on the white cloth he held over her mouth and nose.

She clawed at his hand with the one he didn't have pinned, trying to get it away. It was useless. He was too strong and she was defenseless. Her kicks back toward where he stood behind her landed on air and didn't seem to hurt him when they did manage to land. Her struggles against his arms merely made her breathe hard and pant into the cloth held over her face. Within a minute, she fell limp in his arms, unconscious and utterly defenseless against anything he might want to do.

* * *

Tsuna shook his head to clear it. Iemitsu looked at him in concern, but he ignored it in effort to concentrate on the conversation going on via video in the Ninth's office. He'd had a migraine for most of the past two hours since he'd left school early, but that wasn't a good enough reason to leave. The Ninth was in the middle of getting an update from the boss of the Havlock Family and Tsuna didn't want to miss it.

In effort to prove their alliance to Vongola, the Havlocks had taken over the funding and research of a Flare anti-agent. Tsuna had misgivings since it meant that they would have access to Flare, but the Ninth had pointed out that one must give trust if they expected it in return. The alliance would be pointless if they couldn't both manage to trust the other. So, the Ninth entrusted them with finding a way to counteract Flare in return for trust that Vongola wouldn't attack them for having it. It was a step toward building a true alliance instead of a fragile one in name only.

Tsuna still didn't like it. He couldn't explain in a way to get the Ninth to listen though. Every part of his being screamed that the Havlocks couldn't be trusted with Flare, but the Ninth ignored his complaints. Instead of listening to Tsuna's intuition, the Ninth assumed it was due to his personal dislike of the Havlock woman Violet.

Once again, Tsuna shook his head to clear it. It was so hard to concentrate with the pounding in his head. He tried to listen to the Havlock Boss' words, but they kept becoming jumbled and distant. Something about another few weeks. Testing in another few weeks? Completion in another few weeks? A few more weeks of research before development? Even as he tried to concentrate and focus on the man's words, the pounding in his head increased. It felt like his head was going to split open.

"Are you alright, Tsunayoshi?" The Ninth asked. Tsuna blinked, realizing that while he'd been trying to regain focus, the Ninth had cut off the video conference.

"I-I don't know," Tsuna replied. He clutched his head when another spasm hit. "My head feels like it's going to break open." He stumbled over to one of the chairs in front of the Ninth's desk, collapsing into it while his father and the Ninth hovered over him worriedly. The spasms became stronger, leaving him gasping and sweating. Thoughts and images began rushing through his head faster than he could make sense of it all. Then, as if something snapped into place, a vision floated into his perception.

_He was in a brightly lit lab facility. Around him he could see scientists working constantly in effort to reach their goal. One stopped and turned, seeing something out of the edges of his vision. He smiled brightly and walked over to the door where the woman of his dreams waited. Violet, the beautiful princess who occasionally let a pauper like him gaze upon her. He was overjoyed that she'd come to visit him again. There must be something she wanted him to do. She always had some small thing to ask of him. He didn't mind. He was giddy that she came to him for something. She could have anyone in the Family do things for her, but she had asked him! He, who was a lowly scientist, was asked for help by his flawless Queen._

Tsuna gasped as the image changed.

_The same man from the lab clutched his hands nervously around the small volleyball he'd just stolen. Violet had come to him again and asked him to help her. Some girl was harassing Violet's lover. It was up to him to stop the girl since Violet didn't want to make her sister mad. He didn't know why Violet's sister would be mad, but truly he didn't care. Violet had asked for him to do this and he would to make her happy. He'd come to terms with Violet having a lover later. For now, he'd fulfill her request the best he could. _

_He looked up from where he stood waiting behind the school. There she was. The girl that Violet wanted him to...to violate. He didn't know if he really could do it, but she had asked him. He began to panic when the girl began to turn and walk away with the ball in her hands. He stopped her with a question, determined that he would at least do the other thing Violet had asked of him. That was to make this girl go to sleep with the solution that Violet had given him. _

_He could see the panic in her eyes when he grabbed her. She began struggling against the cloth he held over her mouth. He wanted to curse as her feet landed against his shins multiple times. He wanted to cry. He was a scientist, not a guy that did things like this. But Violet had asked him to, so he would do it._

_Yes, that's right. He'd do it for Violet. He'd do anything for Violet. And Violet had wanted him to disgrace and violate this girl. He'd do it! All he had to do is pretend this girl was Violet and it wouldn't be so hard. He didn't have to be rough with her. He could be gentle, as long as he did it. He lowered the girl to the ground and began to reach for her shirt. He would do it._

"TSUNA!?" Iemitsu yelled frantically while he continued to try and shake his son out of his fit. Tsuna cut off mid-scream, realizing the vision was over. The screams in his head didn't stop, however. They continued even when he recognized the voice as the one he heard in his dreams. Panic set in. Haru, his beloved Haru was being hurt. He pushed his father away, rushing for the door. He had to get to Haru. He had to save Haru. Nothing else mattered.

* * *

Hibari growled to himself while he continued to patrol the school out of boredom. Sawada had left before they could spar, yet again. It was becoming a disappointing regular occurrence. Cheri had been an interesting diversion, but since their time together at Mafia Land she tended to get too excited during their spars. He smiled to himself for a moment. Blood-lust and sex made an interesting combination, yet he couldn't allow that kind of undisciplined attitude to continue. Discipline could be lax during a vacation, but it was another thing during school.

Until she learned that, he would continue to run the school's training course when Sawada was missing. Too bad the course was so short. It was disgusting how slowly the other students went through it. He'd been able to complete it in mere minutes. As if barb wire and quicksand were threats. He had found himself smiling when he had to cross through the cage of attack-dogs. They'd all bowed their heads and started whining.

Weak. Everyone here with few exceptions. They were all weak.

Hibird flitted on his shoulder, sensing his mood. He was displeased. He'd come to Italy to appease his desire for a strong opponent. Sawada couldn't be the only strong one. Cheri had come close, but even she was a poor second. Where were all the strong ones hiding? He silenced himself, realizing that his internal growls had become external. He wouldn't be undisciplined. He would control himself, no matter the extent of his displeasure.

Hibari smiled, coming across someone he could bite to death. Some guy had a girl pinned beneath him, fumbling to unbutton her shirt. Such undisciplined behaviour should be punished. Hibari's eyes narrowed while he advanced, recognizing the unconscious form of Miura. He began to advance faster. That wasn't Sawada on top of her. Sawada wouldn't be so indecent. Hibari held back a bit on the blow, focusing on merely getting the man to stop in his indecent actions without killing him. He'd question him later after he found out Miura's condition. She wasn't fighting or moving. Had the man killed her?

A second thud landed on the wall after the man fell to the ground. Hibari looked up, unsurprised to see the panicked and sweating form of Sawada. He was crouched on the wall above them where the gym towered over the rest of the school, completely ignoring gravity like only he could.

"Is she alright?" He gasped, falling down into the alley between the two. Without waiting for Hibari's answer, he knelt down and pulled her into his arms. "The screams aren't stopping," he muttered to himself. Hibari looked at him in curiousity while Sawada tried to wake Miura and failed. "Something's wrong," Sawada continued, his panic rising. "The screams aren't stopping. I'm here and the guy didn't hurt her but the screams aren't stopping!"

"Tsuna!"

"Tenth!"

Hibari looked down the alley behind him, recognizing the forms of Takeshi and Hayato. Silently letting them pass, he continued to wonder what Sawada was yelling about. No one was screaming.

A white cloth in the assailant's hands caught his attention while he listened to Takeshi ask what was going on. The two men had seen Sawada fly overhead and had chased him here in curiosity. Seeing Haru unconscious on the ground had sent them all into fits of worry and panic. Hibari ignored it all and silenced them with a single comment.

"He must have drugged her with something," he said lazily, handing Sawada the white cloth. Sawada snatched it with wide eyes. Hibari watched while he sniffed it experimentally. His eyes widened from panic to shock and he started trembling. Without another word, Sawada tossed Miura onto his back and flared his gloves. Dust and dirt flew into the air and everyone backed away from the intense heat that filled the alley. Within seconds, the two disappeared from sight.

"Let's take this guy into the gym," Gokudera muttered once the dust settled. He had gotten the general picture of what had happened. The man on the ground, bleeding from a small head wound, had hurt Haru. The knowledge made him want to tear the man to pieces, but he knew the Tenth would want to question him when he returned.

Yamamoto nodded and helped Gokudera carry him out of the alley and into the gym. Hibari smiled a bit to himself before following along. Maybe today wouldn't be as boring as he thought. He'd only gotten to see the carnivore side of Sawada once. Maybe he'd be lucky enough to see it again.


	56. Chapter 56 Wrath

Within thirty seconds, Tsuna crossed the miles of distance between the school and Headquarters. He knew he was recklessly expending his energy, but he didn't care. The screams in his mind didn't allow him to stop. He had to get Haru to Dr. Shamal. One sniff of the white cloth had told him what was mixed with the sleeping agent there. The familiar ache in his body that the one sniff had caused was enough.

Flare.

He recognized now where he'd been in his vision. It was the Havlock's anti-agent Flare lab. The man was probably covered in the stuff, having worked with it on a constant basis in order to find a way to neutralize it. Either that, or Violet had purposely put some in with the sleeping drug. Either way, the screams in his head weren't for Haru's sake. The strong flame growing inside her was crying out in pain.

He didn't bother to open the doors when he finally got to Headquarters. He burst through them. He didn't bother to wait for the elevator. He melted through it. All in effort to get Haru into Dr. Shamal's care faster, he recklessly used the boost in his gloves to send him through Headquarters in a flash of heat and wind. Dr. Shamal looked at him in surprise when he stopped in a whirlwind of loose papers and heat in the middle of the medical bay.

"What--?" He began to say.

"Haru was drugged. The baby is hurting. There was Flare in whatever they made her breathe in," Tsuna said in a rush. He carefully helped Shamal get Haru off his back and onto a bed. Nurses came flying in with a single push of an emergency button in the room. They tried to push him out of the room, but he refused. His child was still screaming in his head. He couldn't leave.

The arrival of Iemitsu forced him away from Haru. He was dragged unwillingly into an unoccupied corner of the room while he watched them work in increasing panic. The sound of the baby's heartbeat made Tsuna want to drop to his knees when they hooked up monitors to Haru's stomach. It was as panicked and erratic as his own. They began setting up IVs and infusions of pain medications and other drugs to calm the child in Haru, all without any seeming effect.

Then everything stopped.

The sound of the baby's heart became a whine of alarms and wails from the equipment surrounding Haru's bed. The doctors continued to work while Iemitsu decided to pull Tsuna into the hall. Tsuna began weeping into his father's arms at the silence in his head. The quiet, unnatural silence where screams had been moments before. He began weeping harder when a half hour later Dr. Shamal exited the room and shook his head, confirming what Tsuna already knew. What a half-hour of mental silence told him.

"What happened?" Iemitsu asked in shock, looking into his son's red, tear-streaked eyes.

It was the wrong question to ask.

Tsuna's second vision encompassed his mind, blowing away all else. That man had hurt Haru. That man had used Flare on Haru. That man had used Flare on his son. That man had kill his son!

Tsuna's mind focused on only one thing, closing out everything else. It was almost as if Reborn had hit him with a normal Dying Will Bullet again. He felt the Dying Will Flame sprout on his head while he stood. He had but one goal and nothing was going to stop him. Not his Family. Not his friends. The normal external limiters that kept him from acting disappeared in a flash. He didn't care what people would think of him. He didn't care if he was caught. He didn't care if it was disobeying orders. He didn't care about any of the consequences.

He would complete his Dying Will no matter the cost.

Tsuna brutally knocked his father and Dr. Shamal out cold when they tried to stop him. They had both seen the look in Tsuna's eyes and felt the killing intent coming off of him. The Dying Will Flame had clenched it. They had tried to stop Tsuna from doing anything rash, but Tsuna was beyond control. He would not be stopped.

"I will kill him with my Dying Will," Tsuna said softly to the unconscious men at his feet. Silently, he used the boost in his gloves to set off before anyone else could decide to get in his way.

He would _not _be stopped.

* * *

Gokudera played with his lighter while Yamamoto continued to try and question the silent man. They couldn't resort to torture yet without at least Tsuna's agreement. He almost wished the man would have stayed unconscious. At least then, he wouldn't have to hear Yamamoto's coaxing. He flipped his lighter open and shut, trying to ignore the swordsman's attempts at pulling information out. Yamamoto became silent for a moment and Gokudera looked over to see why the sudden change. Violet and her cronies had appeared. Great, just what they needed right now, Gokudera thought to himself..

"That's a Havlock. What are you doing to him?" She asked innocently.

"We're holding him for questioning," the silver-haired man spat at the woman. Yamamoto pushed her away gently when she reached down to untie his bindings. She gasped artificially in response. The sound made Gokudera want to grit his teeth. She might have fooled some of the Family into thinking she'd turned around, but he wasn't buying it.

"He tried to hurt Haru," Yamamoto explained quietly, pulling her to the side so their captive couldn't hear, "We're just holding him until Tsuna returns. He'll probably be let go with a warning since he was stopped before Haru was hurt. He might loose a finger in punishment if Tsuna is really mad, but otherwise he'll be fine." Gokudera wanted to gag. Yamamoto had fallen for the woman's continued pleas for forgiveness and admittance of jealousy. As if knowing she had a problem fixed it. He still didn't trust her. Then again, he still hardly trusted his own team; Fortissimo especially.

Hibari watched it all from where he sat. He looked like he wanted to bite the crowd of girls to death, but didn't. Now that Gokudera thought about it, Hibari had never harmed a non-combatant woman before. Even fighting-maniacs had morals, he guessed. Although, a sudden upturned corner of Hibari's lip sent chills down Gokudera's spine. Gokudera looked over at the reason and immediately jumped to his feet.

"Ten...th..." he trailed off, seeing the rage and cold killing intent coming off of his boss.

Tsuna didn't notice his right-hand's reaction while he continued to run forward across the gym. He had but one goal: kill the man tied up in front of him. Yamamoto ran forward, worried by the look in Tsuna's eyes. His worry became shock and surprise when Tsuna flung him across the gym mercilessly. Tsuna continued to advance and the bound man cringed back in fear.

His fear was warranted. Tsuna grabbed him by the throat and began hitting him across the face. Once, twice. The man fell onto his back from the blows and Tsuna jumped on top of him as he continued to pound his fists into the man's face. He poured his rage and anger into ever strike. This man had hurt his Family. This man had killed his son! This man had tortured his son to death!

Tsuna could feel flames start to emit uncontrolled out of his gloves. He didn't care. He poured his rage and pain into those flames, compressing them with his emotions. Much like he'd compressed the zero-point ice of Haru's ring with emotions of love and caring, he compressed the live flames with his hate and fury. He could feel the flames around his hands harden with the intensity of the emotions he fed into them. They began to feed back in on themselves, wanting to be released. Tsuna wouldn't let it be released yet. Not yet. Not until he'd poured all his fury into the face of the man beneath him. He continued to strike with his fists, the globe of compressed flame making each strike weigh an exponential amount. The man's face began to burn with each blow and his body began convulsing in rhythm with the strikes.

Gokudera watched in shock as first the man's nose was broken. Then his jaw. Then his cheekbone. Blood began to spray with every strike his boss sent down mercilessly. He looked over at Yamamoto who seemed just as surprised. What had happened to Haru to set him off like this? They all ignored the screams coming from the watching girls. Those screams brought people running though. Teachers and students that hadn't yet left the school grounds all came to investigate. They were all stopped by fear at the doors due to the mayhem and carnage Tsuna was unleashing within.

Gokudera couldn't move to save his life. He couldn't move to save the prisoner's life. Neither could Yamamoto. Even Hibari was in awe of the rage-filled screams Tsuna let out as the man's skull was crushed into a bloody pulp. There had been no questions. No hesitation. Nothing. Nothing but Tsuna's mindless attack on the captive. They all watched silently while he beat the man's corpse with flame-encased fists. Tsuna didn't seem to notice the man was already dead. He continued to pound the man's brains into the gym floor until there was nothing left but a black stain of burnt blood. Even after that, he kept pounding his fists senselessly into the stain, cracking the floor with every strike.

Everyone was snapped out of their shocked watchfulness when someone finally went forward to pull Tsuna off the man's corpse. Gokudera and Yamamoto ran forward to help while Xanxus slid his arms under Tsuna's and locked his hands together behind Tsuna's head. Tsuna bucked and tried to get free, blood flinging off his blood-soaked shirt in his efforts to return to his mindless rampage. Xanxus had to dodge when Tsuna tried to reach behind him in an attempt to hit Xanxus with the burning globes of flame around his hands.

Xanxus was surprised. They weren't his own Flames of Wrath, but the kid had managed to create something close to it. When the old man had called him and told him to find the brat, he hadn't expected this. Never in a million years would he have imagined the kid could have enough anger in him to do something like this. Even when they'd taken down that first Gola Mosca lab or had dealt with the Gola Mosca information thieves afterward, the kid had been mad, but never to this extent. Never.

"Tsuna, stop!" Yamamoto yelled, trying to hold down Tsuna's kicking feet. Tsuna continued to buck in effort to get loose so that he could return to unleashing his fury.

"He's dead, Tenth," Gokudera yelled, grabbing Tsuna's wrists after Xanxus had barely managed to avoid another blow directed aimlessly. Tsuna stopped fighting, having heard the keywords. He sagged, Xanxus' arms being the only thing that held him up. His flame started to falter and the globes around his hands disappeared, making everyone breathe a sigh of relief.

"You didn't have to kill him!" Violet cried, walking forward. Gokudera wanted to curse. The woman had to be either crazy or stupid to advance near the Tenth right now.

"Violet...?" Tsuna's eyes widened and dialated as he found a new target and the flame on his head surged back to life. He tried to lunge for the woman, nearly breaking the grips of restraint around him that had loosened when they thought he had calmed. Violet stepped back at the rage and fury that Tsuna focused at her.

"Damnit, Tsuna!" Yamamoto yelled. "You know the Ninth said you can't hurt her. Plus, I can't let you hurt a woman!"

Tsuna replied with a incoherent yell of rage.

"What the hell's gotten into you, brat," Xanxus yelled in return, tightening his headlock. His arms were wrapped under Tsuna's shoulders and then back up around his neck, carefully holding the Vongola heir off the ground. With every rage-filled lunge, Xanxus had to retighten his grip else he'd be instantly free.

"Tenth, what happened?!" Gokudera yelled. It had been one thing to kill the man that had attacked Haru, but why was his boss going after this scatterbrained woman?

Tsuna stopped fighting once again. No one let up their restraint while he panted in their arms. The Flame on his head was still brightly burning and the killing intent in his eyes was still obvious. Tsuna ignored them all and said the first coherent words he'd uttered since entering the gym. They weren't aimed at any of the people restraining him, though. They were aimed at his target, Violet.

"Did you do it on purpose?" He panted at her. She seemed to grow more confident now that he had spoke to her instead of blindly trying to kill her. Again, Gokudera wondered how stupid this woman could get.

"Do what?" She asked slyly, smoothing her uniform skirt down as her cronies came up beside her in support.

"What you had him give Haru," he growled, testing the restraining arms around him. They hadn't loosed a bit this time. "Did you know what it would do?"

"Of course," Violet smiled. Tsuna's eyes widened with shock when she continued obliviously. "Now that it's out of the way, you don't have to feel obligated to marry her. I'll give you a real one once we're properly wed."

"YOU BITCH!" He howled as he lunged forward again, wanting nothing more than the woman's throat in his hands. The restraining arms of the three around him broke for a moment, but the weight of a chain around his waist held him in place after a mere step forward. He glimpsed the chain-shaped Leon attached to a ten-ton weight before his three restrainers were back on him. "Let me go, damnit!" He yelled. "I'm going to fucking kill her!"

"You can't!" Yamamoto yelled in reply. Gokudera stayed quiet, unsure if he should even be stopping his boss. The woman had obviously done something to Haru, but until they knew how serious it was, they couldn't let the Tenth do something he might regret.

"What the hell's going on?" Everyone looked over at the woman who'd spoke with the exception of Tsuna. She pushed her way through the crowd which parted for her when they realized who she was. It was Irene, Violet's sister. She stopped with her hands on her hips, surveying the scene. Tsuna was being restrained by three men and a ten-ton weight. Even then, he was still trying to get free and occasionally managed for a mere moment at a time before they were back on him. There was a corpse with a missing head and upper body. The stain and holes in the gym floor told her where it probably disappeared to. And her sister, cringing in uncertainty after Tsuna's voiced intent.

"I thought you'd be happy," Violet mumbled to Tsuna in the silence. Tsuna stopped fighting again in shock.

"You thought I'd be happy?" He repeated softly before raising his voice again. "What the hell would make you think I'd be happy?!" he screamed, lunging again. "You had my fiance attacked and you killed my son! You tortured him to death before he was even fucking born! And you think I'm supposed to be happy about that?! I'm going to fucking rip your throat out and shove it so far up your---" His insults became an incoherent yell of rage as once again he tried to get free. Yamamoto and Gokudera looked at each other in shock, their uncertainty in stopping Tsuna obvious.

"Oi, don't let him go," Reborn yelled from atop the ten ton weight that was attached to Tsuna's waist. Even with it, Tsuna was still managing to advance each time his foot actually hit the ground. It was fortunate that even though Tsuna had grown, Xanxus was still taller than him. If Tsuna had more than a moment to brace himself on the ground, he'd be unstoppable. They could only pray that he didn't think to use his gloves. With the boost of his flames, nothing would hold him back.

The sound of gunfire brought everyone and everything to a standstill. Even Tsuna. He watched as Violet fell to the ground, blood gushing out of the bullet-hole in her head. They looked over at Irene who even now held her Glock steady in her hands. A small whiff of smoke marked her as the one to have fired.

"Y-You just killed your own sister!" Yamamoto gasped, ignoring the screaming gaggle of girls around the dead woman. Irene ignored him as she holstered her gun. Instead, she looked in Tsuna's shocked eyes and at the faltering Dying Will Flame on his head.

"I know it doesn't help much, but I'm sorry," she said quietly. "We warned her. We punished her. Now we've executed her. Violet stopped being a member of the Havlocks the moment she ignored the punishment. If it makes you feel better, feel free to beat her corpse. She's no sister of mine."

Tsuna nodded his head in understanding while the final flicker of his flame disappeared from his head. The rage flowed out of him, as well, having nothing left to vent it on. Irene had done the only thing she could to protect her Family from his anger. She had disaffiliated the Havlocks from Violet and Violet's action in effort to preserve the peace between the two Families.

But that left Tsuna with nothing left to blame. The man who had attacked Haru was dead. The woman who had planned and instigated it was dead. He had no one left to blame but himself for not protecting Haru and his son. He had failed where it mattered most. He sagged a final time in Xanxus' arms, his rage and fury completely spent. All that was left was pain. The others seemed to sense that and let him go. Even Leon detached himself from Tsuna's waist. Xanxus released him last, ensuring that Tsuna had his feet under him before fully letting go.

"Tsuna..." Yamamoto said, trying to figure out what to say to help him. There wasn't anything he could say, though. The silence was deafening, but none of them knew how to fill it.

Tsuna's head and shoulders were bowed in heartache. Three thoughts kept circling in his head: His son was dead. It was his fault for not protecting him. He couldn't protect anyone. Those three thoughts was what led him to dropping a small object into Xanxus' breast pocket without even looking up.

"You win," Tsuna whispered before turning and walking aimlessly out of the gym. Xanxus and the others watched him go, unsurprised when he boosted himself into the air the moment he was clear of the building. Within seconds, he was out of sight.

"Oi, what did he give you?" Reborn asked. Xanxus shook his head to clear it. He'd been just as silently shocked as everyone else about the events that had just taken place. He reached into his pocket and found himself cursing at what he pulled out. Tsuna's Vongola ring of the Sky.

"Shit, we've got to stop that brat," Xanxus yelled at them, breaking into a run. Xanxus wanted to do a double-take on himself for wanting to stop the kid, but there wasn't time.

"What's wrong?!" Gokudera exclaimed, following Xanxus blindly. Xanxus held up the ring and showed it to him.

"The only way I could actually put this damn thing on and it not rip me to fucking shreds is if that brat wasn't alive. Now what the fuck do you think he was planning when he gave this piece of shit to me?" Xanxus didn't wait for an answer as he pulled out his X-Guns and propelled himself into the sky in pursuit of Tsuna. He had to stop the kid before he did something he wouldn't be around to regret.

* * *

Tsuna flew through the air. He didn't know where he was going other than simply away. Away from the people who kept getting hurt because of him. Away from the invisible source that kept hurting him in return. All he had wanted was for everyone to be safe and happy. But he realized it now. He'd been so blind when he accepted his role as Vongola the Tenth.

There was no happiness.

It wasn't possible to be happy. He couldn't make others happy and he wasn't allowed happiness either. Yamamoto had given up baseball because of him. He wasn't worthy of Gokudera's praise and friendship. He had failed them both as a friend and boss by letting them stain themselves for his sake. Even Ryohei had been hit with a torture drug because the boxer had been around him. He had taken away Kyoko's smile in the bloodiest way possible. Haru's laugh would never again ring in his ears after his failure to protect her and their unborn son. He would never again see his son's bright eyes or hear his voice in his dreams again.

Their poor, poor son...

There was no happiness left in the world for him. He didn't even have the pride that he'd done well as a boss candidate. He'd failed so many times. Xanxus would be a better boss. He had the determination and the ability. He even had a boss' sense for knowing what to do. As a boss he would be twenty...no, a hundred times better than Tsuna could ever be. Someone like Tsuna could never protect everyone and keep them happy.

Yamamoto would go home and play baseball again. Gokudera would be just as happy as Xanxus' or someone else's right-hand. Ryohei could go back to boxing for the love of boxing and Kyoko would probably do better without Mochida's killer around. Haru would find someone else who could actually protect her. Hibari didn't need him. Chrome didn't need him. Lambo probably wouldn't even notice he was gone. Reborn would move on to a new student like he never existed. No one would miss him. They'd be happier without him around.

In his depression, Tsuna believed this with every ounce of his being. So he ran. He flew through the air with no destination in mind than to get away from there. He didn't care if he lived or died. He just wanted away from that pain. Away so that he couldn't cause anyone else any more pain.

For hours, he flew mindlessly, his mind going in depressed circles all centered around three thoughts.

His son was dead.

He had failed to protect his son.

He wasn't capable of protecting anyone.

He was such a mental wreck he didn't even notice when the ground below him gave way to the sea. Nor did he notice the slowly approaching form of Xanxus behind him, a mere speck on the horizon. He didn't notice any of it while the sun began to set and still he flew. He could feel himself slowing down and his energy approaching it's limits. His body began dropping lower and lower to the waters below, but still he didn't stop.

He had to get away.

That was his last coherent thought before the flames in his gloves finally disappeared and he plunged into the icy waters of the Mediterranean. He could feel the cold water filling his lungs while he slowly began to float back toward the surface. He didn't fight it. He didn't have the will to anymore. Even when his survival instincts kicked in and he normally would have tried mindlessly, he no longer had the energy.

Cold, unforgiving darkness embraced him. There was no light at the end, only more darkness.

* * *

Xanxus cursed to himself as Tsuna's form sank lower and lower ahead of him. Even going at full speed, he was still several minutes behind him. He was helplessly at a distance when he saw the kid finally skid across the surface of the water before being plunged in head-first from his momentum.

"_Fuck_!" Xanxus screamed, his rage at Tsuna's actions increasing the flame boost being emitted from his X-Guns. What was the damn kid doing?! Xanxus had been chasing him for hours only to watch him take a dive into the sea? "_Like Hell_!" Xanxus yelled. He didn't question why the kid's actions made him so angry. He'd save that for later. For now, somewhere in the back of his mind, he was simply grateful that it did. He flew faster, closing the distance between them.

Tsuna slowly grew, becoming more than a shapeless blob in the distant waters. Finally he could make him out clearly and Xanxus cursed once again. He was floating face-down in the water, unconscious. Xanxus holstered one X-Gun, hoping like hell that the remaining one would be enough to keep two people in the air. With his newly-freed hand he reached down and grabbed the kid's soaked shirt while he passed. Xanxus strained for a moment, pushing more and more flame out of his weapon in an effort to keep from being wretched down into the waters with Tsuna. With a loud splash, Tsuna came free before that could happen.

Xanxus cursed again when the kid didn't immediately wake. Had Xanxus been too late? No, it couldn't already be too late. The kid had only been in the water for a few minutes while Xanxus closed the distance. He could still be saved. The two dropped for a moment when Xanxus stopped firing long enough to change direction. Tsuna nearly lurched out of his hands when their momentum shifted. Xanxus cursed again and tightened his grip, hoping the kid's shirt didn't rip. He cursed even more when he looked down and realized the kid wasn't breathing. He had to get to land and fast.

He tossed the kid onto the ground when they finally made it to a small island. Xanxus wasn't quite sure which one, he'd lost track of their location a few miles back. Kneeling down, Xanxus looked over Tsuna's inanimate body. It didn't look good. His lips were blue from the cold and he wasn't breathing. When Xanxus quickly checked his pulse, he cursed when he felt nothing but cold flesh beneath his hands. The most telling sign as to Tsuna's condition, however, was the way his eyes were glazed when Xanxus reached up and raised an eyelid. Ignoring all the signs of death, he growled to himself while he began C.P.R. in an effort to pump water out of the kid's lungs and get his heart working again.

The whole time he continued his attempts to resuscitate the kid, his mind kept screaming. Why the hell was he doing this? He should be happy the kid was dead. Without the brat around, the ring would have no problems accepting him as the old man's replacement. There was no one else left! Yet he still continued to work, pumping Tsuna's lifeless chest to get his heart going and forcing air into his lungs with mouth-to-mouth. After five minutes, Xanxus stopped for a moment and wiped sweat off his head. Why was he going so far for the kid?

His hyper-intuition gave him the answer he didn't want to admit to himself. He considered Tsuna to be Family. Somewhere during their time together, he'd accepted the brat. He realized it when he tried to think back to the last time he'd called Tsuna something other than 'brat' or 'kid'. When was the last time he'd considered Tsuna to be scum and trash? Whether it was respect for the kid's ability as a hitman or from the strange friendship built over a year of after-job drinks down in No-Man's Land, Tsuna was Family. He couldn't let Family die needlessly or wastefully. He'd learned that lesson from Squalo. The pain he'd felt in secret when he thought Squalo had died; the pain he'd unleashed after returning to base after the Rain Ring Battle. He didn't want that pain again.

Never again.

With renewed resolution he began working on Tsuna's dead body again. This time, there was no hesitation each time he bent down and forced air into the kid's lungs. There was no holding back when he pumped and pounded on his chest. He _would _revive the kid. He would _not _let him die. The time ticked away and Xanxus began to panic, knowing that they were only a mere minutes away from the point of no return. If he didn't revive Tsuna now, it would take a bloody miracle to do it.

He pulled back with a uncontrollable cry of relief when Tsuna finally responded, spewing seawater before he gasped for air. Reaching over, Xanxus coaxed him onto his side before he could re-drown himself. When he finally finished expelling as much as he could, Xanxus pulled him up into his lap and off the cold ground. With a twist of his wrist he threw his jacket over the kid's soaked body when he began shivering from the cold penetrating him.

"Xan-xus...?" Tsuna said with half-closed eyes. The kid was exhausted, Xanxus could tell. Not only had he recklessly spent his energy in travel between headquarters and his school. Not only had he recklessly spent his energy beating a man to a bloody pulp with a compressed flame. Not only had he recklessly spent his energy trying to fight against the force of three trained men and a ten-ton weight. He had recklessly spent his energy flying for several hours before plunging head-first into the Mediterranean Sea. Considering the kid had done all that before nearly dying, Xanxus wasn't surprised when the kid passed out in his arms within seconds of recognition.

Xanxus half-sighed, half-growled. What was it about this kid that made people, even him, want to protect him and keep him safe? He didn't know, but the fact that the kid had ignored that feeling of devotion and loyalty from the friends that had been surrounding him before he'd left on his attempt to die told him one thing. He was hurting.

Not that Xanxus could blame him. Even he would be hurting after loosing a kid. As if he could stand a woman's presence longer than the time it took with a whore to find out or vice versa. But he could imagine. It would probably hurt as much, if not more, than if Xanxus lost Squalo or the shorty in his arms. Xanxus' flame might be that of Wrath, but his heart was still human. Heartache was still a factor, if only a minor one. He tried to imagine the amount of heartache it would take to make him stop caring if he lived and failed. But Xanxus knew one thing.

The kid in his arms was hurting _a lot_.

As the brat in his arms finally stopped shivering in his exhausted sleep, Xanxus reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a cell phone. He wanted to growl when the GPS didn't want to work. With no other option, he dialed for the old man.

"Xanxus?! Do you have him?" The Ninth asked as soon as they were connected.

"Ah," Xanxus confirmed. "I've got him. He dived head-first into the sea, but I pulled him out. He was dead when I found him, but he should be okay now if we get him somewhere dry and warm. I need you to track down my location and send me a car, pops. I have no clue where we're at." The Ninth began spluttering on the other end of the line and Xanxus wanted to laugh when he realized why, current predicament aside. He'd actually said several sentences without a single curse and had called his father something other than 'old man'. To fix it, he let out a growl and said, "It's fucking cold out here so hurry."

Without waiting on a response, he hung up the phone. He was sure that someone had put tracking devices on him. He was a former traitor, after all. Only his old man had saved him from being encased in ice again. Maybe the man's intuition had foreseen this occasion. Not that he really cared if he had. It just meant that Tsuna had been Family longer than even Xanxus had realized.

He groaned a bit as he stood with the kid in his arms. Not that Tsuna was heavy, but because he was so light. It was as if he'd burned off all the non-essentials and had become a wraith. The need to warm him suddenly became a lot more important. With the kid this worn out, his body wouldn't be able to handle the stresses of cold. The likely-hood of sickness was all that greater, as well.

He rushed forward the moment his eyes lit on a water-front shack. It wasn't much, but it could be used. If nothing else, he could set fire to it. That didn't prove needed, however, when he went inside and found several useful items. From the looks of it, it had once been a fisherman's waterfront nest and had been abandoned to become some kid's clubhouse.

The kid wasn't home, but the blankets he'd left behind were. So were the jugs of freshwater and bag of snacks. Xanxus took the last two, leaving behind several bills easily three times it's worth. He might not have done as much as Tsuna, but he had still chased behind him for several hours straight. His energy levels were at a dangerous low. If he was going to stay awake until the retrieval unit arrived, he'd have to replenish his energy somehow.

With a growl, he pulled off Tsuna's wet clothes before he could get sick. After wrapping Tsuna's naked body up in his jacket and tossed on the tattered blankets from the shack on for good measure, he went outside. After he gathered enough dry driftwood to start a fire, he set his mind to drying the kid's clothes out. He found himself cursing several times at the fact he couldn't waste his flame on something like this. He didn't know how long the car would take, but considering how fast they'd been flying, he had a feeling it would be a while.

He only hoped the kid lasted until then.


	57. Chapter 57 Retrieval

Xanxus stood up again from where he'd been nestled in a corner of the shack. The night had turned cold while they awaited a retrieval unit and he'd been forced inside out of the wind. With only enough room to walk a few feet, he couldn't even pace to keep himself awake. He hated being caged like this. Part of him wanted to just fly away until he found a city and leave retrieving the kid to someone else. But he couldn't.

He wouldn't.

He'd taken away Tsuna's gloves while he slept to prevent another escapade like before. Without them, the shorty had only a fraction of his combat ability. Without flame-boost, his speed would be dramatically lowered. Without flame, the power in his strikes would only be a small percentage of normal. And considering he was still unconscious, he'd be a sitting duck.

"Why did you stop me?"

Xanxus turned at the soft whisper. He looked down at where Tsuna lie under the pile of blankets. The kid wasn't even trying to get up. He just laid there, blankly looking at the ceiling. Xanxus didn't know if the kid's question was rhetorical or not, but he answered anyway.

"Because you're a fucking idiot that needed to be stopped." Tsuna looked at him finally, his eyes blank and dead. That look told Xanxus one thing. The kid wasn't aggressively suicidal, he just didn't care what happened to himself anymore. He hadn't purposely tried to die, he just hadn't tried to fight it when he almost did. His will was completely gone. He didn't even have the willpower to kill himself. Trying to break that look away, Xanxus said, "There should be someone here to pick us up soon. You can figure things out when you get back to Headquarters."

Tsuna sat up, pushing the blankets away. The words had worked. Tsuna wasn't looking at him anymore. He was looking down with his head bowed. Xanxus sensed that this wasn't a good thing, however. He was sure of it when the kid stood and started walking for the door.

"Where the hell are you going?"

"Away," Tsuna mumbled softly. The answer made Xanxus narrow his eyes. Did the kid not even realize he was gloveless? How the hell was he going to go away? They were in the middle of nowhere.

Xanxus' unvoiced questions were answered when Tsuna walked out the door. He'd go on foot if nothing else.

Wind whipped across Tsuna's shirt and flattened his hair to his body. The force of the wind slammed the door shut behind him and made him stumble while he walked. He didn't know where he was going, but something inside him kept urging him to move forward. The howling wind in his ears lessened a bit when he walked into the woods lining the shore. He ignored the sound of the shack door slamming shut again when Xanxus overcame his surprise and followed. He didn't care. As long as Xanxus didn't stop him, the man could do whatever he wanted. Tsuna just wanted to walk. Wanted to keep moving forward. Wanted to go away.

For his part, Xanxus wasn't sure what to do. Normally he'd bust a person's head for acting like the kid was, but something told him that it wouldn't be a good idea this time. Not only was Tsuna weak from his ordeal, but he seemed to be a bit off his rocker. No sane person would walk out of a warm shelter and into the cold, howling winds outside. He was sorely tempted to knock the kid out anyway, but he could sense that the kid needed this. He needed to keep walking.

With a low growl, Xanxus threw his jacket over the kid's shoulders to block out the wind. That meant it was freezing for Xanxus, but he'd cope. The kid wasn't in his right mind and until he was, Xanxus couldn't leave him alone. He wasn't good with words at times like these, so he followed along silently.

He grimaced a bit every time the kid stumbled and fell, but didn't offer aid. Tsuna didn't even seem to notice his presence and Xanxus had a feeling it was better that way. The kid had automatically left the building when he was told he'd be going home. If he realized that he couldn't get away as long as Xanxus was there, the man might have a fight on his hands.

Xanxus was a bit relieved when the woods gave way to a road and Tsuna blindly started walking down it. At this rate, they might actually find somewhere warm to stay before one of them got sick. Xanxus ignored his previous misgivings not to remind the kid of his presence. He stepped forward and stopped Tsuna long enough to button up his jacket to cover the blood-stained shirt he was wearing. The stain had faded to a pink blotch thanks to the water Tsuna had dived into, but it was still horrifically identifiable. Again, Tsuna didn't seem to care. He kept his head bowed while he walked and had barely noticed the pause while Xanxus fastened it shut with practiced hands.

After walking for nearly and hour, Tsuna collapsed instead of stumbling. He didn't try to get up from where he lay in the middle of the deserted road. A car could come along and run him over and he wouldn't care less. Xanxus cursed incoherently for a moment before kneeling down next to him.

"Come on, kid," he said after he managed to control his anger. "You're not allowed to fall into a gutter unless you're drunk." The kid was rubbing his last nerve raw. He wasn't dead, but he might as well be with how he was acting. Now that he thought about it, the look he'd seen in the kid's eyes was the same one he'd used to have after every job. It tended to fade after a few drinks, which was the reason he'd started taking the kid out after work.

Tsuna didn't respond to his words, so Xanxus bent down and picked him up. He groaned again at the kid's light weight when he threw him over his shoulder. Since they'd started down this road, Xanxus wasn't going to stop until they'd found a town. Hopefully one with a bar that was used to mafia clientele since that was the only way he was going to get a drink stronger than water for the kid.

He grimaced when the first thing they came to after another hour walk was a small bar and grill with no less than twenty motorcycles parked out front. Well, at least he could get some food into the kid. He doubted they had any V Special, but enough whiskey would do the job if he drank it fast enough. He kicked the door open roughly, still trying to balance the kid on his shoulder. He had fallen unconscious again somewhere a mile or two back.

With a small growl at the curious men inside, he found himself a corner table and sat the kid down in a seat. Tsuna woke after a few sharp smacks and looked around in a daze. He started to get up to start walking again, but Xanxus pushed him down roughly. By now, several of the customers were looking at them in askance. He ignored them, focusing on getting the kid to listen to him.

"Sit your ass down," he growled. "You aren't going anywhere until I fucking say so." Tsuna stopped fighting and Xanxus turned to the waitress that had hesitantly come up. "Something hot and the strongest drink you got," he ordered roughly. She looked at him with a raised eyebrow, obviously wondering if he had any money. He wanted to snarl, but he couldn't blame her. They'd walked in on foot and the kid looked like he'd just been through nine hells. With a dangerous glare, he reached into his wallet and pulled out several larger bills. He tossed one at the woman and put the rest in his wallet, a silent hint to treat them well if she wanted more.

She gave him a quirky smile and left while he got comfortable with his back against the wall. Within a minute or two, she returned with two plates of some kind of hot Goulash and a basket of bread. He assumed this was the place's special and accepted it. Now wasn't the time to be picky. The kid needed something to warm him and this worked. The waitress left again and this time came back with a bottle that made Xanxus raise an eyebrow.

First, the woman had brought him a bottle of V Special. He had specified their strongest drink, but he didn't think a place like this would normally carry such a rare stock. Second, she didn't know he had a flame. If he was a normal person, he and the kid would be flat on their backs within a single drink. From the gleam in the woman's eyes and her compatriots sitting in the nearby tables, he had a feeling that's what they intended. They were probably also intending to strip him bare and steal his wallet once he was out cold.

If he had been a normal person.

He ignored the waitress and her plans. He wasn't a normal person, so he had nothing to fear from these scumbags. Instead, he cuffed Tsuna across the head. The kid was looking down at the plate of food instead of eating it. What was he, a fucking automaton? Xanxus growled for encouragement.

"Either fucking eat or I'll shove the shit down your damn throat."

Apparently Tsuna _was_ an automaton because he did what he was told. Xanxus found himself growling every time the kid put his fork down to stop. Where the hell was the retrieval squad? Xanxus was suppressing the urge to rip the kid to shreds, but only barely. He wasn't good with depressed pieces of shit. That needed someone with a touchy-feely type of personality that Xanxus just didn't have. It was one thing to stop the brat from killing himself, but how long was he going to have to babysit?

He growled a warning when Tsuna put down his fork and tried to stand again. The attention of the whole place was on them, but that kind of thing didn't affect him. If needed, he would break Tsuna's legs without hesitation if the kid didn't stop trying to leave. Tsuna understood this from the growled warning and sat back down again, his head still bowed while the waitress took away their empty plates.

Xanxus reached over and uncorked the bottle of V Special, pouring both of them drinks. He could sense the anticipation building in the waitress and her compatriots. They were ready to strike the moment he was out. As if that would happen. He plunked one glass down in front of Tsuna in a silent command to drink and nursed his own. Tsuna drank it like the automaton he was pretending to be while Xanxus watched.

It took nearly ten shots before the kid finally started feeling the alcohol. Silently, Xanxus poured him another, ignoring the open looks of surprise on the faces of their would-be robbers. Together, the two drank silently. Xanxus limited himself to three and nursed the fourth. Tsuna finally looked up after finishing his twelfth shot and Xanxus gave him a considering look in return.

"You're not going to start crying, are you?" Xanxus said with his lip turned up in disgust. The kid was hitting his last nerve already. He didn't think he could stand it if he started whining too. Tsuna sighed and leaned back in his chair, his hands cradling his filled glass.

"No," he replied softly. "It hurts too much to cry anymore."

"Shit, kid. I figured you should feel at least a little less crappy. You knocked the hell out of that trash before I pulled you off."

"Killing him didn't bring my son back," Tsuna said before downing the shot in his hands. Xanxus fell silent while he poured the kid another. There wasn't much he could say to that. Instead, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the Vongola ring. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed it across the table. Tsuna didn't make a move to pick it up.

"That's yours, Xanxus," Tsuna said simply.

"Like hell! Listen kid, I can't put that on without being rejected. It's yours and you're going to fucking take it back. I don't give a damn if you die, but you're not going to do it on my damn watch. The old man would think I planned it if that happened and my ass would be back asleep before I could blink twice." Xanxus knew he was lying through his teeth, but he wasn't going to say the truth out loud. His pride wouldn't allow it.

The kid had potential. He could get devotion and loyalty with three careless words half the time and not even realize it. He was capable of doing anything to protect his Family normally. His only flaw was focusing on the short-term instead of long-term. The Ninth would fix that, though, if Xanxus could bring him back in one piece. Tsuna's next words left Xanxus gaping, however.

"I don't want it," Tsuna mumbled, flicking the ring back across the table.

"Why the fuck not?!" Xanxus roared. "You went through all that fucking hell and you're just going to give up like that? What about your god-damned Family?!" Xanxus' seething was stopped mid-way before he could really get going by the look in Tsuna's eyes when he looked up. The dead look had been replaced with an unfocused one full of pain and heartache.

"I couldn't protect a single baby, Xanxus," Tsuna said tearlessly. "A single unborn child. How the hell am I supposed to protect hundreds of people?" He didn't seem to expect an answer while he buried his head in his arms on the table. From where his head was buried, he continued, "Nothing good comes to the people that know me. They all just keep on getting hurt or killed. They get hurt because they knew me. They'd be better off if I was out of their lives."

Xanxus sighed without a single hint of a growl. "Fuck, kid, that's the way it goes. But let me tell you one thing. They knew that when they joined up with you. As much as you want to protect their worthless lives, they want to do the same for you. They're probably feeling just as shitty for not doing their part to protect your kid. If you leave them now, you'll be hurting them even more."

"At least it would be the last time," Tsuna muttered. Xanxus didn't suppress his surge of anger this time. He grabbed the back of Tsuna's head by his hair, yanked up, then slammed it back down into the table. After that, he held up the kid's head, forcing him to look Xanxus in the eyes while a small drop of blood began streaming down his forehead.

"Fucking shit, kid! Get over yourself. No one gets it right all the fucking time. You screwed up. Learn from it and keep going. You make me sick when I look at you like this. What the fuck happened to the cold-blooded killer that I know is inside you? How much blood have you shed? And you want to give up because of some bullshit you couldn't control? Wake up, shit for brains! Do you really think I'll keep your shitty Family any safer than you could?" He didn't wait for a reply as he spat the answer into Tsuna's face, "Like hell! They'll be on the first train to hell alongside your ass."

He let go of Tsuna's hair, pushing his head away in disgust. He sent a glare around the room, sending the watching customers back to their food or drinks. By now, the room was nearly empty. Most of the bikers that had been in the bar had left, realizing that Xanxus and his buddy were dangerous. What was left were the stupid and the cocky. Even the stupid caught on after overhearing their conversation and finished their meals quickly before leaving. The cocky continued to eat and drink without concerning themselves about Xanxus or Tsuna. That was fine. Xanxus didn't want trouble. He already had his hands full with the brat.

Tsuna ignored the blood dripping down his head and reached for another shot. Xanxus didn't know if his words had reached the kid or not, but he could only hope. Not only for his own sake, but for Vongola's. To check, he picked up the Vongola ring and plunked it back down in front of the brat.

"Put that back on," Xanxus growled quietly. "You're not allowed to take it off again until I pry it from your cold, dead body. Got it, kid?" Tsuna nodded numbly and put the ring back on as if he was an automaton again.

* * *

"Tsunayoshi Sawada was in no way romantically involved with the departed Miss Violet Havlock," Yamamoto said smoothly. "From what we've been told, the deaths at Don Girarde was a murder-suicide. The man we found killed himself with some type of experimental explosive after allegedly shooting Miss Havlock. Investigations are still underway and identification of the man has been set as priority. As for Tsunayoshi Sawada, he is currently in Greece negotiating a private contract on behalf of one of our subsidiaries. He will be unavailable for comment until further notice."

Before the reporters could ask anything else, Yamamoto sat down and let a Vongola spokesman take over. Other Vongola men were more trained and qualified for talking to the press right now. However, Reborn had pushed him into making a statement whether he wanted to or not. He'd have to get used to it sometime. Hopefully he'd covered the truth well enough and covered all the bases. He didn't want a runner slipping through when he wasn't looking, though, so he had kept it short.

He kept his dumb jock facade in place, wanting people to underestimate him. Yamamoto had to keep everyone occupied with this media circus long enough for Gokudera to reach Tsuna. He'd been notified a few hours ago that they'd tracked him down, but couldn't get to their island due to high winds. Their helicopters were grounded until midnight at the earliest and there were no bridges for them to cross by land. It would be a race to see who could get to him first if Yamamoto didn't distract the press.

So the Ninth had called a press conference, turning Violet's death into something he could use. While all the press were rushing for Greece to try and get a comment from Tsuna personally, Gokudera's team would be free to retrieve Tsuna and Xanxus from the island. So Yamamoto hoped. The press wasn't as gullible as he wished. They'd accepted the distraction, but the questions they were sending up at the spokesman were pointedly accurate.

"Is it true that Miss Havlock had something to do with the recent miscarriage of Mister Sawada's son?"

"Mister Sawada does not and never has had a son," the spokesman replied, knowing that no one could prove him wrong. Yamamoto kept himself from narrowing his eyes. The only people that knew about the miscarriage were the people that had witnessed the fight at Don Girarde and the Family that had been in Headquarter beforehand. For the press to be asking about it meant someone had broken the school's Omerta or else there was a spy in the ranks. He'd have to get in touch with his team after this and track down the source of that particular information and plug the leak if needed.

"What do you have to say about the early reports specifying that no gun power or other known fuel was used in the death of the unidentified man?"

"Welcome to the 21st Century," the spokesman quipped. "That's why we mentioned that our early reports showed it to be a new experimental explosive."

"On what basis?"

"There were burn marks on the man's corpse and the surrounding areas, yet parts of him were completely untouched. Also, the blood splatter in our early investigative reports show high-velocity trajectory. Definitely not something a human could do. Our only explanation once we combine these two factors is an explosive. Possibly a micro-explosive. Early guesses think he might have tried to swallow it and it got lodged in his throat, closing off his air. He would have fallen to the ground, unconscious, within a minute or two from asphyxiation before the device went off. That would explain the prone position of the body and the direction of the splatter."

"Was there any physical remnants of the explosive?"

"Not yet. We're still cleaning up the scene."

Yamamoto marked that particular reporter in his mind. The man seemed willing to go along with the lies and make a good story out of what he was given instead of digging for gossip.

"Do you still deny that Mr. Sawada had a romantic relationship with Ms. Havlock? Police investigations of her room and belongings have turned up several scrapbooks regarding him and a library of video with him as the prime focus."

Yamamoto noted to himself to talk with Irene and find out what had happened. They should have cleaned that kind of stuff out of the woman's room before letting the police in.

"Perhaps she was a stalker?" The spokesman replied, using truth instead of lies. "Whatever her personal interest or feelings had been toward Mr. Sawada, it was never reciprocated in any way. Mr. Sawada is happily engaged to a Ms. Miura and has never shown any interested in betraying that."

"Is it possible that he was secretly meeting with her?"

"No, it's not. Mr. Sawada is a very important man. His every movement is tracked and recorded for his own safety. I can assure you that at no time was he ever in unaccompanied attendance with Ms. Havlock. They were classmates and no more."

It continued long into the night. The same questions being repeated numerous times in numerous ways. Several people left mid-way to go report in to their editors, apparently satisfied with what information they'd gotten. Others continued trying to find a variation of the same question to make the spokesman slip and let out some juicy detail.

Yamamoto was willing to let it continue as long as they wanted. At least, until Gokudera called with word that Tsuna had been retrieved. Every time it seemed like they were loosing the reporters, a new spokesman would step up and start taking questions. Or, if that didn't work, they would report some small tidbit, claiming it was recent information. For example, the man's identity which the Havlocks had already given them hours ago. Insinuations that since the man worked for the Havlocks, there had been a secret love affair between the two and that had been the cause of the murder-suicide.

Irene, as boss-apparent, had given Vongola leave to play it however they wanted. They'd happily deal with the aftershocks of whatever Vongola said to the media as payment for the death of Tsuna's son. It was the least they could do to make amends for their mistake in dealing with Violet's obsessive behavior. After getting over his surprise at Irene being a boss-apparent, Yamamoto had told the spokesmen not to hold back or pull his punches, still a bit angry at himself for falling for Violet's friendly facade.

Yamamoto jumped a little bit when the phone in his pocket vibrated. He tried to be nonchalant as he opened up the text message inside, but didn't know if he managed to pull it off. He refrained from sighing in relief at what it said.

_The repairmen finished fixing the roof. Dinner's waiting whenever you want to come home. --Dad_

The roof was fixed. The Sky was hidden from view again. Tsuna had been picked up.

The last line was simply an order to return to base. He couldn't help but smile at the signature. It had to be Iemitsu. There were no other father-type people for them in Italy. Well, other than the Ninth, but he would have signed 'Grandpa' more than likely. He looked over and gave a small nod to the spokesman. They could shut down the circus. Without waiting, Yamamoto left, intending to get back to Tsuna as soon as possible. His job as Tsuna's public mediator might be over for now, but his job as a friend had just started.

* * *

Gokudera stuffed his phone back in his pocket. He hoped that by signing 'Dad', people would think Iemitsu or someone else had sent the message. He hadn't had to send the text message and didn't want it traced back to him even by Yamamoto. Reborn or someone else could have done it after they arrived, but looking over at his boss, he had a feeling that Yamamoto's help was going to be needed. So, he'd sent the message once the helicopter was within thirty minutes of home in a way that would allow his pride to stay intact. Even in asking for help dealing with the Tenth, he wouldn't be caught asking for help. Yamamoto should return about the same time Gokudera arrived if he'd timed it right.

Gokudera had wanted to cry when he had finally caught up to Xanxus. The man had bribed the bar and grill they were taking shelter in to let them stay after-hours. At some point, Xanxus had nodded off and the Tenth had disappeared without even a jacket. Xanxus had seemed just as angry at the fact, but for a different reason. They had finally found him stumbling forward aimlessly a half-mile down the road. He had become soaked by the light mist that had begun to fall after the winds had calmed down and his eyes didn't seem to focus well due to the alcohol in him.

At first, his boss hadn't even recognized him. When he had, he'd fallen to his knees, crying, not understanding why Gokudera had come after him. Half of what his boss had uttered after that was still gibberish to him, but he understood one thing. The Tenth hadn't wanted to go back. In the end, it was Xanxus that tossed him over his shoulder and carried him back to where the helicopter had been waiting. Gokudera had become even more confused at that point, since regardless of his claims of not wanting to go back, the Tenth hadn't fought to get Xanxus to stop.

The silver-haired man wiped away another weak tear in frustration before he looked at his boss again. The Tenth looked like he'd been through hell several times over. He was hardly more than skin and bones, having burned every last ounce of his energy during the events of the day. Even now, he sat with half-closed eyes that were sunken into his thin, pale face. Under the blanket that Gokudera had wrapped around him, his hair and clothes were matted from the cold drizzle that had soaked into him during his aimless walk. Yet, he didn't seem to care. He just sat, staring into space while the helicopter moved closer and closer back to Headquarters. After Xanxus had picked him up, he hadn't said a single word.

"How much longer, Tremolo?" Gokudera called through his headset. She signaled five minutes.

"Can we go any faster?" He called. She signaled no repeatedly. They were already at max speed. He wanted to snarl, but he knew it wouldn't help.

It was a relief when Headquarters finally came into view. It was even more of a relief when he recognized Yamamoto near the landing pad. Whenever the Tenth feels down, Yamamoto had always helped fix it. But first, Gokudera had to get the Tenth inside and changed before he got sick. He also would have to get something to eat for him that could replenish a large amount of the energy he'd exhausted.

Xanxus jumped out ahead of them, intending to go report to the Ninth. He stopped for a moment and Gokudera paused in the middle of helping the Tenth out of the helicopter. They both looked over at the un-Xanxus-like look of concern on the man's face. It cleared instantly, but Gokudera had to do a double-take to ensure that this was, in fact, Xanxus.

"Hey, kid," Xanxus called over the loud, repetitious thump of the helicopter blades. "Don't forget what I fucking said. Got it?"

Gokudera looked at him in curiosity, but his boss simply nodded before jumping down out of the helicopter. He started to collapse the moment his feet hit the ground, but both Yamamoto and Gokudera caught him. Silently, the two helped carry him inside to see what they could do about putting their boss back together again.


	58. Chapter 58 Humpty Dumpty

So tired. So very, very tired. The world blurred around him, yet he couldn't stop. Something kept urging him to continue moving forward. So he did. Gokudera and Yamamoto had tried to get him to rest and had left him quietly tucked into bed, but he couldn't sleep. He didn't want to sleep. All that awaited him was nightmares and an empty, lonely darkness. So he had started walking again. Out of his room, out of Headquarters, out of the surrounding grounds.

He began weeping while he continued to walk down the deserted road. It wasn't right. It wasn't fair. Had he asked for too much in wanting a simply, normal, happy family? Not a mafia Family, but a normal family that he could love unconditionally without fear? And now...now his son was dead before he could even say hello outside of a dream. Before he could hold him in his arms and tell him how much he loved him.

He was so tired, but he couldn't stop. He walked and walked in a haze, his tears silently going down his face. He had thought he was out of tears, but the ones on his face proved him wrong. Barely able to see where he placed his feet, he kept moving. Kept trying to go forward. He almost stopped once, wondering what the point was. There was no goal, no purpose, no point to his walking. Even if he kept moving forward, there would be no end. No place to stop and finally rest.

And he wanted to rest so badly.

A rest without burdens.

A rest without the pain clenching his heart.

A rest without the endless tears he always found in his life.

Living hurt too much.

Without even conscious thought, his feet changed direction. He knew one person that had offered to end his pain. One person that would answer his heart's plea. One person in which death was but an interlude.

* * *

Ken lounged back in the room's couch, his attention focused on the handheld game he was playing. Tsuna had hooked them up with pretty nice digs, all things considered. It might be in No-Man's Land, but the inside of the building was pretty nice. They had everything they could want. Cable, warm beds, even running water. Who needed sparkling marble floors or lush carpeting? They had four walls and a roof. Good enough for him. Much nicer than their hideout in Kokuyou Land even in it's poverty. Tsuna had even given Chrome a bank-card with a hefty sum of money attached to it. So far, it'd only been emptied once out of curiosity, but it had been refilled within a day.

At first, Ken had been wary of Tsuna's generosity. He didn't like taking anything that might smell like a handout. Especially a handout from a mafioso. But Mukuro-sama had personally come to accept it, so Ken's objections disappeared. If Mukuro-sama wanted to use Tsuna's naivety to supply Chrome, Ken, and Chikusa with food and shelter, so be it. Ken just couldn't wait for the day that they could get Mukuro-sama free and pay Tsuna back for all his 'help'.

"Geez," he growled over at Chrome. "When's Chikusa going to get back? That guy he went to meet better have the layout for the Vendiche prison like he promised. How long does it take to hand over a blueprint?"

"Be patient, Ken," Chrome admonished softly.

Ken looked over the top of his game at her. She looked a lot nicer without a clunky Kokuyou Uniform on. Although, the eyepatch was at odds with the loose shirt and pinstriped slacks she wore. She had wanted to keep wearing her old uniform, but it was too cold up here to wear that kind of thing all year around. He let out an animalistic growl in response to her bending over to pull something out of the fridge. She looked back at him to see what he was growling at, but he'd already returned to his game to hide his embarrasment. Mukuro-sama wouldn't be happy if he let his wild instincts take over.

The sound of the doorbell made him jump. He hadn't even known that damn thing worked. He jumped up to answer it, but apparently the guest hadn't waited. He growled in warning when he heard footsteps come down the entry hall toward their living space. Popping in his set of lion teeth, he hid around the corner and waited to pounce. Whoever it was had to be an idiot. They had announced themselves before summarily walking in. He'd rip them to shreds if it wasn't someone they knew.

He stopped himself with his claws mere inches from Tsuna's bowed head. What the hell was _he _doing here?

"Geez," Ken griped, "At least call out and let us know it's you." Ken retracted his claws and pulled out his teeth cartridge. He became a bit grumpy when Tsuna walked past him, ignoring him.

"Are you okay, Boss?" Chrome asked softly while he continued to cross the room to her. Ken raised an eyebrow, his grumpiness disappearing in face of Tsuna's quiet attitude. Where was the irritatingly cheerful guy that normally came to visit? Both his eyebrows flew up into his head when Tsuna fell to his knees in submission in front of Chrome. What the hell was going on?

"Let me talk to Mukuro," Tsuna begged quietly.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Ken yelled, irritated by the demand. "Mukuro-sama doesn't show up just bec..." He trailed off, seeing a familiar form replace Chrome's. "Mukuro-sama...?" Ken asked with eyes wide in shock. He decided maybe it was better to just stay quietly in the corner. If Mukuro-sama had actually answered Tsuna's request to appear, something big must be going on.

"Kufufufu," Mukuro laughed. "So humpty dumpty had a great fall. And all the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't put him back together again." He looked down at Tsuna sadly. "Do you know why they couldn't put him back together again?"

"Because he was hollow," Tsuna answered softly. "He was just an empty shell."

"And are you an empty shell, my dear Sawada Tsunayoshi?" He knelt down and brushed his hands through Tsuna's hair, cupping the side of his bowed face afterward. "You're not hollow at all, are you? You're full of pain and heartache. You came to me because you want me to make you empty, isn't that right?" Tsuna nodded with a dead look in his eyes. "Kufufufu," Mukuro laughed softly. "I can see inside your mind, my little mafia boss. I can see what you truly want. You want to see him again, don't you?"

Tsuna's shoulders began shaking and tears began falling down his face again as he silently wept. What was it that he truly wanted? Did he want to die or did he want to merely see his son? Did it matter? His son was dead. He couldn't see him unless he, too, died. In the end, wasn't it the same wish?

He could feel Mukuro in his mind, but he didn't care. Mukuro could do whatever he wanted if it meant this pain would disappear. After a moment, the feeling of mental rummaging stopped and he felt Mukuro stand and walk away. He began to cry harder. Why was Mukuro making him suffer like this? Why wouldn't he just kill him already? Take him to that place of limbo so he could see his son again. It didn't matter if he wouldn't be able to return. He had nothing to go back to anymore.

"Please," Tsuna begged, huddling over with his arms over his head. He just wanted it to end.

"Papa," a small voice said.

Everything stopped. Tsuna's tears. His mind. His heart. Everything just stopped. He looked up with wide eyes, wanting it to be true. Wanting that voice to be his son's. He began crying again at the sight of the little boy in front of him. It didn't matter if it was an illusion, it was one he wanted to believe in. It was his son. He wrapped his arms around the illusionary child, making it real with his belief. The little boy smiled and hugged him in return, his bright eyes looking at him innocently.

"I'm so sorry," Tsuna cried. "I'm so so so sorry." He continued to weep with his son in his arms, releasing all the pain and heartache in his soul. "I'm so sorry I didn't protect you. I'm s-s-so s-s-s-sorry," he repeated continuously while tears continued to fall and his body was racked with sobs.

"I'm sleepy, papa," the little boy said after a few minutes, rubbing his eyes. The child didn't seem at all concerned with his father's tears or incoherent apologies. Tsuna fell silent and nodded to him.

"Alright," Tsuna said softly, wiping away his tears. "Let's go to sleep."

He crawled to a nearby wall and the child followed, jumping into his lap the moment he was braced against it. Softly, Tsuna started singing a lullaby and the child began to doze happily in his arms. Tsuna let him, enjoying the feeling of his son in his arms. His son wasn't dead. He was right here with him. It would be okay like this.

Mukuro narrowed his eyes from where he'd been watching. He'd made the illusion ask to sleep in an attempt to get Tsuna to sleep. But Tsuna was believing in the illusion much more than Mukuro had intended him to. This could be problematic if it continued, yet it would break Tsuna if he released it right now. It had been amusing to watch Tsuna play with the puppet, but to think it was real when he knew better was going too far. He turned to Ken.

"Go fetch his Vongola friends," he ordered, the smile gone from his face.

"Y-Yes, Mukuro-sama," Ken said with wide eyes. Without another word he tossed in his Cheetah cartridge and began running, not even waiting for his muscles to finish morphing into that of a high-speed feline. He didn't know what the hell was going on, but it didn't matter. Mukuro-sama had told him to go get help.

* * *

"Find him, Cadenza," Gokudera grumbled softly. He was standing in the middle of the Headquarter's computer control center. Around him, numerous monitors flickered in and out as Cadenza and her team flew through gigabyte after gigabyte of information. Somehow, the Tenth had managed to disappear without a single tracking device on him. They couldn't find him after a room-by-room search, so Gokudera had turned to reviewing surviellance footage.

"Here we go," Cadenza said in satisfaction. Three screens popped up with footage of the Tenth's bedroom. "This is about one hour after you and the Rain Guardian left him. She fast forward a bit and Gokudera watched the fast-motion play of his boss getting out of bed and changing out of the sleepwear they'd put him in. When he exited his closet, Gokudera saw the reason for lack of tracking devices. He was wearing normal clothes he'd brought from Namimori instead of anything that had been provided for him here at the mansion.

The display skipped a few times when Cadenza switched cameras. They watched while he walked out of his room, out of the mansion, and across the grounds, somehow never once managing to cross paths with anyone else. The display cut off when he walked off camera and down the road.

"Where the fuck did he go after that?" Gokudera asked. Cadenza shrugged and silently went back to going through information. She hadn't gotten that far yet.

"Sir," one of her team piped up, "I have something on camera four that you might want to see."

"What is it?" He growled. Instead of a verbal answer, the man transferred the camera feed to the large monitor that Cadenza had used.

The image of Ken trying to break through the front gates sent him running. That crazy man wouldn't come here unless it was something important. There had to be a connection with his appearance and the Tenth's disappearance. He hoped. As he ran through the halls, he called Yamamoto. After yelling for the swordsman to meet him out front, he hung up. It took less than a minute to run out to the front gates and yet somehow Yamamoto beat him there. He had even managed to get a car ready.

"Come on, Gokudera! Ken says he's at their place," he yelled, ducking into the car. Gokudera wasn't far behind. As he expected, Ken was inside already giving directions to the driver. He turned back around in his seat once they finally got moving.

"Geez," Ken grumbled.

"The Tenth better be okay," Gokudera warned.

"Tough luck," Ken replied, taking his teeth out. As his body began to morph back to normal, he continued, "He's gone all funny in the head. What the heck's going on?"

"What do you mean funny?" Yamamoto asked in concern, ignoring Ken's question.

"He's acting wierd. He could always see through Mukuro-sama's illusions before," Ken explained with an look of confusion. "But he started crying and blubbering at the kid one that Mukuro-sama showed him when he came over. Now will someone tell me what's going on?"

Gokudera and Yamamoto simply looked at him silently, their minds trying to comprend what they'd just been told. They looked at each other, not believing that Mukuro would do something so cruel.

"H-he didn't..." Yamamoto breathed. Gokudera could only shake his head and continue to look at Ken in shock.

Mukuro would. But why?

* * *

Yamamoto and Gokudera stopped next to where Mukuro was watching Tsuna with sad and mournful eyes. Both men's faces became covered in horror, seeing their boss cradling the illusion of a small child. Gokudera was the first to react, grabbing Mukuro by the collar and pinning him against the wall.

"What the fuck did you do?!" He screamed into the man's face. Mukuro paid him no mind, his attention centered around keeping the illusion up. He was already at the ends of his power, having held it in place for nearly an hour. He couldn't allow this single illusion to break Tsuna's mind. There had to be a way to fix the problem that had come from simply granting Tsuna's request to see the child.

Tsuna looked up, noticing them for the first time. "Look, Yamamoto. It's my son," he said softly with a bright smile. The look seemed wrong on Tsuna's worn and haggard face, yet Yamamoto couldn't say why. His heart clenched at that look.

It continued to squeeze when he looked down at the child Tsuna held up for him to see. The little boy was dozing sleepily in Tsuna's arms, a picture of happy normality. Just like Tsuna had described from his dreams, the child had Haru's dark hair yet was tumbled messily like Tsuna's. With him asleep, Yamamoto couldn't see whether he had Tsuna's doe-like eyes, but he knew that the child probably did. It was a flawless illusion, right down to how he was sucking his thumb with a small pouty mouth so reminiscent of Tsuna's own.

"Tsuna..." Yamamoto said carefully, kneeling down next to them. "Tsuna, this isn't real. Even if your baby was still alive, he wouldn't be this old yet."

Tsuna ignored the swordsman's frighteningly accurate logic and began rocking the child again, once again lost in his own little world. This was his child. Mukuro had brought him back from that place for him. He could take his son home once he woke up and they could be a family. He refused to believe otherwise.

Gokudera looked back at Mukuro with a glare. Mukuro returned the look and forced himself to talk regardless of his energy level.

"I didn't expect him to react like this," he panted with sweat forming on his head. Holding the illusion was becoming more difficult by the moment. He could let Chrome take over, but there would be a momentary break that Tsuna might react quite badly to. "He came to me wanting to die, so I took a look in his head to see why. I saw that the reason he wanted to die was because he couldn't see this child, so I let him see the boy. I didn't look deep enough."

"Get rid of it," Gokudera growled.

"If I do that, your precious boss might break. If you don't want that, give me something to work with. I can't go back into Sawada's mind without getting caught up in his delusion now," Mukuro said firmly. Gokudera let him go while Yamamoto stood and walked back over to them.

"Tsuna told me about his dreams once," Yamamoto offered. "The kid in it always had a Dying Will Flame before it was over and it only came to him when Haru needed something."

"I can work with that," Mukuro mumbled, narrowing his eyes in focus. He sank to his knees and braced himself up with his trident to conserve energy. This would be tricky. If he did it wrong, Sawada would still be in denial. If he did it right, the mafioso would be able to return to normal. Whether or not he even had the power to do it at all was still to be seen. Yamamoto and Gokudera ignored him and quietly watched the scene, not wanting to break Mukuro's tired and tenuous concentration.

The child in Tsuna's arms squirmed a bit before waking. Yamamoto felt like weeping when he saw the child's bright eyes. They were everything Tsuna had described. And his voice when he spoke was so innocent and loving that it was heartbreaking.

"Did you have a nice nap?" Tsuna asked softly with a gentle smile. The child nodded happily with a bright smile on his face. He stood up in Tsuna's lap and kissed him on the cheek. When he pulled back, the Dying Will Flame was brightly lit in his eyes and on his head.

"No..." Tsuna moaned. It was real, not a dream. It was real! Yet the sight of the Dying Will Flame screamed otherwise.

"I've got to go, Papa," the child said softly, confirming his worst fear. "But Mommy needs something."

"What is that?" Tsuna began softly crying while the words were pulled unwillingly from him.

"Mommy needs Papa," he giggled. He started to wave, his little fist clenching and unclenching in a childish way of saying good-bye.

"Wait," Tsuna cried as his son began to loose form. Slowly, the colors of the child's body faded into that of an orange flame. "I don't want you to go," he wailed around his tears.

"It's okay, Papa," the flame said from where it hovered in Tsuna's lap. "I'll just be playing hide and seek. Can you find me in Mommy's smile?"

With that, the flame flickered out, disappearing in a silent instant. Yamamoto and Gokudera looked at each other while Tsuna looked into the empty air in shock. Where had Mukuro come up with that? They looked down at him in question, wondering why he'd had the illusion say something so strange. Their curiosity became surprise when they saw Chrome's form sleeping propped up by her trident.

"How long ago did he run out of power?" Yamamoto asked into the silence with wonder in his voice. Gokudera could only shake his head. He had to have lasted until the end. The alternative was too hard to believe. Instead of answering, he walked forward to his boss, leaving Chrome in Ken's care. Yamamoto joined him.

"Tenth," Gokudera whispered softly, putting a hand of support on his boss' shoulder. "Lets go home, Tenth." Tsuna looked up, wiping away the last of his tears with his arm. He nodded in acceptance.

"Haru needs me," he replied softly.

"We all do, Tsuna," Yamamoto corrected. "You're an important part of all of us."

"You all just get hurt because of me," Tsuna objected in guilt. "You'd be better off with someone else."

"That's not true, Tenth," Gokudera said softly. "You're not the boss because the Ninth said so. We don't follow you for that kind of thing. We follow you because you do your best for us. Not as a boss, but as a...a f-f-friend. Sometimes we might get hurt, but that's okay, Tenth. We're willing to take that hurt because you'd do the same for us. That's what it means to be Family. We all make mistakes, but you try harder than anyone else not to make any. We know that, Tenth, and that's why it wouldn't be the same if you gave up and left us to someone else."

With every word, tears began welling up in Tsuna's eyes again. "Gokudera," he cried, flinging himself into his right-hand's arms. Gokudera's arms stayed at his side in surprise for a moment, but he quickly overcame it and held his weeping boss. This kind of thing was what Yamamoto knew how to deal with, but he thought he knew what to do.

He kept his mouth shut and let his boss cry.

The wink of encouragement from Yamamoto told him it was the right thing. He tried to pat the Tenth's back once to try and soothe him, but it just felt strange. So, instead, he just sat there like a lump and kept his arms wrapped around his boss until he'd cried himself out. Eventually, his boss fell silent in his arms. When Gokudera raised his arms to look and see if he was okay, he had to smile at the sleeping face of the Tenth. He'd literally cried himself to sleep when his exhaustion finally caught up with him.

"Come on," Yamamoto whispered carefully so as not to wake him. "Let's get him home." With Yamamoto's help, Gokudera stood with his boss still in his arms and took him home. He reminded himself to thank Mukuro later, although he refused to apologize for grabbing his collar. The look on his sleeping boss' face was one of acceptance; the last step in dealing with death.

He'd been angry at his child's death. After that, there had been the depression he'd went through with Xanxus. That depression had continued and had brought him to Mukuro. Thanks to Mukuro's interference, his boss had been able to pass from that into plain denial and from denial into finally acceptance. Gokudera still didn't know if the flame at the end had been Mukuro's illusion or not, but he knew one thing.

The Tenth would be okay.

* * *

Ryohei knew something was up. Not a single person had been there when his plane landed. He would have thought Tsuna would have at least sent a car for him. He'd been in Japan with Kyoko for almost four months before he'd finally felt she was back to normal. Did no one miss him? He knew that couldn't be the case, so that only left one thing.

Something had happened.

That thought was only reinforced when he saw Gokudera sitting in a chair outside Tsuna's door. He looked like hell and was obviously fighting sleep. He looked up at the boxer's approach and the look he gave rocked Ryohei back. It was a 'thank goodness you're here' kind of relieved look. Gokudera had _never _been relieved to see Ryohei.

"What happened?" Ryohei asked seriously.

"The long version or the short?" Gokudera lit up a cigarette to keep himself awake while he talked. Before putting it up to his lips, he looked at it for a long moment, almost as if he wasn't sure he should smoke it. Ryohei raised an eyebrow when he noticed Gokudera's hands shaking a bit from exhaustion and the tears in his eyes when he finally started smoking it.

"Short," Ryohei answered, sensing Gokudera's tenuous state.

"The Tenth got Haru pregnant and was going to have a son. Some scatterbrained woman at Don Girarde didn't like that, so she had Haru attacked yesterday and they lost the baby." Gokudera sagged a bit, knowing he had some blame in not keeping the Tenth's son safe. "The Tenth took it pretty rough, so we're keeping an eye on him."

"Holy hell," Ryohei cursed. "Maybe I should have asked for the long version."

"Ah," Gokudera agreed, while Ryohei tried to wrap his mind around the blunt truth. "That version would tell you just how bad the Tenth took it, but honestly I'm pretty worn out." He looked up at Ryohei hopefully. "Think you could take over for a few hours so I could get some sleep? We brought the Tenth home around noon, so he should be out for a while longer. If he wakes up before I do, just don't let him go anywhere alone."

"Go get some sleep, little-bro," Ryohei told him firmly. Gokudera didn't even look twice at the name. He was truly that tired. Yamamoto had been sent to bed first, considering he'd actually woke up early the previous day for target practice, plus he'd had to deal with the media circus late into the night. Ryohei put his bag down next to the unoccupied chair and sat, watching while Gokudera wandered unsteadily down the hall to his room.

A while later, Cress showed up and took his luggage to his room for him, bringing him back a boxing magazine for him to read. He'd also offered to bring him some food, but Ryohei had eaten during one of his flight layovers. They both stopped mid-conversation when Tsuna's door creaked open. Ryohei was speechless at how thin and haggard Tsuna looked. 'He took it pretty rough' had been the understatement of the century. Suddenly, the need for a guard on his door made so much more sense.

"Do you need something, Lord Tsuna?" Cress asked gently.

"I want to see Haru. She's still down in the medical bay," he replied softly.

"I'll go with you to see her, little-bro," Ryohei offered. Tsuna blinked and did a double-take, not having noticed Ryohei at all when he first came out.

"When did you get back?" He mumbled tiredly.

"A little while ago," Ryohei smiled. "Everyone was napping, so I figured I'd wait until you woke up to say hello."

"Oh," Tsuna said, bowing his head. "Did anyone tell you what happened?"

"I got the short version," Ryohei answered carefully. In an attempt to distract him, Ryohei put an arm around his shoulder and guided him toward the building's elevators. Unlike their facility in Japan, the elevators here weren't hidden in their rooms. Instead, the access panel within each elevator was hidden with only two visible buttons for the first and second floor. He stopped in front of the set they normally used, surprised at the large hole melted through it and the tape to keep anyone from stepping into the empty pit beyond.

"Um, I think we'll have to use a different set," Ryohei commented, not wanting to ask what had happened to it. He had a feeling he knew, but it would probably be better not to ask Tsuna about it. Instead, he led Tsuna over to a different set and within moments, they were whisked down into the underground facility.

Dr. Shamal looked up at their entrance. He gave Tsuna a mournful look but was ignored. Tsuna walked past him and sat down next to Haru's bed, simply waiting for when she might decide to wake. In his place, Ryohei asked the doctor how she was doing.

"She'll be okay," Dr. Shamal replied, collapsing into a chair. "The drug they hit her with was pretty potent. She's been out since Tsuna brought her in. We took care of...of everything while she was still knocked out. We'd like to keep her under observation for a few days, but otherwise she's healthy."

"Since she's been asleep, she doesn't know yet," Tsuna mumbled without looking at them. Dr. Shamal gave Tsuna another mournful look even though he couldn't see it.

"No, not yet," he confirmed gently.

"Can you leave us alone?" Tsuna asked, his head still bowed down. "I'd rather be the one to tell her."

"Little-bro..."

"If that's what you want," Dr. Shamal agreed. Tsuna nodded silently to reiterate that it was indeed what he wanted. Before Ryohei could object, Dr. Shamal pulled him out of the room, leaving Tsuna to wait alone.


	59. Chapter 59 Hope

Author's note: Here's the chapter you've all been waiting on! Reviews will help me to determine whether or not this story is worth still working on, so please hook me up with some feedback! Yes, I know I'm a review-whore, but it's serious inspiration and motivation!

Anyway, I hope you like it!

* * *

Tsuna looked at his beloved Haru's sleeping face. He dreaded what would happen when she woke while at the same time he wanted her to wake more than anything. Fear of her reaction made Tsuna start shaking in his chair. He didn't want to see her cry. He didn't want her hurting and in pain because of his failure to protect her. All he had ever wanted was to make her happy.

Shaking in his chair for a different reason, Tsuna looked up at Haru's face again. He could take that pain away from her. Now, before she woke, he could use a Delving Flame to enter her mind and burn away the memories of the attack and their child. It wouldn't be hard. She would be able to wake up like nothing had happened. She wouldn't hate him then.

But could he do it? It was equal to mental rape since he'd be doing it regardless of her choice.

Was it the lesser of two hells? Was the pain that he would recieve by the knowledge that he'd taken something irreplaceable from her less important than the pain that she would receive when she woke and found out that their child was gone?

Deciding that getting rid of her pain was more important than his own, he sat on the side of her bed with every intention to destroy her memories. He even went so far as to touch his Delving Flame to her head to begin searching. However, the flame he linked to wasn't hers. Sensing hers, he could tell the difference.

Haru had two flames.

Almost as surprising, Haru's small flame was white. She had the rare Hephaestus Flame that he'd only ever seen from Patchwork. The Flame that wasn't a Flame. The Flame that had no attributes but reacted to the attributes of those around her. The mirror and the net. Haru was both of these things and he'd never once realized it before. He had always known that the moon reflected the sun without wondering the hows and whys. Now he knew.

Completely forgetting the reason he'd touched her mind, he pulled back when he identified the color of the second Flame hidden within her. One sentence revolved around his head over and over again, making him turn and walk out of the room in dumb shock.

_"I'll just be playing hide and seek. Can you find me in Mommy's smile?"_

"Little bro...?" Ryohei asked when he started to walk past without saying anything. "Did Haru already wake up...?"

"Only his body died," Tsuna mumbled to himself, lost in his own thoughts. He continued walking down the hall, completely oblivious to the worried looks Ryohei sent him. "Fate hasn't forsaken me after all."

"What are you talking about, little bro?"

"Only his body died!" Tsuna repeated loudly with a suddenly brilliant smile. "I can still save him!"

"Little bro...?" Ryohei asked, not understanding in the least. Tsuna waved his question away, his mind already going ahead to what he needed to do.

"Have someone get my plane ready," he ordered while he began jogging down the hall. "And have Dr. Shamal get Haru prepped for travel!"

"Where are we going?" Ryohei called while he started running after Tsuna.

"Japan!"

"Tsuna!" Ryohei yelled again. He grabbed Tsuna and yanked him to a stop in effort to try and get some sense out of his friend. The reaction to being stopped wasn't what he expected, though. Ryohei found himself summarily slammed against the wall and Tsuna looked at him with eyes full of fierce determination.

"Don't try to stop me, Ryohei," he growled with his face mere inches from his own. "I won't hesitate to kill anyone that gets in my way right now. Just, please, do what I ask."

"Alright," Ryohei agreed, sensing that Tsuna wasn't joking. He was serious. He _would _kill anyone that tried to stop whatever he was planning. Even one of his friends. Knowing that Tsuna wasn't in his right mind, he soothingly agreed until his friend was calmed. "Alright, little bro," Ryohei repeated. "I'm not going to stop you. But where are you going right now? Octopus-head was really worried about you and asked me to watch over you. I can't let you just run off on your own."

"I'm going to go tell Gokudera that he's still a godfather!" He said, his expression once again being overwhelmed by a bright smile. Reminded of what he wanted to do, Tsuna turned and started jogging down the hall toward the elevators again with single-minded determination.

"I really should have gotten the long version," Ryohei grumbled to himself while he watched Tsuna go.

* * *

Gokudera shut the door of his room softly while he tried to hold himself together. The knowledge of the death of his unborn godson hadn't really struck him until he'd smoked a cigarette and the implications hit. He'd been too focused in taking care of the Tenth himself that he hadn't had time to really come to terms with it. But now...now he couldn't hold it at bay.

It didn't matter if he smoked because the reason for stopping didn't exist anymore.

Forcing himself to not cry in mourning, he reached up to answer a knock on the other side of the secret passage. Knowing who it probably was, Gokudera flipped the switch for the security cameras along with the switch for opening the door. Just like he predicted, Yamamoto peeked his head past the Vongola tapestry that hid the hallway between their rooms from view. His eyes were bloodshot from his own private weeping and he looked like he hadn't slept a wink since being sent to bed.

"You look like hell," Gokudera said quietly.

"So do you," Yamamoto replied with a sad smile. As if the words released something inside Gokudera, his shoulders began shaking from his suppressed despair. Seeing how hard the dynamite specialist was fighting it, Yamamoto walked forward and reached out for his friend. With a single, soft kiss, Yamamoto whispered to him the keywords that always made him open up when they were alone. The very words that Gokudera had whispered to him after the first time they'd become intimate with one another. "You're not alone. Can't you let me be there for you?"

Like a floodgate had been opened, Gokudera stopped fighting at the words. He sank down to his knees and began weeping in Yamamoto's arms. With every tear, he poured out his guilt and shame and the pain he felt over the loss of his unborn godson. Yamamoto just held him while he mourned and wished that he could do something more. His own tears silently fell down his cheeks and into Gokudera's silver hair while the man continued to sob without any shred of pride. They both knew that the other would never reveal what happened when they were alone together. That trust alone allowed them to bare their souls without fear.

After nearly half an hour of weeping, Gokudera finally started to regain control of himself. He sniffed rather than sobbed, although he didn't pull away from their comfortable embrace.

"Feel better now?" Yamamoto whispered. He knew he did himself. Sharing pain and heartache with someone else helped more than tears shed alone ever could. With another sniff, Gokudera nodded in his arms. When he looked up, Yamamoto chuckled softly at his red, blotchy eyes and nose brightly noticeable against his pale complexion. "You're a mess," he smiled tenderly. "I bet the girls back home would be shocked if they saw you right now."

"Like I care what they think," Gokudera replied. He, too, smiled though, knowing how bad he probably looked. He had never understood how girls could cry so artfully at times. Whenever he had ever cried, truly cried, his face turned blotchy and his nose turned red. He could remember being made fun of for it when he was younger, which was one of the reasons he rarely cried. Only his Family had ever saw him like this now and even then it was only after they'd loosened him up with a few drinks.

"Well, you better go wash you face," Yamamoto suggested. Nodding softly in agreement, Gokudera stood and started walking toward the bathroom. Yamamoto stood, too, wondering if he could steal the silver-haired man's bed. It had been too hard to sleep alone, but maybe he could rest if he wasn't. Any thoughts of sleep flew out of his head, however, when Tsuna burst through the door with a wide smile on his face.

"Gokudera!" Tsuna yelled. He stumbled to a stop and did a double-take, wondering if he went into the wrong room when he saw only Yamamoto. Then his face cleared when he saw Gokudera dash out of the bathroom in automatic reaction to hearing Tsuna yell his name.

"Tenth!" He exclaimed in return.

"It's going to be okay," he said with a large smile. He rushed forward and embraced Gokudera before the silver-haired man could do more than blink. Trading looks, Gokudera and Yamamoto were in shock over Tsuna's sudden happiness. Oblivious to it, Tsuna lifted Gokudera up off the ground and spun him around while he continued, "He's not dead! We can still save him! He was playing hide and seek just like he said and I found him!"

"Tsuna..." Yamamoto began, thinking his friend had been knocked off his rocker again. Tsuna came to a stop and put Gokudera down. He dashed forward to Yamamoto and kissed his forehead enthusiastically.

"Don't worry, I'm not crazy," he said despite everything saying he was. "Both of you pack. We're leaving for Japan immediately!"

"What's going on Tenth?" Gokudera asked, wanting some sense out of his boss.

"The Flame! The Flame is still there!" He exclaimed like it explained everything.

"What Flame? What are you talking about, Tsuna?" Yamamoto inquired gently.

"Inside Haru! There's still two Flames inside Haru!" Tsuna looked at his two friends in exasperation when they continued to look blankly at him. "One is Haru's," he said carefully so that they would understand without him having to repeat it. "The other one isn't."

"You mean..." Gokudera mumbled, trying not to let his hope run away with him. At his boss' nod, he couldn't contain it anymore, however. With a whoop of joy, he picked up Yamamoto in place of his boss and started spinning him around.

"How's that possible?" Yamamoto asked worriedly, trying not to let Gokudera's enthusiasm rub off on him.

"I don't know," Tsuna admitted. He tried to think back to the little bit of what the Ninth had taught him about flames during their past year of training. "It's might be because Haru's flame lacks any attributes while the baby's is a Sky Flame and therefore has equal amounts of every attribute. It's surviving because the two don't conflict."

"But how--"

"Does it matter?" Tsuna interrupted with a large smile. "Just hurry up and get ready. I've already got Ryohei getting Haru prepped for the trip." He started to walk back out of the room with every intention to go toss some things in a suitcase for himself and Haru.

"Wait," Yamamoto called, still not understanding. "Why are we going to Japan?!"

"Where else are we going to get a Demitirus Ring?" Tsuna answered before disappearing out the door.

Yamamoto and Gokudera looked at each other in sudden understanding. Demitirus metal could only be created by those with the Hephaestus Flame and the only person they knew that had harnessed it was Patchwork. If forged correctly, a ring made out of the stuff could harness anyone's flame and give it the ability to gain an independent life and consciousness. Tsuna was planning on transferring the lingering Flame of his son into a ring in order to let him live without a body. It would be tricky and dangerous but it was better than giving up and letting his son's Flame stay trapped inside Haru.

"Go pack, Yamamoto," Gokudera called from his closet. "I'm almost done here. I'll go help lawn-head get Haru ready after I hand this off to be sent ahead to the plane. You stick with the Tenth after you pack to make sure he doesn't push himself too hard."

"Don't you want to take care of Tsuna?" Yamamoto asked in surprise.

"I am," Gokudera snapped. "I have to make sure Haru gets to Japan in one piece. By doing that, I'm not only taking care of his son, I'm taking care of him. Unless you want to explain to the Tenth why we weren't careful enough when transporting her?"

"I got it," Yamamoto replied in understanding before dashing for his own room.

* * *

The Ninth nursed his drink while he mourned with Iemitsu over the loss of Tsuna's son. It was a harsh blow to both of them. While losses were expected in underground warfare, this had been nothing more than a cruel twist of fate. The loss of any Family was heart-breaking, but the loss of a child was even more so. That's what made Tsuna's smiling entrance with Yamamoto behind him all that more shocking. 

"Tsunayoshi?" The Ninth asked uneasily.

"You should be resting, son," Iemitsu interjected while he tried to forget the way his son had knocked him out at their last meeting.

"No time," Tsuna replied with an ever-growing grin. "Go pack, dad. The plane's almost ready to go. Oh, and have someone go pick up Hibari and Chrome. Tell her she can bring Ken and Chikusa if she wants."

"Plane? Pack? Are we going somewhere?" Iemitsu asked in confusion.

"No time to explain, dad. Just please go," Tsuna begged. "I'll explain later." Iemitsu looked at the Ninth in askance, unsure of what to do with his son. The Ninth just shook his head and signaled for Iemitsu to do like he'd been asked. Once he was gone, Tsuna walked up to the Ninth's desk and leaned over it.

"I need my gloves back," Tsuna said seriously.

"I don't have them," the Ninth replied in honesty. "Xanxus is still holding onto them. He said he wasn't letting you have them back until he'd seen you were in your right mind again."

"Can you call him here, please? I'm in a bit of a hurry," Tsuna requested with a small smile, knowing that Xanxus probably hadn't said it so nicely. Sensing that his heir would be upset if he refused, the Ninth did like he was asked before inquiring about the situation. By the time Tsuna finished explaining and Xanxus finally arrived, the old man was gaping in his chair.

"I'm not returning them yet," Xanxus said immediately upon his arrival. "Not until I'm sure I'm not going to have to chase after your shitty ass and drag you back here again."

"Fine," Tsuna agreed, bringing the man to a stop. "Then go pack. You're coming too."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Xanxus growled.

"I might need my gloves for what needs to be done. If you're not going to give them back to me, then you have no choice but to come with me until you do." Tsuna smiled at Xanxus, ignoring the man's glowering face over being ordered around. "You have an hour to get to the airport," he added before walking out the door. With a shrug at the seething man, Yamamoto followed.

Tsuna led the way down to where Gokudera and Ryohei were aiding Dr. Shamal in transferring Haru onto a movable bed. She still hadn't woken and they were checking and double-checking everything to ensure she wasn't harmed in the transfer. Until she did wake up, no one wanted to make any mistakes for Tsuna's sake. It took nearly half an hour to get her transferred to the airport and another half hour to get her situated in the bed at the back of the plane.

When Tsuna left Dr. Shamal with her and finally started to go back to the front of the plane to talk to the pilot, he found Hibari and Xanxus at each other's throats. Literally. Gokudera and Yamamoto were laying unconscious to the side, having been struck down without mercy when they tried to interfere. Ryohei and his father were hovering over them worriedly, having given up on stopping the two men. Chrome and her two companions were standing in the plane's hatch, watching the scene with wide eyes.

"Shut up and sit down!" Tsuna bellowed. Hibari and Xanxus both stopped and looked at Tsuna like he was a totally different person. As they should. Tsuna was radiating his anger and menace to a dangerous degree. Hibari raised an eyebrow at not only Tsuna's aura, but the haggard and thin state of his body. "If either of you interfere with this plane taking off or landing safely, I'll kill both of you. Don't think I can't just because I don't have my gloves."

"You're not playing games, are you, kid?" Xanxus replied, letting go of Hibari's throat. Hibari squeezed tighter on his opponent's throat for a moment before he, too, let go. It wasn't any fun if Xanxus didn't fight back. Xanxus growled in warning for a moment before once again turning back to Tsuna. "I don't know what's going on with you, brat, but you grew some big fucking balls."

Ignoring him now that he wasn't making trouble, Tsuna went forward to talk to the pilot while his father and Ryohei attended to Gokudera and Yamamoto. Chrome ducked into the next cabin with her two friends, not wanting to get between Xanxus and Hibari if they once again decided to fight. With a single order, he sent their plane down the runway with his mind only focused on one thing.

He had to save his son.

Halfway between Italy and Japan, Dr. Shamal came to get him. The pilots tried to hide their sighs of relief when he left the cockpit, but didn't quite manage. Tsuna ignored their reactions, too intent on the fact that Haru had finally woken up. Hibari and Xanxus were staring daggers at one another when he walked through, but otherwise were being disciplined. Everyone else were trying not to let the tenseness between the two bother them, but it was a tenuous facade. Uncaring of everyone's uneasy silence, he ducked into the tail-cabin and looked at Haru in dismay. She was sitting up in the bed weeping since Dr. Shamal had already told her what had happened. The moment that Tsuna sat down beside her, she dove into his arms in tears.

"It's okay," Tsuna shushed her while he ran his hands through her hair soothingly. "It's not too late. I'll get him back."

"But Dr. Shamal said---" she sobbed.

"I know," Tsuna said, unable to hold back his own tears. He softly cried with her when it hit him yet again that their son's body was gone. "I know," he repeated through his tears. "But it's not over yet. We can still save part of him."

"Part of him?" Haru repeated, looking up at her tear-faced beloved. "You mean it, Tsu-kun? We can still save him?"

"Yes," Tsuna confirmed with a small nod. He wiped away his tears and looked into Haru's hope-filled eyes. "I touched your mind while you were sleeping. Our son is still alive in you. I felt him. We're going to Japan so that we can get the tools we need to let him come out. I know that it won't be the same as if he was born the normal way, but we can still save him. Just...Just trust me, okay?" She nodded and lay her head down in his lap, still tired from everything her body had been through. Not wanting to be away from her, he stayed with her for the rest of the flight. Several times, Dr. Shamal came in to check on her. Each time, Tsuna let the man do what he needed to, never once stopping his hand from running through her hair soothingly.

At one point, he began dozing beside her after she fell asleep again. He still wasn't fully recovered from everything he'd went through and he'd been moving under pure willpower for a long while now. Had Hibari and Xanxus not taken his warning, it was likely he wouldn't have been able to actually go through with his threat. His body was exhausted and even the few hours of fitful sleep he'd gotten after returning from his visit to Mukuro wasn't enough to replenish it. So he slept curled up around Haru protectively and dreamed of his son, knowing that a trial was still waiting for when he woke.

* * *

"Will you stop staring at me, scum?" Xanxus growled at Hibari. 

"I'm curious as to why Sawada brought the boss-monkey with him," Hibari replied with a small, mocking smile. The two ignored the sudden tense silence of the others in the cabin. Rather than rise to the insult, Xanxus walked over to the wet bar and poured himself a drink, making several people sigh in relief when he didn't go for Hibari's throat.

"It's not like I want to be here," Xanxus said after he drank several shots to keep himself calm. "The old man ordered for me to come along with the brat when I refused to give him back his shitty gloves."

"Oh?" Hibari asked with a raised eyebrow. "What would make someone such as yourself muzzle your rival rather than meet him head to head?"

"I didn't feel like having the brat's dead body on my hands again," Xanxus growled, throwing back another shot to disperse the memory.

"What do you mean the Tenth's dead body?" Gokudera blurted. Xanxus glared around the cabin, wishing that he could toss a few people out of the hatch at the question. Rather than do so and thereby get both the kid and the Ninth pissed off, he tossed back another shot and answered.

"Ah," he replied, grateful for the quickly calming effects of the V Special he was downing. "When I finally chased him down, he was face down in the middle of the damn Mediterranean. The shit-for-brains was already dead when I caught up."

"As in dead dead?" Yamamoto repeated in disbelief.

"Dead as in not breathing, no pulse, and he was turning fucking blue," Xanxus spat temperamentally. "Why the hell do you think he looks like he's been run over by a damn truck? He was border-line from ever coming back before I dragged his ass back to life. Not only had he totally wasted his damn flame killing that son of a bitch, but he flew for who knows how many damn hours before taking the fucking head-dive." He snarled to himself in dislike, knowing that he was touchier than usual. "I'm not giving the kid back his damn gloves until I know his fucking head is on straight. He's not fucking allowed to kill himself because the only fucking person allowed to kill him is me."

"I see," Hibari replied calmly with a knowing smile. Trying to ignore it, Xanxus grabbed the whole bottle of V Special and grumpily walked into the next cabin, all the while cursing under his breath about brats and his desire to wring their damn necks.

"Okay," Ryohei interjected into the silence. "Someone better sit down and give me the extreme long version. I'm at the limit here."

Smiling at the boxer's exasperation, Yamamoto sat down next to him and gave him the long version. It took the rest of the plan ride to go over it all and fill him in, during which time Hibari silently sat in the corner of the cabin and pretended to read a book. By the time the plane landed and Gokudera went to get Tsuna, Hibari had broken off the facade and was openly listening. There was a glint of understanding hidden under a gleam of respect in the man's eyes. Ryohei, on the other hand, was struck dumb by all the information.

"I'll be staying in Headquarters since I wasn't able to properly prepare for our sudden return," Hibari decided suddenly. "I doubt you'll see me, however. I have my own business to tend to during our temporary stay after all."

"Tsuna had a room prepared for you in case you ever had the need," Yamamoto replied without a hint of mockery. "I'm sure he'd appreciate knowing you were within reach if something happened."

"Very well," Hibari accepted. "In return for the room, I'll get in contact with the Disciplinary Committee and have them on the lookout for any suspicious people. If there are, I'll take care of it so that the little herbivore can fix his chipped tooth without interference."

"Thank you, Hibari," Yamamoto replied warmly.

"Don't be mistaken," Hibari warned. "I'm not helping out of pity. I simply refuse to be in Sawada's debt for a simple thing like sleeping arrangements."

"If you say so," Yamamoto said, hiding his face and the knowing smile on it. Before he could say more, the plane finally came to a stop and the hatch popped open. Hibari was the first one out the door the moment the stairs were connected. He was completely gone by the time Tsuna and the rest disembarked.


	60. Chapter 60 Realization

Tsuna's mother was dismayed at Tsuna's state when he walked in ahead of the large group of people. Determined to make him healthy again, she immediately sent Toshi to buy enough food from the market for thirty people. Tsuna let her do what she wanted, ignoring the curious looks from Fuuta, Lambo, and I-Pin over the fact that he was carrying Haru instead of letting her walk. She was still asleep from the plane ride and was nestled comfortably against his chest.

After taking her up to his room to rest, he had his father program the room's elevator to allow Dr. Shamal access. This way, the man could go between the underground facility and Tsuna's room with ease during his care of Haru. After that, he went to ensure that Chrome wasn't having any issues with her room. It was a massive suite taking up one whole side of the first floor of the Guardian's wing with adjoining rooms for Ken and Chikusa. The three seemed to be settled in comfortably, although they had questions in their eyes after having seen Toshi. Ignoring those questioning looks, Tsuna headed toward the room being set up for Xanxus.

He almost had to laugh at the look on Xanxus' face. Tsuna's mother had taken charge of him and set to making him feel welcome. She took his touchy nature in stride and seemed completely oblivious to how dangerous he was. When he started tossing out curses, she admonished him over it like he was a child. This left Xanxus flabbergasted and looking like he'd just been hit in the face by a brick. By the time she left him so that she could go start preparing dinner, he was bowing respectfully in apology. Marveling at his own actions, the sheepish yet bewildered look on his face was priceless.

"How did she...?" Xanxus muttered to himself once she was gone.

"That's my mom for you," Tsuna laughed. "I've never seen anyone get angry at her. Not even the Flame of Wrath can withstand her invisible powers."

"Apparently so," Xanxus agreed, still in awe at how quickly she'd made him submit without ever raising her voice or her hand. He shook his head to clear it now that she was gone. "What now? You can't expect me to stick around here with that woman."

"I was just waiting for mom to finish with you," Tsuna explained with a small smile. "We'll grab Gokudera and head down to Patchwork's. Yamamoto and Ryohei can stay here with the rest of the Family."

"Lets go," Xanxus replied, openly wanting to get out of the estate and thereby get away from Tsuna's mother. Tsuna just smiled softly to himself and led the way, trying to suppress a giggle over the hitman's weakness. Who would of thought that out of all the scary things in the world, the only thing Xanxus would fear was Tsuna's mother? Then again, Xanxus hadn't ever really been around a loving and caring mother before. It was probably a new experience for him since his own mother had sold him out before he'd hit puberty in effort to get her clutches on the Ninth. The thought stopped Tsuna's internal laughter and made his insides clench in sympathy and understanding for the older man.

The ride to Patchwork's was done in silence while Xanxus tried to figure out how Tsuna's mother had controlled him and Tsuna turned his mind to the questions he needed to ask Patchwork. Gokudera just sat in silence, completely unsure of the contemplative atmosphere. When the car came to a stop, he leaped into action in relief. After checking the rooftops and looking around for any danger, he gave Tsuna the okay to exit the vehicle. Tsuna wanted to sigh, considering that he'd never had to go through such formalities when working with Xanxus. Yet, it was something that Gokudera felt he needed to do, so Tsuna let him while ignoring the raised eyebrow Xanxus sent his way.

Gokudera and Xanxus stayed outside at his request, since Tsuna knew that Patchwork wouldn't want someone with Xanxus' type of Flame in her shop. Tsuna left Gokudera with him in hopes that he could keep the man under control. Like normal, the inside of Patchwork's dusty jewelry shop was empty without a single customer or attendant in sight. At the sound of the bell hanging over the door, however, he could hear the familiar banging of Kiri, Patchwork's daughter, up above followed by the sound of her clattering hurriedly downstairs.

"Sorry for the wait! How can I--" Kiri paused the moment she entered the room from the door behind the counter, seeing who it was. "Oh, it's only you. You planning on getting Mama drunk again?"

"I'm here to buy something. Can I talk to your mother?" He asked with a soft smile at her question. It had been years since they'd last had a drinking contest, but apparently Kiri hadn't forgiven him for always winning considering it meant her mother had always ended up drunk.

"Fine," she replied acidly. "Mama!" She yelled from where she stood. "Tuna's here to see you." She smirked softly, having gotten some sort of revenge on him by purposely saying his name wrong. When Patchwork showed up, however, it was Tsuna's turn to smirk. Her mother cuffed her across the head for her attitude before sending her back upstairs.

"Sorry about her," Patchwork apologized. Tsuna looked her over for a second in surprise. He had thought she was muscular before, but in the time since he'd last seen her, she'd put on even more bulk. For a middle-aged woman, she looked like she could snap Xanxus in two without breaking a sweat. "So," she said, breaking into his thoughts, "You here for business or pleasure?"

"Business," Tsuna replied immediately. "I need a Demitirus Ring as fast as you can make one and I need to know everything you can tell me about your Flame."

"One step at a time. Is the ring for you or someone else?" Patchwork said.

"Someone else," he grimaced. He knew Patchwork's rule. She wouldn't make a ring unless she approved of the user's Flame first. "You can't see him, but I can tell you it's a Sky Flame."

"Hmm," Patchwork muttered in contemplation. "I'll take your word on that, drinking buddy to drinking buddy. But you owe me."

"All you can drink down at Club 27," Tsuna promised. "I didn't get to see you on my last visit, but I turned the Mountain into a bar."

"Deal," she replied immediately. "How much are you paying me for this? You know my normal fee for a Demitirus Ring is ten million."

"I'll give you fifty if you can get me the ring by the end of the day," Tsuna answered. He leaned forward across the counter, trying to let her see the desperation in his eyes. "It's very, very important."

"Something to do with why you need to know about my Flame?" She replied.

"M-my son," Tsuna explained softly, trying not to crack from the strain that came with bringing it up. "My son d-died, but his Flame is still alive. Haru has the same Flame as you and somehow she now has his, too. I need the ring so that we can get it out of Haru and to replace his body."

"She has two flames?" Patchwork said in surprise. "And she has my Flame?"

"Yes," Tsuna confirmed with a sigh. "I need to know how to make it so her Flame doesn't go into the ring instead of his. The only way to figure that out is to know more about her flame."

"Don't worry about that," Patchwork laughed, finally understanding his problem. "If she has my flame, it can't go into a Demitirus Ring."

"What...?" Tsuna gasped in askance. He looked down at the black rings on her fingers, one of which harnessed her partner, the flame-dove named Adamant.

"I know I used Adamant as an example back when I first showed you how the rings work, but that's just because my ring works the same as those do. But there _is _a slight difference, though. The metal forged for a Demitirus Ring meant to hold a Hephaestus Flame has to be done using the Sky Flame. It's one of those natural quirks."

"A Sky Flame...?" Tsuna repeated. "I didn't know there was anyone else outside Vongola with it ."

"It's really rare," Patchwork agreed. "But you're not unique. There's only one person in my clan with it and it takes him a whole year to make one of us a ring. The elders keep him hidden so that no one can monopolize his abilities, though, so I've never met him. The only reason I even know about him is from when I got Adamant at my coming of age ceremony."

"So if Haru, who has the same Flame as you, puts on a Demitirus Ring that you make...?" Tsuna asked, bringing her back to the main topic.

"That second flame in her will attach to the ring and not hers," Patchwork assured him. "Your guess is as good as mine at how she managed to hold onto your son's Flame though. I've never heard of anything like that."

"Well, there's been a lot of strangeness where he's concerned," Tsuna temporized, not wanting to explain about the dreams. "Anyway, can you get me a ring by tonight?"

"Hmm," Patchwork mumbled while she thought. "If I get to work now, I might be able to by midnight. But you've got to promise me that you won't get around any Black Flames again!" She growled with a glare.

"Of course not!" He squealed. "Do you think I wanted to lose Salmon?! And this is my son we're talking about! Like I'm going to chance his ring being broken!"

"Well, that's true," Patchwork replied, slightly appeased. "It's just that other than it being shattered from the inside by someone driving the Flames insane, I've never heard of one of the Rings being broken. Erased and sealed, yes. Broken, no."

"The Black-laced Rings were destroyed, remember?"

"That's true," Patchwork replied with a smile. "You better just take more care of it this time."

"I will," Tsuna promised. The look in his eyes were full of fierce determination, making Patchwork nod in satisfaction before retreating to her workshop. Before leaving, Tsuna wrote down his phone number and address for her so that she could either call him or deliver the ring the moment it was finished. He left it on the counter before finally exiting the shop.

"About time, brat," Xanxus growled.

"Let's go get a drink before we head back," Tsuna suggested. He knew his mother was probably still cooking and that Haru was probably still resting. Xanxus would be too irritable to stay around there long and Tsuna would be too restless.

"That's the best thing you've said all day," Xanxus replied. They all piled into the car and several blocks later piled back out. The manager of the club was surprised to see them, considering that Tsuna hadn't sent word ahead that they were coming. Tsuna just told him to send two bottles of V Special up to the VIP booth and see to it that they weren't bothered. He brushed past the man with Xanxus and Gokudera behind him before the man could say a word in response.

Going up the stairs, he looked out over the dance floor. Even though it was barely into the afternoon, the place was already crowded. It was a testimony to the Club's popularity, he guessed. He waved to Lamprey before continuing up the stairs. What he saw at the top made him raise an eyebrow. Hana jumped up with a blush before doing a double-take and gasping at Tsuna's worn and haggard body. Tsuna understood the blush and ignored the gasp. The blush had been for being caught surrounded by men who all seemed to have been pampering her in their delusions that she was rich and important.

"Clear the area," Tsuna ordered.

"Now, now," one of the men around Hana soothed, thinking the three of them were more of Hana's fans. "You can get your turn with her after--ow, ow, ow, ow!" He started crying out from where Tsuna grabbed ear and yanked him forward to ensure he heard every word of his warning.

"I'm not in the mood right now," Tsuna growled to the man. "Either clear out on your own or I'll throw you out in pieces."

"Now see here!" Another man said to Tsuna when he let go of the ear. "What gives you the right to treat him like that?" The man started to move forward with some misguided plan to expel Tsuna from what he thought was Hana's private area.

"Don't!" Hana squeaked at the man when she saw Tsuna's face turn red in anger. The man froze at her call like a puppet. "He's the owner! Just go like he says!"

"That's better," Tsuna replied when the men immediately paled and started filing out. Once they were gone, he walked forward and got himself seated comfortably on his couch. He faintly noticed the burns were gone before the manager showed up with their requested bottles and a drink for Gokudera.

"Sorry, Tsuna," Hana said while he poured himself and Xanxus shots. "I didn't know you were coming back today."

"It wasn't planned," Tsuna admitted after he tossed back his shot. Xanxus opened the second bottle and started pouring his own when Tsuna decided to forgo the shot glass and start drinking straight from his bottle.

"Who's the whore?" Xanxus asked after his third shot. Hana bristled at the insult, but from the look of fear on her face, she was too afraid of Xanxus to speak up for herself.

"She's not a whore," Tsuna corrected for her sake. "Hana is part of the Family. She's my eyes here in Namimori when I need her."

"S-So why are you back?" Hana asked after another fear-filled glance at Xanxus.

"The Tenth is going to be a father," Gokudera answered immediately.

"No way!" Hana gasped in open surprise. "Haru's pregnant?" Everyone jumped when the bottle in Tsuna's hand shattered at the question. Gokudera immediately ran to get a towel for him and a first-aid kit for his hand, but Xanxus gave him a cruel and knowing look.

"Did I say something wrong?" Hana inquired hesitantly.

"Damnit," Tsuna muttered, ignoring her question while he tried to pull the shards of glass out of his hand. "I need my damn gloves, Xanxus."

"I'm not giving them to you, brat," Xanxus growled. "You're still too fucked up in the head."

Tsuna glared at him, but didn't argue. Considering what had just happened, there wasn't much he could say in his own defense. Gokudera returned while Xanxus continued to pour himself shots and Hana watched over the scene with wide eyes. Tsuna picked up his shot glass and plunked it down in front of Xanxus to fill, since he was the only one with a bottle now. He tossed back the shot and waited for Xanxus to fill it again while Gokudera continued tending to his hand.

"It's a long story, Hana," Tsuna said, finally answering her. "And I don't think you'd believe most of it. All that really matters is that it's mine and Haru's child and he's going to be born probably some time tomorrow if everything goes like planned." Hana looked at him in confusion. Tsuna could tell she was racking up the months since they'd first became a couple in her head and she came to a bewildering conclusion.

"How's that--"

"Don't ask," Tsuna interrupted with a warning look. Hana's mouth snapped shut around the rest of her question. Xanxus started laughing cruelly, but Tsuna ignored it. He was used to Xanxus' personality.

"So you're going to be a father?" Hana asked, deciding to at least confirm that part with Tsuna himself.

"I'm going to be a father," Tsuna confirmed. He stiffened like he'd been struck. "I'm going to be a father," he repeated to himself. His eyes widened in shock, having just come to the realization. He'd been so focused on saving his son, it hadn't really occurred to him that it meant he was going to become a parent. He looked at Xanxus in near panic. "I'm going to be a father," he repeated again to Xanxus.

"Oh hell," Xanxus laughed, seeing the look in his eyes. He finally handed the bottle over to Tsuna who took it gratefully and started guzzling it. When he finally put it down, the bottle was completely empty.

"Tenth...?" Gokudera asked with wide eyes. The silver-haired man had been so focused on tending to his boss' wounded hand that he hadn't noticed his sudden shock until he'd started drinking.

"I'm going to be a father," Tsuna told Gokudera with a drunken smile.

"Yes, Tenth," Gokudera confirmed in open perplexity. "You're going to be a father." Tsuna smiled widely at him and nodded to himself before his eyes rolled back into his head and he passed out. While Gokudera started hovering over him in panic and worry, Xanxus laughed loudly and signaled a waitress to bring him another bottle.

* * *

"Tsuna...Tsuna..." Yamamoto's voice called over the sound of the pounding music while he lightly patted Tsuna's face to wake him. Advent Melancholy had taken the stage while he was passed out and Tsuna could hear Xanxus drunkenly singing along in the background. "Tsuna..." Yamamoto repeated with a chuckle. 

"Yamamoto...?" Tsuna asked, opening his eyes.

"I'm here," Yamamoto replied. "Gokudera called and said you collapsed."

"I didn't collapse," Tsuna groaned while he sat up. "They just reminded me that I was going to be a father and I felt like sleeping on it."

"Well, if you sleep on it any longer, you're going to miss dinner," Yamamoto laughed.

"Fine, fine," Tsuna moaned. He tried to stand and found the ground rushing up at him. Yamamoto caught him before he could face-plant, but it was a near thing. "I'm still drunk," he said in slow realization. All the alcohol inside him was going to his head with every movement. He felt like he was getting more drunk by the second despite the fact he'd already stopped drinking.

"Yes, yes you are," Yamamoto chuckled. "I'm not going to ask how much you drank."

"Just one bottle," Tsuna answered, holding up a single finger. "But I drank it really, really fast." He looked up at Yamamoto. "Let's go home," Tsuna suggested, having forgotten that it was the very reason Yamamoto had woken him. "Mom probably cooked a feast again. She'll be upset if I don't go home and eat it."

"Alright, Tsuna," Yamamoto agreed readily with a large smile. They started to head toward the stair, but Tsuna turned back around with a inebriated stumble when he remembered something.

"Can you grab Xanxus," he asked, trying to point at one of the two Gokuderas standing in the alcove. "If you don't stop him while he's still singing," he warned with a slight waver, "He'll start a bar fight. I don't want a bar fight again." He shook his head to reiterate that he didn't want it then found himself stumbling to the side from the dizziness the movement caused. "I don't want a bar fight again," he repeated once he managed to regain his balance. "Beer bottles hurt when they hit you in the head." He looked at Gokudera, trying to put the most serious look on his face that he could so that the man would know how serious he was. Beer bottles hurt.

"Alright, Tenth," Gokudera replied with a wide grin at the drunken look of seriousness that his boss had on his face. Tsuna grinned back, knowing that the man probably didn't believe his warning. But that was okay since Gokudera still went over and helped Xanxus up off the couch anyway. The man was still singing along with the song playing in the background while clutched a hand protectively around his bottle. Hana was just standing to the side, having long ago given up on trying to understand what was going on.

"I'm going to be a father, you know," Tsuna said conversationally while Yamamoto helped him down the stairs.

"So Patchwork is making you the ring?" Yamamoto replied with a sigh of relief.

"Yup," Tsuna answered. He smiled widely up at Yamamoto. "She'll have it done probably around midnight. Depending on how long the transfer takes, my son is going to be born either tonight or tomorrow, Yamamoto."

"If everything goes right," Yamamoto said cautiously, hating the need to be a devil's advocate.

"It'll go fine," Tsuna replied, waving the warning away with an unsteady hand. Hoping that it did for Tsuna's sake, Yamamoto continued to escort him outside with Gokudera guiding Xanxus behind him. It took nearly ten minutes to get the two drunken men safely inside the waiting vehicle, all the while Gokudera and Yamamoto tried to keep from falling over from laughter. The normally quiet and composed Tsuna and the normally touchy and grumpy Xanxus had begun singing together on the way home despite the lack of music anywhere around them.

"We've really got to tell the people at the Club to limit you from now on," Yamamoto laughed over the song. Tsuna seemed to sober for a minute at the comment and fell silent.

"It'll be okay, Yamamoto," Tsuna declared with unfocused eyes. "Since I know it's going to be okay, I'm celebrating. I'm going to be a father and you're going to be an Uncle and Gokudera is going to be a Godfather and dad is going to be a Grandpa and--"

"And what the fuck am I?" Xanxus interrupted loudly.

"You?" Tsuna repeated. He took a moment to consider before answering. "Cousin...?" Tsuna suggested.

"I don't like that," Xanxus said, tossing his head from side to side in nonacceptance. "Makes me feel like an outsider."

"That's right. The Nubo called us cousins," Tsuna agreed in sudden remembrance. "You can be an Uncle, too, then." Xanxus thought it over while the car came to a stop and Yamamoto and Gokudera started helping them out of the car. He nodded in acceptance finally and looked at Tsuna across the hood of the car, ignoring Gokudera's attempts to guide him toward the estate.

"Alright, brat," Xanxus said in a reasonable tone. "I'll be his Uncle, but don't you fucking tell anyone. Got it?"

"My lips are sealed," Tsuna replied with a smile. He was drunk, but not as drunk as Xanxus apparently. The man had forgotten that Gokudera and Yamamoto were with them, too used to being alone with Tsuna while they drank. Trying once again to fight laughter, Tsuna's two Guardians guided their drunken charges toward the house.

"Oh no," Xanxus groaned. He dug his heels in several feet from the front door, having remembered something very, very important.

"What is it?" Tsuna asked. He stopped and looked back at the older man, nearly falling when Yamamoto didn't shift with him fast enough.

"That," Xanxus replied, pointing back toward the front door. Tsuna turned back around and paled. His mother was waiting in the doorway, tapping her foot unhappily over her son coming home drunk.

"I see," Tsuna said in horrified understanding. His mother never noticed he drank before since he'd never been drunk in front of her. He'd always made sure to sneak in through the back when he was drunk before or not go outside of the Guardian's wing. That, and she didn't recognize the labels of the stuff he'd drank in front of her and therefore didn't know they were alchoholic. There was no hiding it this time.

"And here I was getting worried since you weren't home yet," she said with a glare. For once, she wasn't obliviously taking everything in stride. That very fact made Tsuna quake in his shoes. "I want both of you to go inside and take a bath to get the smell of liquor off of you, then I'm going to make sure you both know the seriousness of drinking underage before dinner."

"But I'm not--" Xanxus started to object. He was silenced by Tsuna's mother brandishing her ladle at him.

"All the more reason for you to know how bad it is. You were with Tsunayoshi and didn't interfere like a proper adult," Nana admonished. Tsuna quelled at hearing his full first name. His mother had to be pretty upset for her to use it.

"Yes, ma'am," Xanxus said apologetically, bringing snickers from Yamamoto and Gokudera. The two ducked inside under their own will, quickly rushing for their respective rooms in effort to not anger her anymore.

"I swear he's becoming more and more like his father," Nana mumbled in exasperation after they were gone.

"Naw," Yamamoto replied with a smile. "But he _is _going to be a father." Nana blinked at him a few times before Yamamoto guided her back inside in effort to distract her. She'd figure it out in a day or two.


	61. Chapter 61 Birth

Both him and Xanxus had finished burning off the alcohol during dinner to the open amusement of the others. They only faintly remembered the lecture his mother had given them before her inability to stay negative had caught back up with her. Even so, it was a very powerful reminder not to get caught again. Especially for Xanxus who had been forced to grit his teeth through dinner in effort not to give in to the desire to get away from the happy gathering once he was sober.

He and his Guardians all stayed up together instead of seeking sleep after eating. By the time Patchwork called a few hours past midnight, Tsuna was pacing anxiously in anticipation. Together, the group waited on the front doorstep for her arrival after having already warned security to let her through the gates. Xanxus was already asleep inside, as was Hibari who had shown up an hour after dinner. Tsuna's father was still wide-eyed, but he had volunteered to watch over Haru in his stead.

He forced himself to not run to the woman when she finally walked up. He even managed for a solid ten seconds before rushing forward. Without even taking the time for a hurried greeting, he started ushering Patchwork inside with barely suppressed impatience. She laughed at his zeal and didn't argue, sensing how tense he was. By the time they reached his room, he had nearly forced the group into a run.

"She's here," Tsuna exclaimed once he had burst through his bedroom doors. Haru was sitting up in the bed talking to Iemitsu. She had slept the day away and reawakened around the time everyone else had headed for bed. Her eyes widened at Tsuna's words while Tsuna tried to calm his panicked heartbeat.

"She's here...?" Haru repeated.

"Patchwork brought the ring," he replied. Haru shook her head slightly to let him know she didn't understand, but Tsuna didn't want to take the time to explain. He propelled the muscle-bound woman forward to Haru's bedside.

"Here, sweety," Patchwork said softly. She sat on Haru's bedside, completely oblivious to the impatient anticipation of the others in the room. Holding up the box the held the Demitirus Ring she had brought, she explained with only Haru in mind. "Tsuna said your son's Flame is still inside you. If you put this on, the Flame will be transferred to this. It might not look like much, but it will allow your son's Flame to live outside you."

"You mean it'll save my baby?" Haru asked to clarify.

"It won't be quite the same," Patchwork replied with sudden sadness. "But yes, it'll save your baby." Haru looked up at Tsuna who walked over and sat on her bedside opposite of Patchwork. Thanks to Patchwork's calmness in the face of everything, Tsuna himself was finally calming down. He noticed the faint look of worry on Haru's face that he'd been too anxious to see before.

"It's okay, Haru," he encouraged softly. "I'm right here with you, okay? All you have to do is put the ring on. It's not something you can mess up."

"O-Okay, Tsu-kun," she said softly. Tsuna smiled at her in silent support while she reached out and took the ring. Slipping it on her empty finger between the engagement ring he'd given her and the Ring of Acknowledgment she'd received from the Ninth, they all breathed a sigh of relief. "N-Now what...?" She asked in uncertainty while Patchwork gently took her hand to inspect the ring.

"Now we wait," Tsuna replied. "Depending on how strong the Flame is, it might take just a few hours or a few days to transfer over."

"Or a few minutes," Patchwork mumbled. Tsuna's head snapped to her with wide eyes. She held up Haru's hand for him to see. Already the ring was reacting and faint Flames had begun to appear on the black surface. Even while he watched, they got stronger until the surface was covered completely with a faint orange. They began flickering and dancing until the whole ring seemed like a living, writhing Flame.

"I've never seen a Flame this strong before," Patchwork muttered in awe. "Even your Flame when you made Salmon wasn't a quarter of this strength."

"Will the Ring hold?" Tsuna whispered worriedly.

"It shouldn't have any problem," Patchwork replied after a moment. She took Haru's hand from Tsuna again and looked it over once more. "I think it's ready," she announced.

"Already?" Iemitsu gasped. Tsuna turned to him with wide eyes, not sure how he should react. His friends had inched farther into the room, but where still anxiously waiting across the room. Tsuna began spluttering until Patchwork's heavy hand on his shoulder brought him to a halt.

"It'll be okay," she said with a soft chuckle. She turned to Haru who was sitting like a frozen lump on the bed. "Haru," Patchwork said softly. "For the Flame to come out, you've got to give it permission to come in and out of the ring when it wants."

"Permission?" Haru repeated.

"Since your the ring-wearer, err... mommy, you've got to let him know that it's okay to come into this world," Patchwork explained in effort to phrase it so that she would understand. Haru blinked several times before nodding.

"I-It's o-okay to come out now," she announced softly to the ring. From the look on her face, she had no clue what to expect despite having seen Tsuna's old Flame-eel, Salmon, so many years ago. Then again, Tsuna didn't feel much different. This was a whole lot different than the creation of a regular Salamander.

Before he could work himself into a panic over it, the Flames began to flicker madly on the face of the ring. More and more lifelike they became until they finally sprang into reality and the Ring burned in a soft light. Haru gasped at the sight and Tsuna found himself clutching Haru's hand in shared anticipation. Then the Flame detached itself and floated softly into the air. While they all watched on, it began to grow and expand. First to the size of an orange. Then a pineapple. Then a watermelon. Still it grew until finally, when it reached the size of Fuuta, it began to shrink once again.

Ever so slowly, the Flame began to take shape while it compressed itself. Lumpy arms and legs hung in the air and faintly began to become detailed with fingers and toes. Still the Flame shrunk. Tsuna forced himself to let go of Haru's hand before he broke it by accident in his tenseness. He was nearly crawling forward to the Flame in anticipation when it finally stopped shrinking at the size of the child he remembered from his dreams. Tsuna's heart felt like it was about to beat out of his chest when he saw the child's face start to appear and his hair took on details. The child's eyes were closed while still the Flame took shape.

Then Patchwork gasped along with him when the seemingly normal transformation took a sudden swift and unexpected turn. Not that it was a bad thing, it was just very unexpected. Color. The compressed Flame that made the outer skin of normal Salamanders could never take on colors outside their makeup. This one did, however. His skin began to take on a flesh-like consistency and color, hiding the orange Flames that made him up while it crawled up his appendages and body. His hair began to turn a dark shade, matching in every way to Haru's. By the time his body had taken on all the visible qualities of a human, Tsuna realized he was crying. He had been for a while from the thick streaks going down his face.

Then it was done. The child's eyes flickered open from where he floated mid-air and looked directly at Tsuna, striking everyone in the room breathless. Flames flickered madly within, but Tsuna barely noticed. He held out his arms and the child smiled widely at him. Without hesitation, he darted forward into Tsuna's waiting embrace, allowing him to finally...finally!...hold his beloved child outside of a dream. He began weeping in joy and relief and the little child in his arms squirmed around happily in his arms while he kissed his head.

His father's hand on his back brought him to himself once again and he tried to pull back his tears. He looked up at Haru, trying to put all of his emotions into his eyes. She didn't notice, too focused on the child in Tsuna's arms. Knowing that she hadn't ever seen their son before, he smiled widely at her and loosened up his tight hug so that she could see him better. The little boy peeked out of Tsuna's arms curiously and put a finger in his mouth in childish hesitation when he saw Haru looking at him.

"It's okay," Tsuna encouraged into the silence. "That's mommy." The little boy looked up at him with eyes full of worry before hiding his face in Tsuna's arms. He was scared, Tsuna realized. Other than his father, the child hadn't yet come into contact with anyone else. He might look like he was five, but he was still new to the world. Tsuna turned the boy around in his lap and looked up at Haru in encouragement despite the child's attempts to hide again.

"It's okay," Haru repeated, taking the cue. "Can Mommy have a hug, too?" She held her hands out for the child, neither forcing the issue nor taking back her request. After a moment, the child hesitantly responded. He slowly uncurled himself from Tsuna's lap and half-crawled, half-floated toward her. They could tell he was still slightly fearful when he finally wrapped his arms around Haru's neck, but that was washed away when Haru wrapped her arms around him lovingly in return. After a moment, he cuddled up in Haru's lap like they'd always been together, which they technically had been.

"What are you going to name him, son?" Iemitsu asked softly, not wanting to startle the little guy. Tsuna blinked at the question and blushed. It was yet another thing that he and Haru hadn't yet discussed, thinking they had months to worry about it.

"I-I have no clue..." Tsuna mumbled. He looked over at Haru, but she seemed just as clueless.

"How about Ieyasu?" Iemitsu suggested softly. He started to explain the history behind the name, but the little child in Haru's arms shook his head violently. He didn't want to be called that. "What about Ietsuna?" He suggested, turning to the little boy. Once again he received a head-shake.

Tsuna's friends started softly making suggestions all the while the little boy vehemently said no. They all stopped when he jumped up out of Haru's lap, however. The little boy darted through the air and came to a stop in front of Gokudera with a large smile on his face. He pointed to the suddenly speechless man, all the while looking at his father for permission and acceptance.

"You like the name Gokudera said?" Tsuna asked carefully. The little boy nodded before gliding behind Gokudera and hugging his shoulder fearlessly while he continued to look at his father. "What was the name again, Gokudera?" Tsuna tried not to laugh at the man while he inquired. He had a poleaxed look on his face from being singled out by the little boy and wasn't sure how to react to the affection he was being given.

"H-Hotaru, Tenth," Gokudera finally answered.

"Firefly?" Iemitsu said with a questioning look. Tsuna just smiled, though, thinking the name was perfectly fitting for the little guy. He looked at Haru in askance to see if she agreed. The smile on her face made him turn back around and look at their smiling son in agreement.

"Hotaru it is," Tsuna announced. Hotaru flew into his arms again in happiness, making Tsuna chuckle in delight. "Do you like that, Hotaru?" He asked in joy. The small boy looked up and opened his mouth to agree, finally intending to speak now that he wasn't hesitant and fearful.

No sound came out.

The smiles were wiped off of everyone's faces while Haru became openly upset over his inability to talk. He tried again and again, knowing exactly how he'd done it in his dreams. Tsuna tried encouraging him, thinking it was merely the fact that he'd never used his voice before in the real world. Then Hotaru opened his mouth and silently wailed. Horrified understanding made Tsuna's heart clench when instead of tears, Hotaru's eyes began leaking sparks of Flame.

"I was afraid of this," Patchwork sighed into the sudden silence. "He's still only Flame, after all. He doesn't have internal organs or a voice-box, no matter how much he looks like a normal boy."

"Is it something we can---?" Tsuna started to ask in panic while he cuddled his silently crying boy.

"Maybe," Patchwork said after a moment. "He managed to make human-looking skin, after all. You just have to wait until he can understand he needs to transform his Flame on the inside, too, so that he has lungs and a voice-box. I think it'd be too complicated to try to get him to do it right now, but maybe once he's been in the world a while longer..." She trailed off, knowing she was only giving hope and no assurances. It would be completely up to Hotaru to create what was needed inside his body in order to talk. Right now, the little boy only saw the skin and hair and other visible things that made up the people around him. He was too young to really know about blood and organs and the other things that marked a person as human.

"It's okay," he murmured to the little boy in his arms. "Even if you can't talk, I still love you. We'll find a way to speak to each other without sound. Okay?" He tried to keep himself from crying when Hotaru looked up at him in completely trust. Tsuna wiped the stuttering stream of sparks away as if they were real tears before smiling gently down at him. "Your papa is just happy that you're here with me," he said softly with a smile.

"And so is your Mommy," Haru added.

"And your Uncle Yamamoto," Yamamoto continued.

"And your Uncle Ryohei," the boxer bellowed.

"And your Godfather Gokudera," Gokudera exclaimed.

"And your Grandpa," Iemitsu finished with a laugh.

"See," Tsuna told Hotaru with a small chuckle at everyone's enthusiasm. "Everyone loves you and is happy you're with us. Okay, Hotaru?" The little boy looked around from person to person with a lingering bit of hesitancy. But, when he saw everyone smiling widely at him in happiness, he finally overcame it and started responding to them.

By the time that Patchwork left at dawn with her money, Hotaru was fearlessly playing with Tsuna's three Guardians like he'd actually been around them for five years. Happy that his son was happy, Tsuna relaxed back against his headboard and watched Gokudera let the little boy ride on his back. Tsuna was exhausted; physically, mentally, spiritually. But, it was worth it every time he looked at the wide smile on his son's face. With that knowledge in mind, the last bit of adrenaline and worry holding him awake disappeared and darkness overwhelmed him.

* * *

Tsuna awoke in his bed with his son in his arms and Haru cuddled up next to them. The moment he opened his eyes, so did his son, proving that Hotaru had merely been pretending to sleep. Tsuna smiled down at him and made a hushing motion to tell him to be quiet with a gesture to the still sleeping Haru to explain why. He wanted to slap himself when he realized Hotaru couldn't really make any noise to wake her with anyway, but Hotaru nodded in agreement regardless. 

Hotaru hovered silently in the air until Tsuna got his feet quietly under him. The moment he did, he held out his arms for his son and the boy plunged into them happily. Having waited patiently while his mother and father slept rather than go alone with the others, he was overjoyed that one of his parents was finally awake. Just like any rambunctious child, he wanted to explore the newness of everything around him. The only problem is that he had taken his courage from his father. Until he became more confident in himself and the world around him, he was too afraid to go alone or with people other than his parents.

Quietly, Tsuna closed the door behind him and left Haru still sleeping on the bed with a silent note to himself to get Hotaru some more clothes. Someone had managed to dress him in an oversized shirt and pants and from the size and print, Tsuna assumed it was Lambo's castoffs. On his way past to go down the stair, he paused when Gokudera happened to come out of his room and broke him out of his train of thoughts. The man was in his pajamas, having went to bed to catch up on his own missing sleep.

"So that's what happened to all of you," Tsuna said with a small laugh. "You guys were just as tired as I was."

"Yeah," Gokudera mumbled sheepishly. "We wanted to stay up with Hotaru for you, but the little guy refused to move when he saw that you were asleep. He kept putting his head down and then looking at all of us. The sword-freak was the one that guessed that he wanted us to all get some sleep and Hotaru curled up next to you after that, Tenth. Since he didn't look like he was going to budge, we took his advice and went to bed."

"Well, it has been a long few days," Tsuna admitted with a grimace. Then he looked down at his son and smiled again. Hotaru was listening to the conversation in rapt fascination while looking around the hallway in open curiosity. How he managed to show both attention and inattention was beyond Tsuna. Even so, it was incredibly adorable. "I think I see now why my dad always called me cute," he mumbled with a laugh. Beside him, Gokudera smiled warmly with him in complete understanding.

Once downstairs, the two men took the little boy to get breakfast. Although, from the time of day it was, it was actually around lunch. Chrome and her compatriots were already sitting down. Iemitsu was present. So was Hibari and Xanxus. They were once again shooting pointed glares across the table at each other, but both looked up with raised eyebrows at Tsuna's burden. As did everyone else but Iemitsu.

Hotaru hid in his arms again from the combined attention of everyone. Since Ryohei and Yamamoto weren't here, he only knew one of the people staring at him. It was only to be expected that he didn't know how to deal with it. It was his first day alive! Ignoring the looks, Tsuna and Gokudera sat down at the table, waiting for Hotaru to get the courage to face the crowd. He was shaking slightly, but Tsuna whispered encouragements down to him despite the curious looks everyone was sending them.

"He takes after you, son," Iemitsu said with a laugh. Tsuna glared at him for a moment before he was forced to smile in admittance. The little guy might have been as energetic as Haru once he had gotten used to the three Guardians, but that was only after he'd gotten over his hesitation and fear.

"Is that who I fucking think it is?" Xanxus asked. His eyes were wide in surprise, not having ever gotten an explanation for the sudden trip to Japan. When Tsuna had went crazy at the club, Xanxus had just thought it was another faucet of his temporary insanity. But seeing the kid in his arms brought the conversation back with frightening clarity. "Is that a fucking ghost or something?"

"He's not a ghost," Tsuna snapped. "And he's a he, not an it!" Hotaru looked up at his father, completely uncaring of the raised voice since it had come from Tsuna. The little boy's innocent trust made him merely look up at Tsuna in curiosity. "This is my son, Hotaru," Tsuna announced with a smile at the little boy.

"Yo, Chrome," Ken whispered. "Mukuro-sama is screwing with him again, isn't he? Didn't they say that Tsuna's kid was dead?"

"The next person that implies he's not alive is going to get hurt," Tsuna announced with a growl before Chrome could answer. He started to look at each of them in warning, but a tug on his shirt from his son made him look down at the boy in his lap. "What is it, Hotaru?" The little boy pointed at Chrome then back up at his father with a questioning look.

"That's Chrome," Tsuna answered. The little boy shook his head to tell his father that that wasn't what he was asking. He once again pointed at Chrome before raising up two small fingers with another questioning look. "I see," Tsuna replied in understanding.

"What's he asking, boss?" Chrome asked softly.

"He senses your link with Mukuro," Tsuna answered softly. "He's wondering why there are two of you. Right, Hotaru?" The little boy nodded with a bright smile and clapped his hands in happiness over the fact that his father had understood him.

"Chrome is special," Tsuna explained softly to the boy. "Her friend is far, far away but she has a special link with him." The little boy seemed to get suddenly energetic. He jumped out of Tsuna's lap and crawled across the empty table to the surprised woman. She blinked when he came to a stop in front of her and pointed a chubby finger at her.

"What is it, Hotaru?" Tsuna asked, just as surprised as everyone else. The little boy stuck out a pouty lip and sat back in the middle of the table, openly trying to figure out a way to explain what he wanted. Then he stuck out a finger and pointed at his father with a wide smile. Not comprehending, Tsuna just shook his head softly. The little boy scrunched up his face for a moment and looked at his finger like he was trying to understand something. Then, he once again pointed it to his father with a wide smile. Tsuna's eyes widened when a small Mist Flame appeared on the end.

"H-How...?" Tsuna started to ask, but shook the question away. Hotaru was special, after all. He'd save figuring it out for later. For now, he finally understood what the little boy wanted. "Chrome," he said with wide eyes. "It looks like Hotaru wants to say hello to Mukuro." The little boy clapped his hands energetically, glad to have finally gotten through what he wanted.

"Kufufufufu," Mukuro laughed from Chrome, having been watching the whole time. "Such a precocious child you have, my dear Sawada Tsunayoshi." The little boy jumped to his feet and began clapping wildly in happiness. Before anyone could respond to his sudden burst of energy, the little boy lifted a small finger again. Once again, a Mist Flame appeared, although Mukuro understood immediately the curious and questioning look in the little boy's eyes. "Go ahead, little firefly," Mukuro permitted with a laugh.

The little boy pressed the finger to Chrome's head for a few silent minutes before smiling widely and clapping his hands over his mouth in a silent giggle. He darted back to Tsuna's arms once again, with a look of tickled merriment on his face. Tsuna raised an eyebrow at Chrome once he was settled in his lap. Chrome, however, just shrugged, having already been released by Mukuro again and seemed clueless about what had went on between them.

Hibari looked like he wanted to spit nails, but restrained himself when Mukuro himself didn't appear. Tsuna smiled to himself, knowing that the man wouldn't harm Chrome if Mukuro himself didn't show. At least, not at the lunch-table. Doing such a think was the ultimate form of undisciplined behavior. Later, he might possibly target Chrome in effort to get Mukuro to show himself, but that was a battle Tsuna would deal with later. For now, Tsuna just sighed in relief when Toshi and Tsuna's mother started bringing in the food. This turned into another ordeal in itself, since Toshi had been previously hidden from most of the people assembled.

"Geez," Ken grumbled. "First a ghost and now I'm seeing double."

Tsuna growled low in his throat and only Gokudera's restraining hand on his shoulder kept him from leaping at the man's throat. However, Mukuro's voice coming from Chrome once again calmed him.

"Don't be so insensitive, Ken," Mukuro ordered. "The child is indeed a remnant of his former self, but he is still Sawada's offspring. I have a feeling that this small being will be of great importance in the future, so please show some humanity toward him. If that proves too difficult for your nature, then refrain from speaking."

"Yes, Mukuro-sama," Ken replied sheepishly. He bowed his head in shame, having been admonished by the only person he cared about. From down the table, Hibari quietly blinked and shook his head to himself. He had been about to discipline the man himself for his attitude toward a child, but having Mukuro step in for the same reason was too much for him to handle.

Ryohei and Yamamoto joined them before the plates had finished being handed out. Both men were still in their pajamas, having just woken up from their rest. Hotaru waved at them happily from Tsuna's lap and both men smiled widely in return before taking their place at the table. He watched curiously while everyone started eating, openly not understanding what they were doing. After a few bites, Tsuna put down his sandwich and explained.

"We're eating, Hotaru," he said softly so as not to bother the conversations that had finally sprung up. The little boy pointed toward the sandwich then to his own mouth in a desire to try. Despite Tsuna's effort to keep his conversation with his son private, people started once again looking their way in curiosity.

"C-Can he eat?" Iemitsu asked.

"I don't know," Tsuna answered honestly. "He doesn't have a stomach, but maybe..." He trailed off, not really knowing what to do. With a shrug, he broke off a bite-sized piece of his sandwich for his son. "You put it in your mouth and chew," Tsuna explained simply. He didn't bother saying anything else, considering he didn't know if Hotaru even had a throat to swallow with. Hoping that instinct would explain the rest, he helped feed it to the little boy while Iemitsu and Tsuna's core trio watched on in tense silence.

Hotaru chewed it with a bright smile on his face, making everyone relax. It proved to be too soon for relief, however. His face suddenly clenched in dislike and he began spitting it back out. Trying to catch it in effort to not make a mess, Tsuna held his napkin up to the boy's face for him to spit into. When he was done, Tsuna looked at the food that had been expelled with wide eyes while Hotaru started crying sparks again. He handed the napkin off to Gokudera in shock before pulling the little boy back up into a hug to soothe him.

"What happened?" Yamamoto asked from the end of the table. While Tsuna continued to murmur to his son, Gokudera glanced at what was in the napkin and blanched. He held it up for Yamamoto, Ryohei and Iemitsu to see, completely uncaring if anyone else at the table saw.

"It's burnt," Gokudera answered simply when they didn't seem to understand what he was showing them.

"I get it now," Xanxus barked with a laugh in understanding. "He's not even fucking human, is he, brat? You somehow made him out of damn Flame, didn't you?"

"It's his Flame, not mine," Tsuna corrected while he rocked Hotaru in his arms. "And he's as human as any of us even if his body might be a little different. It's not his fault he doesn't have insides yet."

"You're fucking nuts," Xanxus replied with another laugh.

"He ran away from his body," Chrome said softly. Everyone's heads snapped in her direction, but she didn't notice. She had a look on her face like she was raptly listening to something. "When the Flare made him start hurting, he ran away from it. So when his body died, he was already hiding elsewhere. Mukuro-sama says that the firefly hid in the white fire since it was the only thing that could protect him from the pain."

"Haru," Tsuna replied in understanding. "He was playing hide and seek until I found him again. Haru has a white Flame. I thought she wasn't affected by the drug since her Flame is so small, but it's possible that Flare couldn't find anything to react to in her Flame. It would have been the perfect place for Hotaru to hide safely."

"White Flame?" Chikusa repeated.

"It's the polar opposite of mine," Tsuna explained. Hotaru had finally stopped crying and curled up in his lap in contentment. Tsuna looked down at him, once again simply happy to merely have him there. "Haru's Flame doesn't have a single attribute. It's the Flameless Flame."

"Is that even fucking possible?" Xanxus asked. "If something is nothing, how..." He shook his head, unable to grasp what he was wanting to say. Tsuna just smiled in complete understanding.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Tsuna muttered. "I've seen a lot of things that could be called miraculous. Starting with my own Flame and the way Gokudera can hide all of his bombs," he said with a laugh. "I stopped questioning those things a long time ago."

"Well," Iemitsu replied, "As long as you're happy, son, it doesn't really matter."

"I am," Tsuna confirmed with another soft smile down at his son. "I am."

* * *

Author's note: No, I'm not in the mafia, lol. Just wanted to throw that out there. I've been writing using a combination of pure imagination, life experiences (such as the birth of my own son and my short stint in Army basic training), and inspiration from things I've read in the past and things I hear from you guys. For example, if I was completely honest, I'd tell you guys that I wasn't planning on reviving his son until I got such a large reaction from his death. That inspired me to think of a way to bring him back and sent me on my rewrite in order to pave the way.

Anyway, I think it's an incredible compliment that the Triplets insinuated that I might be in the mafia. It tells me that my writing seems somewhat realistic despite my lack of personal knowledge on how that kind of thing works in reality. LOL Where I live, the most crime we deal with or organized crime we have is typically wannabe thugs. Pretty peaceful place where I'm at, lol.

Well, thanks again for all the reviews. I'll keep it up as long as you guys keep telling me to.


	62. Chapter 62 SixtyTwo

"Sir, we have a problem," a black-suited man panted, running into the dining room. Tsuna looked up, surprised at someone breaking his rule for this particular area of the estate to be off-limits.

"What is it?" He asked calmly in effort to keep everyone else calm at the intrusion.

"It's--" The man began to say, but the sound of someone breaking down the front door stopped him. Tsuna jumped up and handed the suddenly, silently wailing Hotaru off to his father before rushing toward the front with his Guardians beside him. He didn't even make it out of the room, however, before he was stopped by the sight of Officer Takahashi suited in black raid gear followed by dozens of other officers geared for an assault.

Gokudera immediately leaped forward to protect Tsuna, but found himself hit in the chest with a high-velocity bean bag. When that failed to do more than slow him, a different man hit him with a taser to knock him to his knees before holding a gun to his head to keep him down. Yamamoto started to go to his aid, but Tsuna's yell made him freeze.

"Yamamoto, don't!" Tsuna cried, being the only person to have recognized the men as police. "Nobody raise a hand," Tsuna ordered.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi," Takahashi said in identification. His facial expression was near-glee, making Tsuna bristle over the man's attitude.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Tsuna yelled. "You come barging into my home with weapons drawn and--"

"That's enough," Takahashi ordered while he advanced with hand-cuffs. "You're under arrest for the murders of sixty-two people. Nineteen in the U.S., sixteen in Spain, nine in France, and the numbers are still coming in from Italy and Greece." He took savage pleasure in grabbing Tsuna while he was still in shock and pushing him down across his own dining table before cuffing him. After that, he began roughly patting Tsuna down until he found where he'd holstered his gun. The officer pulled the ever-present Glock free and handed it off to another man who was waiting with a plastic bag. Then, he leaned forward and whispered into Tsuna's ear. "I might not have been able to nail you for Mochida, but at least it let me get a hold of your gun for a little while. I had it tested in Italy and it took some time to backtrack comparisons, but what do you know? There were a lot of unsolved murders that were an exact match to the ballistics. You've been a busy little bee, Sawada."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Tsuna denied calmly.

"Whatever," Takahashi responded while he continued to ensure Tsuna was secure. While the man read him his rights, Tsuna ignored his every word. Instead, he started tossing out orders while he could.

"Dad, you know what to do. Gokudera, take Hotaru up to Haru and make sure they are okay. Ryohei, Yamamoto, don't do anything stupid." He sent them both a warning look. They were on the verge of trying to free him from custody despite the numerous assault rifles pointed at their heads. Iemitsu was already making calls in effort to get Tsuna free while also trying to find out why they hadn't had any warning.

Tsuna looked over at Hotaru, who was still silently crying in Iemitsu's lap. He had hidden his face in fear, but Tsuna could tell that he was crying from the way his shoulders were shaking. He sent the boy's back a pain-filled look before turning to Xanxus. "Lay low," he told the man with a look, unable to give a verbal warning. Every single one of the murders named had been while Tsuna had been working with the man over the past year. A single shed hair could possibly get him nailed alongside Tsuna. Xanxus merely raised an eyebrow at Tsuna's unnecessary and unwanted worry on his behalf.

Then Tsuna was out of time and was roughly escorted outside by Takahashi personally. His smile of self-satisfaction made Tsuna's skin crawl while he silently seethed. For the man to interfere at such an important time was tantamount to a death wish. Tsuna wouldn't let him go after this. Not after dragging him away from his newborn son in such a fashion. If he'd had his gloves, Tsuna would probably have killed them without hesitation for their intrusion. Since he didn't, he took pleasure in planning how he'd get revenge later.

"You don't think you're actually going to put me away, do you?" Tsuna asked with a small, knowing smile on their way through the remains of Tsuna's front door. He looked at Takahashi through half-lidded eyes, letting the man silently know that he had no chance in hell despite any evidence he thought he had. Takahashi seemed slightly shaken by Tsuna's confidence, but shook it off in grim determination.

"We've already got four countries wanting to extradite you for trial," Takahashi replied as if to shake Tsuna in return. Tsuna just chuckled softly while the man stuffed him into a patrol car.

"I bet Italy wins the race," Tsuna said in response before the door slammed shut.

* * *

"How's Hotaru, dad?" Tsuna asked the moment they let his father in to see him. He had been pacing his cell in worry over his son since the moment they'd tossed him in. He knew his lawyers were probably working away. But since no one had started questioning him, he had been cut off from any communication for hours. So, the sight of Iemitsu with Chrome next to him was met with some relief.

"He's fine, son," Iemitsu replied immediately. "He's with Haru. He decided to lock himself in his room after he finally calmed down." Iemitsu gave Tsuna a deep look, trying to pass along the information he couldn't say in case they were on camera. Hotaru had hidden in the ring and they couldn't get him to come out. Tsuna fought tears at the knowledge.

"How much longer until they get me out of here?" Tsuna inquired through clenched teeth.

"It doesn't look like it's going to be that easy this time, son," Iemitsu replied softly. His father nodded down at Chrome who looked at Tsuna with abnormal intensity.

"They can't retrieve your gun, boss," he heard her voice whisper in his head. "They have it locked up tight with a bunch of guards and we're having trouble getting to it in a way that won't make you seem guiltier. Until we figure out a way, we're hoping that the lawyers will be able to get you out of here."

"How are the lawyers doing?" Tsuna asked in dismay.

"Not good, son," Iemitsu answered with a grimace. "You've been refused bail and it looks like you might be sent to trial at this rate." Tsuna cursed softly to himself. He shouldn't have said anything to Takahashi. The man had probably became fearful of loosing his target when Tsuna had become cocky out of anger. Rather than let that happen, he'd increased security beyond the level that their spies could easily deal with. Until they could switch out Tsuna's gun with a fake and thereby destroy the only evidence against him, his hands were tied.

"What do I do, dad?" Tsuna asked pathetically. He pressed his head against the bars of his cell, finally realizing the seriousness of his problem. Takahashi wasn't going to leave them any openings. He'd been chasing Tsuna since Mochida's death and wasn't going to make any mistakes in getting him to pay for his crimes. At least, the crimes he could pin on him.

"Don't worry, son," Iemitsu said reassuringly. "You've taken care of the Family for a while now. They'll get you out of this mess. It's just taking a bit longer than expected."

"You're right," Tsuna replied with a sigh. "I can't let this kind of thing bother me. I'm just worried about Hotaru."

"We'll take care of him, son," Iemitsu promised. "For now, just hang on tight, okay?"

"I--" Tsuna started to say, but was interrupted by the entrance of several guards. The determined look in their eyes and the chains in one of their hands didn't bode well for their prisoner. The man ordered Iemitsu and Chrome to leave before turning to him.

"You're being moved to a more secure facility," the man with the chains explained. Tsuna blinked at him in non-comprehension while Iemitsu paused at the door. His father gave a small shake of his head before leaving like ordered, silently telling Tsuna that it hadn't been planned by Vongola.

"On who's authority?" Tsuna asked as politely as he could.

"Orders from above," one of the guards replied.

"Put your hands on the wall and stay put," another ordered. Tsuna did like he was told, not wanting to make trouble for people just doing their jobs. He watched over his shoulder while one of the guards opened the cell door and the man with the chains came forward. With practiced ease, the man cuffed one end of the chains to Tsuna's wrists before cuffing the other end to his feet. He tried to keep his heart from pounding out of his chest from the way he felt from being bound. Even though he knew he could snap them in an instant, having his hands and his feet cuffed at once dredged up old memories of his torture that he'd long forgotten.

"It's okay, sonny," the guard said once he'd finished chaining him. He put a hand on Tsuna's shoulder in surprising compassion, having noticed the panicked expression that crossed his face for a moment before he hid it. "If you're innocent, you'll be back with your family in no time."

"You're not supposed to be friendly with the prisoners," the other guard admonished. Yet, even he had a soft look on his face despite his words.

"I know," the first guard replied. "It's just hard to see this little guy as a cold-blooded murder. I don't know how Takahashi thinks he killed that many people."

"Thank you," Tsuna interjected softly into their conversation. They blinked, having completely let their guard down due to Tsuna's innocent and harmless facade that he had been trained to emit around authorities, just like he'd been trained to emit an aura of power elsewhere.

"Well, come on," the man at his back ordered softly. Tsuna nodded and let himself be led through the station. They paused long enough to allow Tsuna's lawyers, who had already been informed of the move, to fall in beside him along with a half-dozen more guards. Then, the group moved toward the entrance and out the doors while Tsuna wondered why they needed so many people just to transfer him to a different facility.

He understood the need once he got outside. Word had gotten out about his arrest in the past few hours and people had come from everywhere in order to lend their support, explaining the reason for his sudden move. His staff from Club 27 were there. The kids and staff from Hayakeshi House, too. Random people that had been saved or protected by him over the years. For example, the little girl who's kitten he'd saved. People from an apartment fire that he'd helped rescue. A woman who had her purse retrieved from Tsuna after it had been grabbed by a purse snatcher. Zookeepers who still remembered how he'd helped save that rare panda at the end of the animal riot. Even some of his old classmates from middle school and Patchwork had joined the crowd.

Then there was the Family at the back of the civilian crowd. Yamamoto and Ryohei. His mom and dad. Bianchi and Reborn. Cress and Basil. Lambo, I-Pin and Fuuta. Seeing Gokudera missing, Tsuna could only assume the man had been forced to stay behind with Haru in order to keep him from doing something rash. Even Chrome, Ken, and Chikusa were there. Tsuna caught sight of Hibari glaring at the crowd from several dozen yards away. There were also dozens of low-tiered Family members that were normally unseen at the estate, but Tsuna dealt with on occasion. People like the chef for the underground facility. People like Renaldo and Derrik. Almost all of them had looks of fierce determination on their faces while also looking like they were using every ounce of their willpower in order to not run forward and immediately free him.

Tsuna had to fight tears with every face he recognized. He'd never known that he'd touched the lives of so many people in a good way. So focused on the bloodshed and death that was part of his job, he'd almost forgotten about the good that he had been able to do because of it. Had he never become the heir to Vongola, he would have never gotten the power to save along with that to kill. The power to protect along with that to destroy.

"Thank you," he mumbled in reply to the supporting yells that rang out when the crowd caught sight of him. The guards paused at the door, unsure of how to get Tsuna to the waiting vehicle without the crowd turning into a mob. In effort to help, Tsuna raised his voice over that of his supporters. "Thank you," he called. "Thank you all for caring, but please let these guys do their jobs. It wouldn't be fair if you guys got in their way. I'll be free in no time, so until then, just please let them do what they need to." The crowd fell silent at his words and ever so slowly parted to let them through.

This, however, didn't end up being as good of a thing as he'd hoped. In the break, reporters started rushing forward in effort to get a statement from him. While he normally wouldn't have been that important in his hometown, the crowd gathered from his arrest had created a media sensation. His lawyers darted forward, paving the way for the guards to move forward now that innocent civilians weren't barring the way. Reporters weren't considered innocent civilians, though. The lawyers and guards shoved their way through them like they didn't even exist.

Keeping his mouth clenched tightly shut, he tried to ignore the probing and rude questions the reporters sent at him while they made their way to the waiting vehicle. At one man's direct question of "how did you feel when you killed all those people," several of Tsuna's supporters started to take offense on his behalf. Two of the guards broke off and had to keep the gathering from turning into a riot at that point. When they failed and mayhem started to break out before Tsuna managed to get ten feet, it was suddenly restored by the appearance of the Disciplinary Committee. Tsuna gasped softly to himself while they cleared the path for the officers and Tsuna, understanding that the only reason they'd be there was if Hibari had sent orders.

After that, it only took a few seconds to cross the thirty feet from the front door of the station to the armored truck. By the time he was safely stowed inside, he was dizzy from it all. The officers guarding him gave empathetic looks, also believing him incapable of what he had been accused of. Whether it was the overwhelming support of the crowd or their inability to see past his small stature and innocent aura, Tsuna didn't know. But he did know one thing.

If he could get even his keepers on his side, the jury had no chance.

* * *

After calling his team and ordering them to report to Japan to be on hand, Gokudera once again turned to Haru and the ring on her finger. His chest still hurt from the impact he'd taken earlier, but he put it aside in effort to do like the Tenth had asked. He had to make sure Haru and Hotaru were okay. More than that, it was his duty as the little boy's Godfather to ensure Hotaru wasn't adversely affected by what had happened.

"How's it coming?" Gokudera asked Haru.

"He's still not answering," Haru cried. "He must be really upset about Tsu-kun."

"Let me try again," Gokudera offered. She nodded and held out her hand for him the moment he sat on her bedside again. Dr. Shamal hadn't given her leave to get up and around just yet, so the two were forced to try and deal with the problem in the bedroom. The house was unnaturally quiet. Nearly the whole estate had emptied itself in the desire to go lend support to the Tenth when they found out he wouldn't be immediately released. More than anything, Gokudera had wanted to go with them, but had been forced to stay behind to protect the Tenth's beloved woman and son.

"Oi, Hotaru," Gokudera called softly to the ring. He held Haru's hand gently in effort to somehow connect with the child hiding on her finger. "Oi," he called again. The flames flickered slightly to let him know the child was listening. Encouraged, Gokudera continued, "Oi, I know you want the Tenth, but he's got to be away right now. He didn't want to go, but he'll be back in no time. I'm sure he'd want you to be happy and play until he got back and not hide yourself away like this." The flames flickered again, but didn't move to come out. Gokudera sighed at the child's stubbornness. "Look, little guy, your mom is worried about you. She's not the Tenth, but she wants you to be happy just like the Tenth does. I want to see you happy, as well. Why don't you come out and at least let us see you and make sure your okay?" Once again the flames flickered and this time Gokudera thought he caught a hint of reluctance from the way they moved.

"Arrg," Gokudera groaned. "I don't get it. He didn't seem to have a problem with us before. He was even playing with us this morning before he realized the Tenth was asleep."

"He and Tsu-kun have a deep bond already," Haru said softly with a hint of jealousy. "I wish that he would let me get that close, too."

"He will. You're his mother," Gokudera muttered absently. The reminder of the bond between the boy and the Tenth had set a thought process going. He turned back to the ring with renewed vigor once it finished. "Oi, Hotaru," he called again. "Why don't we do something to surprise the Tenth for when he gets back?" The flames on the ring flickered madly in appreciation for the idea, but it wasn't enough yet. The little boy needed more incentive to come out. "I bet he'd be really happy if we could teach you to talk. Then you could tell him how much you missed him when he gets back. How does that sound, Hotaru? Maybe we can borrow some of Dr. Shamal's medical texts and I can help you figure out how to get your voice."

"Can you do that?" Haru whispered.

"It's worth a shot," Gokudera whispered in return. "It's better than just sitting around and doing nothing until he gets back. And this is the Tenth's kid we're talking about. If all he needs is knowledge to get his voice like Patchwork said, then we shouldn't underestimate him."

"Alright," Haru agreed softly. She, too, turned to the ring on her hand. "Hotaru," she called. "How does that sound? Would you like to work with us and try to surprise Tsu-kun with your voice when he gets back? I bet it would make him really happy."

The two sighed in relief when the flame started to emerge from the ring. In less than a minute, Hotaru was sitting on the side of the bed with a look of trust and enthusiasm. He really wanted to do something to make his father happy and he was ready to get to work with that in mind. Haru and Gokudera smiled at one another in mutual understanding over the boy's affection and single-minded caring.

"Alright!" Gokudera exclaimed after a moment. "You stay up here with your mother, Hotaru. I'm going to go downstairs and get some reference books from Dr. Shamal. As soon as I get back, I'll start trying to explain to you why you can't talk, okay?"

Hotaru clapped happily to show his agreement and Gokudera returned the wide smile the boy gave him. Gokudera couldn't deny the thought that even if it wasn't what he would preferred to have been doing, taking care of Hotaru wasn't a bad second choice.

* * *

"Thanks," Yamamoto said while he slipped his 'helper' an envelope full of unmarked bills. He was standing in an alley a few blocks away from the station, mere minutes after Tsuna had been carted off. The man he was talking to was the very one that had stirred up the crowd with his rude and pointed question that had assumed Tsuna was guilty.

It had been a slight risk sending the man in to rile the crowd, but Yamamoto had felt it was necessary in order to reinforce the supporter's determination. If the spies somehow didn't manage to get rid of the evidence and Tsuna was sent to trial, public opinion and pressure would be two keys that would help free him. Plus, bribed jury members weren't as suspicious if public opinion was on the defendant's side. He knew that much from his short-term training with Reborn during their short return to Italy.

Getting Tsuna's supporters angry at the people that were against Tsuna was required. If he didn't get their efforts focused, he wouldn't be able to use them later. For that to happen, they had to have an enemy to fight. So, in hopes that they would see him as an enemy, Yamamoto had taken the risk and sent the reporter in with a list of questions. He hoped that Tsuna would forgive him once this was over. It couldn't have been comfortable hearing those questions just like it hadn't been comfortable for Yamamoto to have them asked.

"Anytime," the man said while he glanced through his payment in near-glee before slipping it into his jacket. Then, before either of them could be seen together, the reporter slipped away. Probably to tend to his black eye, Yamamoto guessed. The plan had succeeded, mostly due to the unexpected result from the sheer amount of people that had answered the call. He'd managed to bribe a person down at the news station to insert a report of Tsuna's arrest into the mid-afternoon news once Yamamoto ascertained that he wasn't going to be released. He'd also managed to bribe someone to insert a message at the bottom of the screen, calling for support in Tsuna's time of need despite the news anchor's typically neutral stance on what they reported.

The outcome had been a dozen times more than what he'd hoped for. Even Yamamoto had been surprised at how many people came to offer their aid. Although he'd been with Tsuna for a long time, all their escapades together had never really seemed to leave that big of an impression. Yet, people that had only met Tsuna once for some random occurrence had been acting like they were long-time friends. It was a proof of Tsuna's power to inspire and gain devotion that none of the Family had expected, regardless of the fact that they had all been on the receiving end themselves.

Yamamoto shook his head to himself and started to head home to see how the others had fared with their tasks.


	63. Chapter 63 Slammer

Tsuna's skin began to crawl the moment he was escorted off the truck in the courtyard of the higher-security facility. Although, he couldn't really call it a facility. It was a damn prison. The inmates looked at him from behind fences to the left and right. Catcalls sounded into the air while he followed his keepers within the building.

"Sorry about this, kiddo," his main guard whispered in sympathy. "Takahashi appealed to the higher-ups when the mob started forming outside the station. In order to prevent a riot, we had to move you. This was the closest prison that would take you until your trial."

"It's okay," Tsuna whispered warmly in return. "As long as the guards are as nice as you have been, I'm not too worried." He smiled at the guard, once again thanking him for his caring attitude. His smile was wiped away, however, by the worried and apprehensive look he was given in return. "What's wrong?" He asked.

"I've heard rumors about this place being crooked. I don't know if they're true, but you better watch yourself," the guard said in warning. He looked like he wanted to say more, but was forced to be silent when they approached the waiting prison guards. Tsuna looked up at his new keepers hesitantly. They looked back down at him in dislike and barely hidden disgust. The moment Tsuna's former escorts disappeared inside to report to the prison's superiors, his two new guards began talking among themselves while they dragged Tsuna through processing.

"Uke," the first guard laughed. "Definitely going to be uke."

"You never know now," his other keeper chuckled. "The little ones can surprise you at times."

"Surprise or no, he's the tastiest piece of fresh meat that the guys have probably seen in a while. I give him a day, maybe a day and a half before Makoto or someone else gets hold of him."

"Hmm," came the considering reply, "I've got a feeling about this one. I'll bet you this week's pay that he makes it longer." When the first guard laughingly agreed, the man looked down at the pale Tsuna walking between them. "You hear that? I just bet a week's paycheck on you. You better last more than two days. If you don't, you'll have me to worry about along with the inmates."

"I usually win," the first guard explained with a cruel gleam in his eye. "So if you actually make it, I won't be too pissy. Good luck, though!" He cackled insanely at Tsuna. "You're going to fucking need it!"

Tsuna tried to control his nerves while the two guards turned their conversation to other things and finished processing him. He couldn't hide the way his hands slightly shook when they took off his rings and clothes before forcing him to put on a uniform marking him as an inmate. The two guards gave him another considering look when they openly watched him change, seeing the innumerable scars on his body for the first time. The first guard looked like he wanted to call the bet off then and there, but refrained when goaded by his partner.

Knowing that the prison couldn't hold anything scarier than Hibari, Tsuna tried again and again to force himself to calm down. While they issued him his cell number and prisoner number. While they issued him his bedding. While they escorted him through his temporary home and the inmates looked him over like prey. The whole way, Tsuna told himself again and again to calm the hell down, but couldn't. That is, until he was finally shown to his cell.

"You son of a bitch," the second guard mumbled to the first. "You knew his cellmate would be Makoto. No wonder you took the bet so easily."

Tsuna looked at his cellmate while the two guards ushered him inside the open door and gave him the general need-to-know information before leaving him at the mercy of the man sitting on his bunk reading. He snapped out of his reverie, however, when he realized the two guards had forgotten to take off his chains. Ducking his head outside the cell, he called after them.

"Hey! What about my chains!" He squealed.

"Take them off yourself," the first guard called back mercilessly. "I'm on break." The second guard shrugged, telling Tsuna silently that even if he had a week's pay riding on him, the man wasn't going to help him.

Tsuna growled to himself at the two men's attitudes before once again turning to look at his temporary home. His cellmate was still sitting on his bunk, although he had put his book aside and was openly appraising Tsuna. Ignoring him, Tsuna tossed his bedding on the top bunk and looked down at the cuffs still binding his wrists. He gritted his teeth in displeasure before carelessly snapping them in two followed by the ones around his ankles.

"Good," Makoto said in way of greeting. Tsuna looked at him with a raised eyebrow after tossing the broken chains into a corner of the cell in disgust. "I don't have to be someone else's daddy again," Makoto explained while he picked up his book again. "You probably heard from the guards," he said lazily while he scanned the page he had been reading. "I got a reputation in here, but reality is not what they probably told you."

"That's good to know," Tsuna replied carefully while he inspected his wrists.

"Don't get me wrong," Makoto continued. "I'll take almost anyone willing that offers themselves, but I don't go chasing them. Usually the new ones get scared and come running when they meet Hiko. They'd rather give themselves to me than be taken by him. I could never get myself to accept your type, though. Too short and your face is too innocent. I usually end up playing daddy with a kid rather than daddy with a wife when those types come running."

"Let someone try to play anything with me," Tsuna warned. Makoto looked up at the dangerous menace in his voice and blinked in surprise. Now that Tsuna wasn't playing innocent and harmless for the guards, his true nature was coming through. Tsuna had already marked every visible camera in his mind and there were woefully few scattered through the prison. The ones they were using weren't even top-of-the-line. Heck, they weren't even color and weren't the type to pick up sound! So, knowing that he didn't have to worry about jeopardizing his chances for release, Tsuna felt there was no harm in being himself.

"So what are you in here for?" Makoto asked out of curiosity. "Theft? Rape? Larceny?" Tsuna considered for a moment while he looked out the open door of his cell to survey the prison's common area. It was currently the time of day that the inmates were permitted to walk around in semi-freedom through certain parts of the facility. Several kept walking by their cell to get a peek at the new inmate, but Tsuna's glares sent them hurriedly away.

"Murder," Tsuna finally replied, knowing that there was nothing Makoto could do for or against him by knowing. Since Tsuna didn't know how long he was going to be staying with the man, it was only fair to try to get along.

"Same here," Makoto laughed. "Two counts. I walked in on my wife with another man and went berserk."

"Sixty-two here," Tsuna replied, bringing the man to a standstill. "At least at the last count Takahashi gave me." He chuckled sadly to himself and murmured, "If only they knew..."

Tsuna might have said more in his absent thinking, but the shaking of the floor made Makoto jump out of his bed. Tsuna raised an eyebrow at the man's panicked reaction. That is, until he realized the earthquake was unnatural. It had been made by the huge muscle-bound man that came to a stop in front of their cell. He was easily twice the size of Grey, Tsuna gauged to himself.

"What do you want Sao?" Makoto growled. At the man's defensiveness, Tsuna internally prepared himself for a fight by pushing his inner flame upward until it rested on the very edge of bursting free.

"You're Sawada Tsunayoshi, right?" The man asked in a low voice. Tsuna nodded, seeing no point in denying it. This turned out to be the correct course of action. He let his Flame go back down in surprise when the man dropped to his knees and began kissing where his ring would be if he had been allowed to keep it.

"Vongola...?" Tsuna asked hesitantly. The man nodded rapidly in silence before bowing his head to the ground and waiting for Tsuna's permission to speak. Makoto's eyes were wide in surprise and once again he looked at Tsuna in appraisal. "Head up," Tsuna ordered, feeling like he was once again on firm ground. "Explain yourself."

"My real name is Enrico Giraldichi, but the people in here call me by my cover name Sao," the man said in Italian. Tsuna blinked at surprise, but the man was already rapidly trying to explain himself. "I came here undercover ten years ago on behalf of the Ninth to watch over you. I ran into some trouble, though, and ended up getting life in prison without a chance at parole."

"Must have been some hell of trouble," Tsuna chuckled when he sensed the man wasn't lying. He, too, switched to Italian in order to keep the conversation private.

"It was an accident," the man cried, wanting Tsuna to believe him. "I was supposed to meet a contact downtown to help me get set up for long-term surveillance, but he had turned traitor! He had wanted to kill you! I had to stop him!"

"What happened after that?" Tsuna prompted softly in sudden pity.

"I had chased him all the way to Tokyo by car, but he rammed into me in the middle of a crowded intersection. A lot of people died and I was the only one out of the two of us to survive the crash."

"So you got blamed for all the deaths and the Ninth's hands were tied since the incident was so public," Tsuna finished. The man started crying at the understanding in Tsuna's voice. Tsuna knelt down next to him and patted his shoulder to try to soothe him, ignoring the curious people that began openly staring. "It probably doesn't help much, but thank you," Tsuna said softly. "If you hadn't stopped him, I might be dead right now. If that had happened, the Ninth would also be dead and Xanxus would have control of Vongola. You could say it was all thanks to what you did that Vongola was saved."

"Really...?" The man asked with hope-filled eyes. Tsuna nodded with a soft chuckle for the man's sudden vulnerability. He'd been locked away for a very long time and had probably thought the Family had forgotten about him. Yet, knowing his actions had meant something made it all worth it.

"Really," Tsuna confirmed. "A lot has happened since you've been in here."

"Like...?" Sao asked, nearly begging for information on the Family. Tsuna motioned for him to stand and show him around while they talked. The man did with near glee, quickly escorting him away from the flabbergasted Makoto.

"For starters, me getting rights to succession wasn't easy. I had to defeat Xanxus in one-on-one combat and my Guardians had to defeat his," Tsuna said. The man blinked a bit, but let Tsuna continue talking without interrupting. It was almost as if he feared Tsuna would cut him off. "The next year, all the Families came under attack during the Horsemen Incursion. I got shot a few times in that. Then there was peace for a while, but thing have been getting rough lately. The Ninth hasn't really let me in on any of it, but I had been sent on more and more executions and tortures before he ended that phase of my training."

"It doesn't sound good, boss," Sao grimaced. Tsuna nodded softly before switching to a more personal topic.

"As for the Family itself, though, it's doing pretty decently. My son was born last night," he said with a warm smile. Sao immediately congratulated him and began asking about the newest of the Vongola bloodline. Tsuna described his son enthusiastically, trying not to touch on his special qualities. By the time he was finished, Sao had finished the tour and Tsuna once again stood in front of his cell.

"It's a shame you were put in here," Sao said, finally switching back to Japanese. Taking his cue, Tsuna switched over, too.

"Don't worry. I've already got people working on it. As soon as I'm cleared, I'll send my men to work on your appeal," he promised. He looked at the man with a sudden glare. "You have been on your best behavior, correct?" Tsuna sighed at the sheepish look on the man's face. "Well, you better start cleaning up your act or I won't be able to help you any."

"Yes, boss! I swear I'll do better!" He replied with a look of devotion. Bowing repeatedly, he returned to his cell at Tsuna's absent gesture of dismissal.

"Just who the hell are you?" Makoto asked in shock, having watched most of the tour from his cell door...along with dozens of others. "I've never seen Sao bow to anyone!"

"Just your not-so-average inmate awaiting trial," Tsuna answered with a secretive smile.

* * *

Tsuna gasped awake. Sitting up, he held his head and tried to stop his trembling. From the silence around him, he'd managed to break himself out of the nightmare before screaming, but it had been a near thing. Just like he always did when someone reminded him that he had killed, Tsuna had went through the list of names in his head despite his best judgment. He remembered every single one of them. Including the ones that had still died from blood-loss or shock even after he left them alive. Including the ones that he killed only by third-person. And even if he didn't have their names at the time, he had always ensured to memorize it afterward. 

All three hundred and twelve of them, including the one hundred and thirty one that he'd used his Glock to finish off. Most of which had no remains for the police to find. The fact that they'd even managed to recover sixty-two was a near miracle. He'd been a damned fool to assume they wouldn't find any, though. He should have switched his Glock out at least on a weekly basis, but he'd grown accustomed to using the same one. He trusted in that weapon almost as much as he did his gloves and hadn't thought twice about keeping it.

"Oi," Makoto whispered, breaking into his thoughts. The man peeked up over the side of the bunks to where Tsuna was laying on the top. "Are you okay?" He asked. "You've been tossing and turning for a while now."

"I didn't yell, did I?" Tsuna asked while he clamped down on his wrist in effort to stop his shaking.

"You were moaning a bit," Makoto answered with a grimace. "I don't think it carried, but our neighbors probably think you just got laid."

"I'm just not used to this place," Tsuna lied. "It's hard to sleep well when I'm not at home in bed like I was last night."

"Well," he began to say, but his attention was distracted by a flash of light outside their barred window. "Oi, what's that?"

Tsuna blinked and looked out the window with him. He found himself scrambling off his bunk when the light flashed again. With only a momentary glance toward Makoto in apprehension, Tsuna allowed the Dying Will Flame to burst from his head for a short moment to be a signaling light for the little Flame darting from window to window. Like Tsuna had expected, Makoto began backing up against the wall while slowly muttering to himself in fear. Something about akuma and demons. Tsuna ignored him, too intent on the flash of light speeding their way.

Tsuna snatched up a blanket from the bunk and threw it over the Flame the moment it darted between the bars of Tsuna's cell in order to keep the light from attracting attention. The moment the blanket stopped softly glowing, Tsuna lifted it up and saw what he feared most.

"What are you doing here, Hotaru?" Tsuna whispered urgently despite knowing that the little boy couldn't answer.

"Papa was having bad dreams," Hotaru answered softly, picking up on Tsuna's desire for quiet. Tsuna abruptly sat on the ground in surprise at hearing his voice.

"You can talk, Hotaru?" He asked with a wide-eyed smile.

"Goku-sensei taught me!" Hotaru exclaimed quietly. "He says when his tongue gets better he'll teach me how to eat so that Hotaru can eat with Papa!"

"Goku...sensei...?" Tsuna repeated. Hotaru nodded innocently and smiled at Tsuna with warmth. When Tsuna continued to sit in silent shock, the little boy slowly crawled across the floor and into his lap.

"Is Papa okay?"

"Um, yes, I'm fine, Hotaru," Tsuna mumbled, trying to shake off his surprise. He wrapped his arms around Hotaru, happy to have him there despite the problems it could potentially cause. "But why are you here? You're not allowed to be here right now. Does Gokudera and Haru know you came?"

"No," he replied, looking down at his hands. He started guiltily playing with his fingers, sensing he was in trouble.

"You've got to go back," Tsuna whispered. "They're probably worried sick about you."

"But Papa was having bad dreams," Hotaru replied. "Hotaru wanted to make Papa feel better, so he went to find Papa all by himself."

"That was very brave of you," Tsuna said, knowing how much courage it had probably taken him. "But this isn't a place you can be at. You've got to go back home to Haru and the others."

"When is Papa coming home?" He asked innocently.

"As soon as I can," Tsuna promised, trying not to let himself break down at the question. "Now give Papa a hug and go home. Don't come to see me again unless you're with an adult. No matter what, okay?"

"Yes, Papa," Hotaru said unhappily. The little boy gave Tsuna a long hug before he once again became weightless. In a flash of light, he was speeding back the way he'd come. Tsuna watch the trail of Flame with tears in his eyes. The moment he lost sight of Hotaru completely, he started softly crying, unable to hold it back any longer.

"That was your son?" Makoto whispered from where he'd collapsed across the cell. Tsuna nodded and tried to get control of himself. Wiping his face with his sleeve, he stood and went over to Makoto's bottom bunk. Sitting on it, he looked over at the man still sitting wide-eyed against the wall.

"He couldn't talk yesterday," Tsuna said softly while he continued to wipe away errant tears with his sleeve. "I haven't even been away for two days and I'm already missing out on my son. It's killing me because I know I could be out of here in a few hours, easily, but I'd be on the run. For my Family's sake, I can't live like that unless there's no other choice."

"You'd do anything for your family, wouldn't you?" Makoto asked with a quirky smile, his earlier fear completely forgotten.

"My Family is everything," Tsuna replied firmly. "I'll do anything necessary if it's to keep it in one piece. I won't let anyone or anything destroy it." He stood and jumped up onto his own bunk, intending to get a few more hours of sleep before the guards came around to wake them.

"You make it sound like some kind of organization," Makoto replied on his way to his own bunk. Tsuna paused for a moment before rolling over and deciding not to answer. Without really thinking about it, he'd talked about Vongola while the other man had merely been talking about a normal family. The strange thing was that this didn't bother Tsuna as much as it might have in the past. Vongola was as good as flesh-and-blood despite the few years they'd been together. If they weren't, there would have been no way that Tsuna could have trusted that they'd get him free and protect Haru and Hotaru in the meanwhile.

But he did trust them, because he knew they trusted him in return.

They were Family.

With that thought in mind, Tsuna once again fell asleep. This time, however, it was with less unpleasant dreams.

* * *

"You have a death wish, don't you?" Tsuna softly asked the three men surrounding him while he absently continued to bathe. Like Makoto had warned him first thing in the morning, the guards had purposely left the showers unsupervised in order to give their inmate buddies freedom to assault the 'fresh meat' without hindrance. It was one of the few places that Tsuna didn't have Sao protectively shadowing him since the man was in a different cell block and therefore had to bathe in a different area. 

Unfortunately for Tsuna's would-be attackers though, if a single one actually touched him, he'd show them the error of their ways. Until then, he tried to ignore the uncomfortable presence of the three in effort not to jeopardize his chances of freedom. He would not, could not, be the first one to strike. If anything happened, he had to be able to claim self-defense in all honesty.

The large man on the left inched closer, carelessly reaching up and pushing some of Tsuna's wet hair out of his face to get a better look. Tsuna wanted to growl, knowing that it wasn't enough to break the man's bones yet. He had to wait until the other people in the showers that were watching out of the corner of their eyes could see that he was pushed into defending himself. Then, once they saw what Tsuna did to the three men, they would be too fearful to do anything but claim the truth of what they saw. This would be the only way to not only protect his own innocence, but keep anyone else from trying anything.

"He sure is a pretty one, Hiko," the man said with a sickening smile on his face. "Almost as pretty as a girl."

"I'm not too sure about the scars," Hiko replied from the right, looking up and down Tsuna's body. "Did you get in a fight with a dog or something, pretty-boy?"

"No," Tsuna answered simply. He started to move away with every intention to leave, but the three men closed off any possible route he could have taken. "It's not a good idea to mess with me," Tsuna warned with half-lidded eyes. "I've been almost bitten to death by someone a lot scarier than you three."

"Oh, ho!" The man on the left chuckled, completely misunderstanding Tsuna's statement. "So you like to be bitten."

"I wonder how many of your bones I could break before the guards came back," Tsuna muttered to himself, too low for anyone other than the three around him to hear. They bristled immediately at the statement.

"You might be pretty, but we can make you unpretty real fast," Hiko warned, grabbing a handful of Tsuna's hair.

"Let me go," Tsuna warned loudly, purposely catching everyone's attention. "I don't want to hurt you." Hiko's two friends grabbed Tsuna's arms at the words and pinned him him face-first against the wall. When Tsuna felt Hiko's hand grab his bare hip with perverted intentions, he smiled. The three men paused at the dangerous look on Tsuna's face. "You can't say I didn't warn you," he said softly.

The three men looked at each other for a single second before Tsuna's head was lit with the Dying Will Flame. With a twist of his arms to get them free, he grabbed the back of the heads of the two men pinning him and head butted them against each other. Then he sent a kick behind him, straight into Hiko's genitals. The man gasped and doubled over Tsuna's foot for an instant before Tsuna followed through with the blow and sent him into the opposite wall. Literally into the wall. He hung unconscious while broken white tiles clattered to the floor.

"Now see what you made me do," Tsuna said quietly to the unconscious man. "I'm going to have to take another shower now." Absently, he sent kicks into the stomachs of the two moaning men at his feet, sending them sliding across the showers and out of his way. Then, as if nothing had happened, Tsuna once again began to shower while ignoring the suddenly fearful looks of the inmates around him.

When the guards didn't immediately come running, Tsuna decided to change his plan, however. He looked up and met those fearful looks. He smiled innocently at them and asked, "They really should put some mats down in here so people like those three don't slip and fall so often, right?"

The fear-filled nods he received were everything he could have asked for.

* * *

"Who are you?" Tsuna asked the woman across from him. When he'd been told he had a visitor, he'd expected his Family. Not some strange foreign woman in a Sunday dress. 

"My name is Leslie Cooper," she answered. For some reason she was glaring at him, making him grow uneasier by the minute.

"Do I know you?" Tsuna prompted when she didn't say anything else.

"No, but I was told you were the person that killed my husband," she said. Tsuna clenched his teeth shut, wondering how the woman had gotten through to see him. He remembered at least two different people named Cooper. One had been a technician in the Gola Mosca lab in the U.S. The other had been part of a slave ring in Spain that Xanxus and he had shut down in order to retrieve several kidnapped Family members for an Allied Family.

"I don't know what Takahashi has been saying about me," Tsuna replied calmly. "But I'm not the person you're looking for."

"I don't believe you," she replied, clutching her bag. Tsuna stood up, wishing he hadn't bothered to see who had come to visit. He'd had to allow the guards to cuff his wrists to his waist for something like this? He shook his head silently to himself and began to walk toward the door leading back into lockup.

The sound of a revolver being cocked behind him made him stop and turn around in a flash. He had only a moment to look at the woman and see her tear-streaked face before she fired and he was knocked backward by the force of the bullet that hit his chest. Then there was only darkness.


	64. Chapter 64 Solitary

Author's notes: Using pure imagination on the jail and legal system. I have no clue how things really work in Japan. I'm using what I know of the US system in hopes that the two are alike...not saying that prisons are like that here in the US either...just...gah!...You know what I mean.

Also, pardon any misspellings in this chapter. My spell-checker keeps getting a parser error. I'll try to see if I can get it to work tomorrow, but I figured you guys would want to read the new chapter regardless of a few typos.

* * *

"What's wrong with Hotaru?" Yamamoto yelled over the screaming child. Gokudera just shook his head, clueless. They were sitting at the dining room table where the little boy had been listening to Gokudera's attempts at explaining a stomach. Between one word and the next he'd started screamed incoherently and had continued to for fifteen minutes, attracting most of the house by the noise. 

"Hotaru!" Gokudera called over his crying. "Hotaru! What's wrong?!"

"PAPA!" He wailed. Gokudera and Yamamoto froze while Hotaru jumped up and started pulling on Gokudera's sleeve. "Gotta...save...Papa!" He sobbed around tugs.

"Something happened to the Tenth?!" Gokudera exclaimed, finally understanding what was wrong with the kid.

"Papa's fire!" Hotaru cried with another urgent tug. "Papa's fire is small! We got to go save Papa!"

"Alright, let's go!" Gokudera agreed. He snatched the boy up into his arms and ran for the front door with Yamamoto following close behind. He didn't really understand what Hotaru was saying, but he understood that something was wrong with the Tenth.

"Wait," Iemitsu called with a cell phone in his hands. "I just got a call. Tsuna's in surgery right now."

"Surgery?" Yamamoto repeated, stumbling to a stop. Gokudera paused next to him with Hotaru still sobbing in his arms.

"Someone slipped a gun past security and shot him in the visiting area," Iemitsu explained. "It knicked his heart and he's in the middle of getting a transplant. If you go interfere right now, you could end up killing him."

"Gun? Heart?" Gokudera sank to his knees in shock.

"Goku-sensei!" Hotaru yelled tearfully. "Got to save Papa! Papa told Hotaru not to go see him without a grown up! You got to take Hotaru to see Papa!" He began tugging on Gokudera's shirt again while Gokudera tried to wrap his mind around the fact that his beloved boss was hurt. More than that, it wasn't something he could do anything about anymore.

"Hotaru," Iemitsu said gently. "The doctors are trying to save Papa right now. We can't take you."

Hotaru's face screwed up in frustration when he came to the conclusion that no one was going to take him. Finally, with his fists over his eyes, he went flying toward his room, trailing Flames in his tear-filled rush. Yamamoto automatically chased after him while Gokudera continued to wrap his mind around the news.

"He's going to be okay, isn't he?" Gokudera asked, nearly begging for reassurance.

"It's still touch-and-go. They won't know until they get the transplant done," Iemitsu replied honestly, fighting his own tears. Gokudera began to open his mouth to offer his heart, but Iemitsu stopped the thought before it touched his lips. "They've already got a heart for him. They just don't know if his body will accept it. Especially since he still wasn't fully recovered from what happened before."

"He's going to be okay, isn't he?" Gokudera repeated when he couldn't comprehend Iemitsu's answer. He could feel tears welling up in his eyes at the thought that his boss might not be.

"We have Dr. Shamal insinuating himself into the medical staff. But since Tsuna's already in surgery, he won't be able to get to him yet," Iemitsu continued, almost as if he was talking to himself.

"The Tenth is fucking going to be okay? Isn't he?!" Gokudera screamed, jumping up and grabbing Iemitsu's collar. Tears were pouring freely down his face, but Gokudera didn't care. He just wanted to know that his boss was going to be okay. Iemitsu looked at him mournfully for a moment before ignoring the hands grappling his shirt and he pulled Gokudera into a hug.

"I don't know," Iemitsu answered while the silver-haired man began to weep. "I just don't know."

* * *

Ryohei stood in a corner of the prison yard, wondering where the hell his little brother was. Being the only one of Tsuna's Guardians that used only his fists as weapons, it had been decided that he would infiltrate the prison and keep Tsuna safe until they could free him. It had taken a little longer than expected to get his fake identity taken care of, but he'd made it in without any other problems. He was now imprisoned for murder with a fake face and a fake identity. The moment that Tsuna was free, he'd be able to escape and discard both without any issues. 

But he couldn't find Tsuna. Reborn had personally assured that he reached the correct prison. Tsuna should be outside with everyone else since it was time for 'excercise'. He looked around, wondering where to start asking around. His eyes lit on three men quietly standing in the corner of the yard. From the way that one of them was standing, Ryohei assumed he'd been kicked in the balls recently. That made him a perfect person to talk to, since Ryohei doubted the man would want to chance getting hurt again.

"Yo," he said, walking up to them.

"Yo," the one on the left replied.

"I was wondering if you could help me," Ryohei said with a wide smile. "I'm looking for someone and I can't seem to find him."

"Sure, what's he look like?" The man on the right asked. The man in the center shifted and groaned when the movement caused pain. He looked pale and Ryohei almost asked him if he was okay, but he turned away and leaned on the fence before the boxer could say anything. Ignoring him, Ryohei turned back to the reason he'd approached them.

"He's short, about yay tall," Ryohei said with a gesture describing Tsuna's height. "Brown hair, brown eyes. He's got a scar on his cheek and fights like a maniac if you make him mad."

"Yeah, we know him," the center man replied at the description. He turned back around and looked up at Ryohei with a wide grin. "That bitch got what was coming to him."

"Eh?" Ryohei inquired.

"Hiko's pissed off at him," the man on the left explained. "We tried to show the little fuck a good time, but he kicked Hiko in the balls. It sucks cause he looked like he'd make a good woman."

"It's okay though," the man on the right replied. "The piece of shit got shot during visiting hours. He's probably dead by now."

"Do you want to repeat that?" Ryohei asked, trying to control his anger.

"The little bitch refused to be a pussy and I'm glad he got what was coming to him," Hiko repeated slowly like Ryohei was an idiot. "I'm not going to be able to fuck anything for weeks. Damnit this hurts. I think he broke it." He groaned again and leaned against the fence for support.

The sound of Ryohei cracking his knuckles made the three men look up at him in surprise.

"So, you're telling me that you tried to screw my little brother?" He asked dangerously. The boxer decided to worry about Tsuna being shot later since there was nothing he could do about it right now. What he could do, however, was to teach these scumbags a lesson. The three looked up at him with wide eyes at the words 'little brother'. Their faces were covered in horror and sudden fear for only an instant before Ryohei started swinging.

* * *

Tsuna could hear a voice talking. A sharp pain in his chest distracted him from it, making him feel as if he'd been stabbed. No, shot, he correct himself when he faintly remembered what had happened. He tried to open his eyes, but dizziness made him clench them shut again. They must have grossly overmedicated him when normal dosages didn't work, he guessed. When he tried to move a shaky hand toward his head in effort to stop the spinning, they only moved a few inches before encountering resistance from the handcuffs holding him to the bed. He let them drop back down to his sides, too weak to fight. 

After a moment, he opened his eyes again in effort to see his surroundings despite the calm, dreamy feeling that he had. The room was still spinning and he fought through the vertigo that accompanied this sight. He was in a poorly lit hospital room. There was a nurse next his bed doing something. She was talking, but Tsuna could barely focus enough to understand half of the words. She leaned down over him while his head began wobbling along with his sight.

"...wake?" He heard her say. She smiled at him, although Tsuna got a sense that it wasn't a good thing. He tried to track her with his eyes while she stood back up. It took a lot of effort, but he managed around slow blinks. "...manipulate," she was saying. "...easy." Tsuna shook his head slightly, trying to focus on the woman's words. He could only make out part of what she was saying through his drug-induced euphoria. "...should be dead...harder this way..." Tsuna shook his head again in effort to clear it. He had a feeling that the woman's words were important, but he only seemed to get more dizzy by his attempts.

Then she held up a syringe for him to see. Tsuna blinked slowly at it while his brain tried to understand what his wavering vision was seeing. Then he did and his old fear of needles made him moan and start trying to get away. Between the drugs still in his system, however, and the weakness of his burdened body, he couldn't even manage to break his handcuffs off. She laughed softly at him before reaching up and inserting the needle into his IV. Before he could even comprehend that she'd moved, a burning sensation started crawling up his arm.

He tried to reach for his IV to pull it out, but the handcuffs chaining him to the bed resisted his attempt while the woman quietly left the room. Still the drug spread through him. He began breathing heavily when he came to the conclusion he couldn't fight it. It was already too late. The drug was already in his system, whatever it was. Tsuna could already feel his weakened inner flame begin to automatically increase in self-defense. He laid back in relief, knowing that even if his head wasn't on straight, his Flame could burn off the drug in response to his body's orders.

Instead of wiping away the burning sensation, however, the pain started spasming through his entire body. His inner Flame started jumping in panic, trying to burn if off faster. The more it increased, however, the more the pain increased. One word of recognition repeated in his head endlessly before he began screaming around the oxygen mask strapped to his face.

Flare.

* * *

"I don't care if he's a prisoner! I want to see Tsu-kun!" Haru yelled at the woman sitting at the front desk of the hospital. In her arms, Hotaru scrunched up his face in an attempt to glare at the woman and help. He'd finally come back out of the ring when they told him that his Papa would be okay and that they were going to go see him. Behind her, Iemitsu, Yamamoto, and Gokudera all lended their silent support for her words. Still the clerk refused to tell them which room he was in. 

"I'm sorry," she repeated with a look of understanding on her face. "I can't let you see him. He's under armed guard until he can be sent back to the prison. I was ordered not to allow any visitors."

"Can you at least tell us how he's doing?" Gokudera asked grumpily.

"He's fine," the nurse reassured them. "He made it out of surgery without any problems. We'll keep him here under observation for a couple of days before--" She paused and looked down at Hotaru. So did everyone else. The little boy had started whimpering and trembling. His eyes were wide in fear and his tiny bottom lip shook out the effort not to cry sparks in public since he had figured out that his tears weren't like his Papa's and Goku-sensei's.

"What's wrong?" Haru asked worriedly.

"Papa," he said with a small shake. "Papa's fire is hurting."

"What do you mean, Hotaru?" Gokudera asked. He tried to stay calm, but he knew there was barely suppressed panic in his voice. Hotaru had known before when something had happened.

"Papa is hurting," he answered with a whimper. "It's the same as when Hotaru hurt!" He finally wailed. "Papa is hurting like Hotaru hurt!" Before anyone could react, he burst into Flame and dove into hiding in Haru's ring.

"W-What...?" Yamamoto asked. He stopped, however, when the sound of screams filled the building. Yamamoto's eyes widened with everyone else's in recognition of the voice. The nurse stood in shock, still too surprised by Hotaru's combustion and dissappearance to react. The two Guardians dove past her . They ran toward the screams with a pace that soon left Haru and Iemitsu behind.

Hall after hall they rushed through the hospital and the scream got louder the closer they came. Finally, they skidded to a stop when they saw a mob of nurses and armed guards. They started to deteminedly walk forward, but paused when the scream trailed off into silence. Yamamoto and Gokudera traded panicked looks before they dashed into the room before the guards could stop them. They came to a halt inside at the sight of Dr. Shamal tossing aside an empty syringe, having just finished giving something to Tsuna.

"It'll be okay," he announced to the panicked staff. "Everyone can go back to work. It was just a mild allergic reaction to his post-procedure medication."

The nurses started filing out while muttering to themselves in disbelief. The screams hadn't seemed mild, after all. Dr. Shamal looked up and noticed Gokudera and Yamamoto for the first time. With a serious look, he shook his head slightly with a quick, pointed glance at the two gaurds. Taking the cue, the two men backed out of the room along with the nurses before they could be questioned.

They stopped Haru and Iemitsu when the two finally darted around the corner. Pulling them back out of sight, the four waited anxiously around the corner for Dr. Shamal to come fill them in. It took him nearly twenty minutes before he joined them.

"I'll make it short," he said calmly. "A hitman got through. I took a lucky guess that they knew their target and gave Tsuna the Flare counter-agent that the Havlocks had still been testing. It's not fully developed yet, so he's still in pain. Don't worry," he said in response to their panicked expressions, "It's not enough pain to kill him. His Flame is burning off whatever they'd mixed it with now that he can use it properly again. I think I made it in time, but it's still too soon to tell. That's all I can tell you. I've got to get back, though."

"A hitman," Iemitsu repeated while they watched Dr. Shamal walk off toward a group of pretty nurses. "That means someone's behind all of this. I thought his arrest didn't have anything to do with the mafia since they've been using outsiders this whole time. They've been one step ahead of us the whole way."

"They probably didn't want to get their hands dirty before now," Yamamoto said in agreement. "This was an elaborate set up from the beginning."

"But who?" Gokudera muttered to himself in thought. "I'd say the Havlocks if that Violet woman was still around, but Irene seemed pretty firmly on our side. Plus, they wouldn't use Flare against the Tenth considering they'd already handed over the counter-agent."

"A Rival Family probably," Iemitsu growled. "I'm going to head back to the estate and get in touch with the Ninth. Haru, you and Hotaru come with me. It's not safe here if someone's already tried to assassinate Tsuna. You might become a target when they realized they failed."

"I'll call in Fermata to set up surviellance on the Tenth," Gokudera interjected. "If anyone tries anything again, she can snipe them from across the street if needed. I'll also get Cadenza to start trying to infiltrate the hospital's computer system and see if we can get any information on the hitman that slipped through. There should be video or something. If it's there, she'll find it."

"I'll start working the public," Yamamoto offered. "I hate to do it, but if I leak out word that he's been shot then public pressure should increase. It might not seem like much, but hopefully it'll speed everything up so we can get Tsuna out via trial if nothing else."

"I'll inform the Ninth of that and see if we can't use the public outrage as a distraction to get our spies in to retrieve the evidence. Actually," Iemitsu paused in sudden realization. "Actually, whoever's pulling the strings on all of this might be the reason we've been having so much trouble with that, too. I'll have to send word to our spies that they've not been dealing with normal protective measures. That should help them understand the problems they've been facing and give them a new perspective on how to get in."

With a nod of agreement to each other, they separated to complete their tasks with a determined step.

* * *

"Oi," Reborn called. "I take my eyes off of you for a couple of hours and you're already in solitary?"

"What's the word, little guy?" Ryohei called up to the room's only vent. Reborn sat back in his hiding spot with a sigh, knowing that the boxer probably wouldn't think twice about his actions even if he was admonished.

"You probably already heard that Tsuna's been shot by a disgruntled widow," Reborn finally replied. "He had to have a heart transplant, but he's alive. Earlier, a hitman slipped through while he was still drugged up from the operation, but his assassination attempt got botched since Dr. Shamal was in place by then. Gokudera's working on countermeasures for another attack. Iemitsu's working with the Ninth to replace all the prison guards here for when Tsuna gets sent back and Yamamoto is still working with the public around being the liason between Gokudera's information squad and his own."

"Sounds like everyone's pretty busy," Ryohei replied with a chuckle. "Who's with Haru and Hotaru? They shouldn't be left alone if someone's already went after Tsuna directly."

"Chrome volunteered," Reborn replied. "She's holding a omni-direction illusion around the house so that anyone that tries to walk in ends up walking out unless she lets them in."

"Is Hotaru okay?"

"He's fine. It took an hour of coaxing to get him back out of the ring again after the attack on Tsuna. After that, Ken finally came around and started playing with him since Mukuro started occassionally popping in to chat with Hotaru personally. They were been playing zoo together when I headed back here to fill you in."

"Sounds like a blast," Ryohei laughed.

"I'll see if I can't pull some strings and get you out of here early," Reborn offered. "Tsuna should be back in two days, so try and keep your head down until then."

"Ah," he agreed. The silence in response told him that Reborn was already moving again. So, lacking anything else to do, Ryohei laid down in his empty cell and slept.

* * *

Tsuna woke with a giddy feeling. Opening his eyes, he realized that it was an intended giddiness. Someone had dosed him with just the right amount to destroy the pain without making his head feel like he was on a carnival ride. 

"Awake, are we?" A voice said from the door. Tsuna looked at the door and smiled from an overwhelming surge of pure happiness.

"Sakura," he identified joyfully. "What are you doing here? You were in Africa for a three year research trip."

"Aren't you happy to see me?" Sakura asked knowingly on his way over to Tsuna's side.

"Oh, I'm happy," Tsuna nodded with a wide smile. "I'm feeling pretty damn happy actually. What did you give me?"

"Just a strong little something I discovered before I cut my trip short," Sakura replied with a grin at Tsuna's overjoyed expression. "It's a painkiller that has a bonus of actually being healthy and not having any side affects other than a very large feeling of happiness."

"Wow. That might explain why I don't think I could be mad or scared or anything but happy right now if my life depended on it," he laughed.

"It just might," Sakura agreed with a chuckle. "Anyway, I cut my trip short when I heard about the arrest. By the time I got here, you'd already been shot and you were almost assassinated post-op."

"That's okay," Tsuna replied, completely unworried due to the drug's affects. "I'm alive, aren't I?"

"Yes, you are, Tsuna," Sakura agreed. "But they had to give you a new heart and you almost died twice in one day."

"Three times if you include the whole week," Tsuna added with a grin.

"Sounds like you've had a rough time," Sakura commented absently. There was silence for a few minutes while Sakura checked his vitals and changed the bandages on his chest. Tsuna looked at where he'd been cut open with a smile, unable to be upset over it despite knowing he should be.

"Hey, Sakura," Tsuna asked with a wide smile. "Can you tell me something? I've been kind of curious about it."

"What's that, Tsuna?" Sakura said, returning smile for smile.

"What color was my heart when they pulled it out?" He inquired with a disarming smile.

Sakura froze, knowing that Tsuna was asking only because he knew the answer wouldn't affect him. Even so, the fact that he felt like he needed to ask made Sakura return his oblivious smile with a look of pity.

"It was red," Sakura answered softly. "Just like any normal one."

"That's good," Tsuna mumbled in happiness. He laid his head back and started dozing off again. Sakura shook off his feeling of heartache and let him. He walked out of the room to find out where Dr. Shamal had disappeared to again, while noting to himself that happiness might be more of a harmful side effect than he'd previously thought.


	65. Chapter 65 Update

Author's notes: Still getting parser errors on the spell-checker, so please pardon any typos.

* * *

Tsuna tried not to let the inmates see how much he was still hurting. After two days the doctors had been forced to admit he was in the clear. By midmorning, they had transferred him back into the prison. He'd still have to have regular checkups with the prison doctor until he was totally healed, but otherwise his keepers didn't care if he hurt.

Makoto was surprisingly helpful when Tsuna weakly stumbled into their cell, offering his bunk so that Tsuna wouldn't have to climb. Tsuna took it without second thought, his chest painfully spasming any time he moved. He prayed that he wouldn't have to fight any time soon. It felt like his chest was going to rip open at the slightest movement. The doctors had given him a prescription for drugs to take the pain away, but the crooked gaurds he remembered from before had stolen it with a laugh. Tsuna let them, knowing that the type of low-grade prescription that they'd given him would have only lasted a few minutes before he burned it off.

An earthquake announced Sao's panicked arrival. Tsuna looked up from where he lay and smiled weakly at the man.

"I'm sorry, boss!" He cried, knocking Makoto over in his haste to get to Tsuna's side. "I should have been there to protect you! Are you okay? Is there anything I can do?"

"I'm fine," Tsuna assured him, trying to hide a grimace of pain. "There was no way for you to have known my visitor was wanting me dead. Heck, I didn't even know until she already had the gun pointed at me. If you want to do something, maybe you can ask around and find out which guard was screening visitors that day. I'm going to need to know who let her slip past security with a weapon. And maybe--"

"Yo," someone interrupted in greeting. Tsuna looked up in surprise, thinking it was Ryohei for a moment, but laid his head back down when he didn't recognize the man. It was some black-haired man who's face made him look like he'd ran into a wall.

"Who are you?" Tsuna asked, attempting to hide his pain. A sudden spasm made him clutch his chest despite his best efforts, though. Tsuna gasped in surprise when the man pushed the overly-large Sao out of the way in _his _haste to get to Tsuna's side. Tsuna sat up in effort to defend himself, then stopped when he saw how the man hovered anxiously over him, wanting to do something to help but not knowing what.

"Are you okay, little bro? Damnit, as soon as we find out who's behind this, I'm going to--"

"Ryohei?" Tsuna gasped through his pain, now positive that this pug-faced man was really his friend.

"Oh, sorry, I forgot you probably wouldn't recognize me," Ryohei replied with a sheepish grin. "I got a new face. Don't worry though, I'll have my old one back as soon as we get you out of here."

"Boss, do you want me to toss this guy out of here?" Sao asked angrily. Tsuna blinked up at him and noticed how upset he seemed to be over a stranger not only knocking him over, but touching his boss.

"It's okay, Sao," Tsuna soothed. "This guy is my Sun Guardian. But what are you doing here?!" Tsuna asked, turning back to Ryohei.

"We couldn't let you stay in here by yourself, little bro. Since we knew you'd refuse a switch with Toshi, this was the second best choice," Ryohei explained with a smile. "You were already at the hospital by the time I got here, though."

"What did you mean by when you find out who's behind this?" Tsuna asked, remembering the first thing he'd said. "I thought it was just Takahashi's over-zealous police work."

"Here, lay down and rest and I'll explain," Ryohei soothed, while he guided Tsuna's head carefully back down to his pillow. Tsuna didn't fight, still feeling too weak from everything he'd been through. Once he was settled, Ryohei sat on the side of his bunk beside him and Sao and Makoto took up spots on the floor. Both had intent expressions on their faces and Tsuna didn't have the heart to ask them to leave. "First things first. You already know about the assassination attempt, right?"

"Faintly," Tsuna admitted. "I was too out of it after the transplant to really remember, but Sakura mentioned it. Wait..." Tsuna shuddered at the memory of the Flare that suddenly flew into his head. "I remember. A nurse added Flare to my IV."

"Right," Ryohei said with a dangerous gleam in his eyes. "Well, add that to how we can't seem to get access to the evidence locker and it starts to look fishy. Then there's the person that shot you to begin with, little bro."

"What do you mean?" Tsuna asked hestitantly. "She was just Cooper's widow. Which, by the way, was she from Spain or the US?"

"U.S.," Ryohei answered.

"Her husband was one of the ones in the Gola Mosca Lab, then," Tsuna mumbled to himself. He sighed, having finally identified which man she'd come to get revenge on. "I don't know whether to hate myself or pity her."

"Pity her? She shot you, little bro!" Ryohei exclaimed.

"Can you blame her?" Tsuna replied seriously. "She didn't know her husband was killing innocent people. All she knew is that I killed her husband and then buried him in the remains of the facility. The police that unburied what Xanxus left of the bodies probably thought he was just one of the pile of bones and told her he was one of the many victims. How do you think she'd feel if she knew he was a technician put to death for his crimes against the Family and humanity as a whole?"

Ryohei spluttered for a moment before putting his head in his hands.

"Fine," Ryohei admitted after a second. "I can't blame her. But she still didn't have to shoot you. Which brings me back to why it's so suspicious. Yamamoto made sure that news of your arrest didn't get outside the borders, little bro. He wanted to keep people like Cooper away and make sure the only public pressure out there was those wanting your release. There should have been no way for her to know that you had been arrested for her husband's murder."

"You're right," Tsuna agreed. "That is pretty suspicious. So, what's the Family doing?"

"We're transferring in guards to keep you safe," Ryohei said. Tsuna sighed in relief at the news. No more attempts on him in the bathroom once the replacements were in. He'd been slightly worried since he knew he was so weakened now. "Sakura's working on getting transferred in to be the prison physician, too. He's the only choice since Dr. Shamal completely refused."

"No women. Of course he wouldn't work here," Tsuna pointed out with a crooked grin.

"Ah," Ryohei agreed with a laugh. "Yamamoto is still working the press and Gokudera's got you set up on surviellance. He's been watching like a hawk since the assassination attempt."

"Does he already have eyes in here?" Tsuna asked.

"Yup," Ryohei confirmed. "Inside he's taken over their outdated system and has already wiped you from the memory banks in most cases. Reborn said he was pretty pissed off about what happened in the showers, but he calmed down when he saw how you busted their balls."

"Of course," Tsuna replied with a small blush. "You didn't think I'd actually let someone try something in here, did you?"

"Well, I gave them an extra set of lessons, too," Ryohei admitted with a sheepish smile. "They probably won't be back in their cells for a while. It got me a full day in solitary, but I couldn't let them go for thinking they could try something on you."

"I'll forgive you. They were slimballs anyway," Tsuna mumbled. "What about outside surviellance? I know he's probably not satisfied with the crappy setup they have in here."

"He's got his teams working on it. Last I heard, they had heat tracking, but otherwise nothing. It's enough for him to see you if you wave, though," Ryohei added. Taking the cue, Tsuna raised up his hand and waved to the wall to let Gokudera know he was okay. The movement made him gasp in pain, but he knew that the silver-haired man would be somewhat relieved by the gesture.

"What about Hotaru?" Tsuna asked once the spasming in his chest eased. "Have you heard how he's doing?"

"Last I heard, Chikusa was teaching him how to play with a yo-yo," Ryohei laughed. "From what I was told, Haru nearly had a heart attack when he decided to fly up twenty feet in the air to see how long the string could go."

"I'm glad he's not too upset that I can't be there with him," Tsuna muttered with a small pang of sadness. He smiled softly regardless of his own heartache, but Ryohei gave him an understanding look.

"He's still learning about the world," Ryohei explained. "He's just easily distracted right now. From what I was told, the only reason they could even do that much is because he wanted to make you happy when he got to see you again. He still needs his Papa."

"It's enough to tempt me to actually let Toshi trade with me," Tsuna admitted. "Tempt, not actually do," Tsuna said firmly at Ryohei's hopeful look.

"We knew you'd say that," Ryohei grumbled. "Toshi offered when he heard, but none of us believed you'd be willing to go along with it."

"It's one thing to ask him to be my shadow in the future for just appearances, but it's another to ask him to be imprisoned for me," Tsuna replied forcefully. Too forcefully, he realized. He clutched his chest and gasped when another spasm arced through it. He moaned a little and clenched his eyes shut when it didn't immediately calm this time. Ryohei and Sao both began to worriedly hover over him again, but he couldn't deny the pain in his chest enough to soothe them. By the time he finally forced himself to relax enough to not multiply the agony, he was sweating bullets.

"What the fuck is this, a damn party?" A familiar voice asked from the door. Tsuna tried to raise his head enough to see if it was who he thought, but was unable to. At Ryohei's cue, Sao and Makoto both backed away from whoever it was, giving the man access to the bunk.

"Xanxus...?" Tsuna asked with eyes wide when the man hovered over him. Xanxus was wearing a guard uniform of all things. Realization made Tsuna splutter for a moment before he managed to blurt, "You're one of the replacement guards?" Once again though, Tsuna's forceful words sent a lance of pain into his chest and he tried to hide a grimace while he clutched it absently.

"Here, brat," Xanxus said, shoving a hand over Tsuna's mouth. Feeling something pressed against his lips inside Xanxus' hand, he opened his mouth long enough to take whatever he was being given. He nearly choked when he realized they were pain pills, but managed to swallow them after a moment. The torment in his chest eased and Tsuna sagged in relief.

"Those weren't Sakura's Happy Pills, were they?" Tsuna asked. Xanxus blinked at him for a moment before barking a loud laugh. With a blush, Tsuna tried to explain, "Not psych-pills. He gave me something in the hospital that killed the pain, but I felt like my face was going to crack in half by the time the side effects wore off."

"It's not those," Xanxus chuckled. "It's a concentrated dose of the normal shit. Your fucking head should stay on straight and you probably won't feel any pain at all for a while. The doc said to fucking warn you to be careful though. If you break anything new while you're taking that shit, you probably won't even fucking notice until it wears off."

"Thanks," Tsuna replied. He sat up, finally feeling strong enough to not fall over. That alone warned him of the dangers of the pills he'd just taken. The moment they wore off, he knew the shift from strong back to weak might knock him to his knees.

"Here, brat," Xanxus added, tossing a small object into his lap. "I can't stay any longer without raising suspicion. I'll be around, though. Remember what I fucking told you, got it?" Without waiting for an answer, he walked out of the cell and back to his patrol. Inmates automatically backed away from him, sensing the danger that he radiated.

"W-What did he tell you, boss?" Sao asked hesitantly. Tsuna smiled and held up the Vongola Ring of Sky that Xanxus had thrown him. The guards had taken it from him when he was processed, so he hadn't been able to wear it. He sighed in unexpected relief the moment it was back on his finger.

"I'm not allowed to take this off until Xanxus pries it from my dead body," Tsuna chuckled softly.

"And he's still Family? I thought--" Sao shook his head, trying to come to terms with what he'd known before being locked away, what Tsuna had told him about, and what he'd just witnessed.

"Times change," Tsuna pointed out with a smile. "Believe it or not, he might have wanted to kill me in the past, but I trust Xanxus now almost as much as my Guardians. Xanxus might say he's only doing it because the Ninth will lock him away otherwise, but I've been working with him for a long time now. He's the one that taught me the ropes, so I know how deeply his loyalty to the Family runs. Maybe not to any individual," Tsuna added with a small laugh, "But if you're talking about the Family as a whole, Xanxus can be trusted to protect it."

"Just who the hell are you?" Makoto interjected. "I knew there was something fishy about you before, but this is nuts! You're in prison, but you've taken it over!" He began spluttering, trying to mention all the wierd things about Tsuna at once and ending up with an incomprehensible jumble of words. Tsuna chuckled softly at the flabbergasted look on his face.

"Since I know Gokudera's taken over the surviellance, I guess there's no harm admitting it now," Tsuna replied after a moment's thought. "I'm the Tenth Generation Boss of the Vongola Mafia Family. Sao is an old member of the Ninth's Family although I'd like to think of him as mine now. Ryohei, here, is one of my bodyguards and closest friends. The Family has enough power to do pretty much anything we need to, so something like taking over a prison is no big deal."

"If you're that powerful, why are you still in here?!" Makoto gasped.

"For my Family," Tsuna answered softly. He bowed his head, not wanting the man to see his pain-filled expression. "I told you before, I can't live on the run for my Family's sake. I've got to trust that they'll get me out of this."

"About that," Ryohei interjected with a wide grin. "Reborn gave me the serial number to the fake gun for you to memorize. He hopes that they can make the switch pretty soon. They moment they have that taken care of, we can switch out your registration files to make it look like the clean one is the one you've always had. The only thing is that it probably won't be until mid-trial that they figure out that the gun they think they have and the gun they actually have are two different ones"

"I can't wait to see the look on Takahashi's face," Tsuna chuckled cruelly. "How's the lawyers doing, by the way?" Tsuna asked after taking the small slip of paper that Ryohei handed him. While he listened for the answer, he began committing the numbers to memory. It wasn't hard. He already had the number to his old one memorized and Reborn had made sure that his new one only had one digit changed. This way, they could claim that Tsuna's arrest had all been due to a typo and Takahashi's single-minded grudge against him.

"Reborn said that Yamamoto's been pouring on the public pressure," Ryohei answered. "Thanks to that, they might be able to get you to trial by the end of the week. It was finally decided that you wouldn't be extradited since so many countries wanted you, but that would be sent to trial here for all seventy-four murders."

"They found more?" Tsuna asked with a grimace.

"Why did you leave so many intact anyway, little bro?" Ryohei inquired. "You've been working with Xanxus. I know first-hand he can turn a corpse to dust."

"A lot of them were marked," Tsuna answered. "Professional hits within the Families where we had to leave the bodies as warnings. The others..." he paused, knowing that Ryohei would be mad at him. He clenched his eyes shut and softly answered despite his heartache. "The others I wanted to leave so that their families could pay their last respects. Not for the sake of the one I had to kill, but so that their family could have a little closure. They might have been scum, but their families don't deserve to have to live wondering what happened to them."

At the silence that met his statement instead of the reprimand he expected, Tsuna slowly opened an eye to peek out. He relaxed in surprise at the soft and understanding looks Sao and Ryohei gave him. Makoto, on the other hand, looked pale.

"Y-you actually killed that many people?" He spluttered.

"No," Tsuna corrected softly. "The real number is over three hundred. The seventy-four are only the ones that they can pin on me from my gun."

"And I thought I had been bad for my wife and the guy I caught with her," Makoto gasped. The man's legs seemed to turn to jelly and he slowly sank to the floor. "I'm cellmates with an honest to goodness mass murderer," he mumbled to himself. Sao and Ryohei bristled, but a glance from Tsuna kept them from doing anything.

"So what are you going to do now that you've heard me admit to it? Are you going to go tell on me?" Tsuna asked. The man looked up and met Tsuna's determined eyes with a small tremble.

"I'm not fucking stupid," he answered after a moment. "You've already got the important parts of the prison under your thumb. I'd have to be a complete idiot to try to rat on you knowing how powerful you are."

"It's good to know I don't have to cut out your tongue then," Tsuna said with a soft, yet dangerous smile. The man trembled again in fear at the ease with which Tsuna gave the warning. Then the depths of his fear showed for all to see from the slow stain that spread across the front of his uniform. Tsuna raised an eyebrow before standing up and leading the others out in effort to let the man have some dignity.

"Are you okay, little bro?" Ryohei asked the moment they were out of hearing range of anyone else. "I know you hate doing that kind of thing."

"I'm fine," Tsuna replied, giving Ryohei a mournful look. "It's for the Family, isn't it?"

* * *

Tsuna looked down at his tray in resignation. Prison food was as bad as hospital food. Balanced, nutritious, and about as much taste as a chunk of cardboard despite pretending to be a piece of fish. Even his rice seemed to pale in comparison to the rice he remembered eating at home. Maybe it was just homesickness, but he doubted it. He'd never eaten anything this tasteless while working with Xanxus, even during the worst of times. 

But, for the sake of Ryohei and Sao who where worriedly watching him, he choked down the whole plate. They tried to offer him theirs, but he could only take so much. He felt no difficulties in attempting to turn down their caring gestures for once rather than accept some to make them happy. They seemed slightly worried that he wasn't getting enough nutrition for his recovery, but Tsuna assured them that he was, all while looking at the offered food with a green face.

Yet his green face only urged them to offer again and again until Tsuna finally gave in. Then the two men started fighting over who's what that Tsuna would take when Tsuna refused to take both of their offerings. This led to a rather noisy argument that Tsuna finally ended by accepting both despite his disgust at the taste. While he slowly choked down the food, he tried not to pay attention to the curious looks he was getting. Sao already had a reputation for strength in the prison. Word had spread about how Ryohei had hospitalized Hiko and Hiko's friends. Now, with those same two men openly fighting to give Tsuna half of their lunch, there wasn't a single person in the prison that wasn't curious about him.

He almost sagged in relief when the guards started ushering everyone outside for exercise before he had to finish it all. Sunlight flashing off of something in the distance made Tsuna wave out of instinct, somehow knowing that it had been Gokudera who had signaled. The flash went off a few more times in response, telling Tsuna that the man had seen him before disappearing completely.

Sheepishly putting his hand down since he knew he looked like an idiot for waving at nothing, Tsuna only had a small pang of warning before his pain pill wore off all at once. With a gasp of surprise, he fell to his knees in sudden weakness and agony. Clutching his chest, he tried to tell Ryohei and Sao what was wrong, but couldn't get more than a word or two out around the pain. The hovered over him worriedly once again while he tried to control his spasming heart.

His unlikely savior appeared before any of the curious inmates could take advantage of his collapse. Xanxus roughly grabbed him by his hair and yanked his head back before shoving a pill into his mouth. He waited for Tsuna to swallow it before tossing him down like a ragdoll and walking away again. Ryohei and Sao both looked like they wanted to kill the man, but decided to prioritize getting Tsuna onto a bench to rest until his pain eased. Tsuna paid no mind to Xanxus' treatment, having long gotten used to his mannerisms. Plus, Tsuna could always get his revenge the next time the man was drunk.

It wasn't until Sao fetched him a bottle of water that Tsuna finally felt the effects of the painkiller. With a sigh, he laid back on the shaded bench they'd procured for him and held the cold bottle to his head. He almost asked how he'd gotten the bottle of water, but decided not to question it. Seeing that Tsuna was alright, Ryohei started shadow-boxing in effort to signal to Gokudera that everything was normal. Sao raised an eyebrow at him, but otherwise seemed content to sit on the ground next to where Tsuna lay.

They stayed like that in silence until a few of the inmate's curiousity got the best of them. They walked over in a group, cockily assuming that they had power in numbers.

"Oi," the leader of the group called from a few yards away. "So, how much for the pussy?"

Ryohei immediately stopped his shadow-boxing and growled.

"I don't need you in solitary again," Tsuna said in warning. "The same goes to you, Sao." Ryohei and Sao blinked a few times before unhappily nodding in agreement. Without even sitting up, Tsuna sent a glare at the spokesman. "Now me, on the other hand, I'll knock the hell out of every one of you fucks if you think I'm for sale. It's no big deal if I get sent to solitary."

"Knock the hell out of us?" The man laughed, once again taking false courage from the numbers behind him. "A small shrimp like you? Who do you think you are?" The man looked at Ryohei and Sao in turn. "You two need to put your merchandise in line," he scolded. The two men bristled, but followed Tsuna's orders to not fight.

"He's not our merchandise," Ryohei snarled despite himself.

"Oh, ho!" The man replied. "I figured with the way you two were trying to fatten him up some, you thought he might sell better."

"One more word and I won't be held accountable," Tsuna warned before Ryohei could rise to the taunt. He sat up and put his bottle of water down.

"You're still not--" Ryohei began to object. He snapped his mouth shut at the look Tsuna gave him, however.

"You've got--" The man began to reply with a chuckle. He came to a startled stop, however, at something striking the ground in front of his feet. Looking up at Tsuna with wide eyes, Tsuna merely smiled knowingly at the man.

"My men get kind of trigger happy," Tsuna warned. "Now, I'd turn around and walk away before they decide to turn insult into injury, namely yours. If you don't, I can assure you that you'll be dead before you feel the bullet."

The mob fled in a panic, not wanting to insult Tsuna and get shot. Tsuna smiled sadly at their fleeing backs for a moment before waving once again in the direction that Gokudera had set up shop, knowing that his wave and everything that had just occurred would be wiped off the surveillance footage.

"How did you know, little bro?" Ryohei asked in awe.

"Gokudera's the best Right Hand a man could ask for," he answered with a small smile before laying back down. "Since I knew he was watching, I just trusted that he wouldn't let me hurt myself fighting. Why do you think I mentioned you being put in solitary? It was to let Gokudera know that you two couldn't fight unless absolutely neccessary. And I'm sure Gokudera is listening because he never leaves anything half-way done. Like I said, he's the best there is."

"He always goes to the limit," Ryohei replied in agreement. He began absently shadow-boxing again while Sao tried to wrap his mind around the trust that Tsuna had in his Family.

And from a hidden bunker in the distance, Tsuna could literally feel Gokudera's devotion spike.


	66. Chapter 66 Yellow

Tsuna rolled over on his bunk and smiled in contentment. Overall, things were going abnormally well, if one excluded the fact he was in prison. His lawyers and the authorities had finally started taking his statements, signaling that his trial was near. Reborn had finally contacted them late in the night to tell them that the gun had finally been switched. The other inmates had given Tsuna a wide berth after the warning shot that Gokudera had fired a week ago and Makoto had finally gotten over his sudden fear when Tsuna acted normal toward him over the following days.

"Oi," Reborn called from his cell window. Tsuna stood and walked over to it, not wanting to let the regular guards that hadn't been replaced hear their conversation. Nearly half of them had been, but there was still a large section of guards that would have been suspicious if they'd been replaced. He leaned on the wall next to the window before waiting patiently for his morning report from the little hitman.

"We've got a little problem," Reborn whispered. Tsuna's heart clenched, knowing that if Reborn considered it even a little problem, it must be something big.

"What's wrong?" Tsuna asked quietly. Makoto was sitting up in his bunk listening, having already gotten used to Tsuna's morning reports.

"Two prisons burned down last night," Reborn explained. "A large section of the surviving inmates are being transferred into here until new facilities can be built."

"So...?" Tsuna inquired. It might mean things got a little cramped, but it shouldn't be any different than things already were.

"So, baka-Tsuna, that means that more guards will be transferred in. This might be a setup to slip in another hitman, too," Reborn said in a low voice.

"I see," Tsuna replied while he thought over the implications again.

"Watch your back, Tsuna," Reborn warned seriously. Tsuna nodded even though the hitman couldn't see him. He would definitely have to watch his back. There could be an attack from either the new inmates or the guards themselves. He'd have to be twice as cautious with the guards since if he made a single misstep since not could he possibly be beaten, but he might jeopardize his chances at freedom if he fought back.

"Gokudera won't be able to help me anymore," Tsuna mumbled. He started gnawing on his thumbnail absently in thought, trying to figure out a way to keep order without falling prey. With things so crowded, it would be hard. Very, very hard. The previous inmates might gain enough courage to try to take revenge for how he'd scared them if they could get enough numbers and even Tsuna could be overwhelmed without his gloves. A dozen or two would be no problem with him weaponless. A prison-full, however, might be a bit troublesome.

"If you were in full health, you'd have no problem," Reborn muttered from the other side of the wall. "But if there's a riot, you can be sure that a hitman will be aiming for your chest."

"I know," Tsuna agreed.

"I've been working to taunt Hibari into coming and keeping order as a guard, but he's proving difficult," Reborn added.

"Have you tried pointing out how I'd be his captive?" Tsuna asked.

"It only made him like the idea even less," Reborn replied. "He mentioned muzzled prey again."

"What about promising him a fight that will last longer than an hour?" Tsuna suggested. "Once I'm better, I mean. I know he's been itching to have a nice long battle since I've been missing sparring practice with him. If you promise him a fight that will last either until there's a winner or until sunset, he might be willing to come."

"It's worth a shot," Reborn agreed. "But are you sure you want to promise that?"

"It was bound to happen one day," Tsuna groaned. "Tell him I've been holding back a few tactics since I didn't want to kill him, but I can't use them on him if I die here in prison. That should get him to agree to come and watch my back until I'm back in free and in one piece."

"Alright," Reborn accepted. Tsuna felt his presence disappear a moment before a loud commotion signaled the very thing he'd been warned about.

"Listen up," a guard yelled into the prison with a loud clatter of his baton ringing against the bars of a cell to bring everyone's attention. Curious silence fell through the cell block when people dropped off their morning conversations and walked to the bars to look out. Tsuna was no different with Makoto beside him. "Listen up," the guard repeated. "Things are going to get a bit cramped in here for a while. We've got a hundred new prisoners and we're out of cells, so a lot of you are going to have to triple up. I don't want any of you causing problems over it, got it? Keep your mouths shut and live with it until we can get them transferred back out."

The man walked back out then started walking in with a line of new prisoners. Rather than inspect them, Tsuna took a moment to warn Makoto before their new cellmate could appear.

"Look, Makoto," Tsuna whispered after pulling the man to the back of their cell. "I don't want you getting hurt because you got stuck with me. If our new cellmate tries anything, just stay out of it. Okay? Even if he manages to get the better of me, I'll deal with it. And keep your head down, too. There will probably be a riot in a few days if they can't manage to get to me otherwise."

"What...? Why are you trying to protect me?" Makoto asked in confusion.

"You might have made a few bad choices in your life," Tsuna explained with a soft smile, " but you're really not a bad guy. I'm sorry I had to scare you before, but it was only because I didn't want to have to hurt you. It's not like I do those kinds of things for fun. I have to in order to protect the Family." He glance up at the sound of jingling keys and stood up straight in effort to present a strong front to their new cellmate.

Their very, very large cellmate.

Tsuna looked up at the towering man and tried to decide if he was bigger than Sao. The man looked down at his two smaller cellmates and smiled while the guard took off his handcuffs before shutting the three into the cell together. Unsure of the man, Tsuna stayed silent and traded smile for smile. He tried to use his most disarming smile in hopes that the man wasn't the inserted hitman. Blinking in surprise, Tsuna watched while the man sat down on his heels in effort to be on eye-level with his two new cellmates. He had a curious look on his face, almost as if he was just as unsure about them as they were of him despite the overwhelming difference in size.

"Friends, okay?" The man asked with a smile and a tilted head. Makoto and Tsuna traded looks before looking at the man with wide eyes.

"Okay," Tsuna agreed. The man clapped his hands in joy at Tsuna's easy acceptance, strangely reminding Tsuna of Hotaru.

"This won't be as bad as Suki said!" He exclaimed. "Suki said Hammer wouldn't be able to make friends because the new people would be scared of Hammer."

"Well, you are pretty big," Makoto replied hesitantly.

"Hammer's mother fed Hammer really good when he was small," Hammer explained with a wide smile.

"What are you in here for?" Tsuna asked curiously.

"Hacking," Hammer replied with another tilt of his head. He seemed to grasp Tsuna and Makoto's instant surprise so he explained. "Hammer is big. Hammer might not talk good, but Hammer likes numbers. Hammer worked with numbers for a long, long time because he likes numbers and numbers don't make fun of Hammer's big size. But then Hammer learned that what's sent from place to place is numbers. So Hammer tried to change those numbers to what he wanted."

"And what did Hammer want?" Tsuna inquired.

"To make Hammer's mother have lots of numbers so that mother could feed Hammer more of her yummy food," he answered with another wide smile. "But some of the numbers wouldn't change like Hammer wanted and then people came and took Hammer away."

"I see," Tsuna chuckled. "Where did you try to change the numbers at before you couldn't change them anymore?"

"Hammer couldn't change them at the place called an International Bank," Hammer replied with another wide smile. "Hammer thought International Bank wouldn't notice the changed numbers since other places didn't, but they did." Tsuna looked at the man for a moment before he shook his head softly to try and clear away his lingering surprise. Hammer might be a simple guy, but he had to have a genius-level grasp of 'numbers' to be able to hack into a cross-country bank.

"Hammer must have been really upset when the numbers didn't answer him," Tsuna commented. Hammer gave him a sad look before once again smiling.

"That's okay. Hammer gets lots of yummy food now that he doesn't play with numbers anymore. Hammer's mother is happy, too, because she doesn't have to spend all her numbers feeding Hammer. Hammer might miss mother, but Hammer is happy." He paused when he seemed to think of something. "They will give Hammer a lot of yummy food here, right? Hammer gets upset when he gets hungry."

"Don't worry," Tsuna soothed. "Even if they don't, I'll share with you, okay?" Hammer smiled at the promise in joy and Tsuna felt no remorse at the thought of giving up some of his lunch. It wasn't as if he enjoyed eating it anyway. It would be a relief to not have to choke down his own portion plus half of Ryohei and Sao's. "In matter of fact," Tsuna said with hopeful eyes, "Maybe I can talk my other friends into sharing, too. How does that sound, Hammer?"

"Hammer has good little friend! Hammer will take care of little friend!" Hammer exclaimed, once again clapping in happiness. Tsuna traded another incredulous look with Makoto before smiling at the large man. Even though it made Tsuna feel like he was a pet, in the current situation it was better to just go along with it. Tsuna relaxed, finally noticing how tense he'd been. But he sensed no attempts at deceit from his new cellmate. The man really did just want to be friends.

"What's wrong with Hammer's little friend?" Hammer asked suddenly. Tsuna blinked at him, not understanding.

"Nothing's wrong with me," Tsuna replied.

"Shit," Makoto gasped. "Your chest is bleeding, Tsuna." Looking down, Tsuna stared at the spreading stain across the front of his uniform. He blinked at it in surprise before he realized that he couldn't feel it because of the pain pills he'd been taking. The dose Xanxus had given him before bed was still in full effect. Hammer was already spastically yelling for a guard and Tsuna continued to look down at his chest in dumb shock while the stain continued to get bigger.

"I must have been too tense and pulled it open," Tsuna mumbled. Makoto looked at him like he was crazy for a moment before the guards came running up to answer Hammer's call. Hammer backed away against the wall, familiar with how guards were scared of his big size.

"What the fuck happened?" Xanxus growled while he fumbled for the cell keys.

"I couldn't feel it," Tsuna answered sheepishly. "I was just talking to Hammer here and when I finally loosened up, it started bleeding." Xanxus started cursing while a wave of dizziness washed over him. He reached out blindly and both Hammer and Makoto grabbed him before he fell. While the other guards kept an eye on Hammer and Makoto for any attempts at breaking out, Xanxus rushed into the cell and bodily picked him up.

"You must have ripped it open real fucking good, brat," Xanxus mumbled while he darted toward the prison infirmary. From his wet hand on his chest, Tsuna couldn't disagree. The blood had already soaked through his bandages and through his shirt. He could hear it dripping in the echoes of Xanxus' footsteps.

"I'm getting sleepy," Tsuna warned while he tried to keep his eyes open.

"You're loosing blood pretty damn fast, brat," Xanxus said with another curse. Tsuna nodded and his eyes began to close but a sharp shake from Xanxus made him force them back open. "Don't fucking sleep," he growled. Feeling strangely content in his growing yet painless weakness, Tsuna mumbled agreement before laying his head on Xanxus' chest and summarily ignoring his order.

* * *

"Be sure and check Tsuna over carefully when you change his bandages today," Reborn ordered at the end of his brief. "I think I heard something pop when he stretched this morning, but he didn't seem to notice. It didn't sound like bone, so he might have pulled a stitch loose." 

"I told him to be careful," Sakura sighed in exasperation. "Xanxus passed the message along didn't he?"

"Ah," Reborn confirmed.

"Well, he should be here after breakfast to get them changed. I'll make sure to check them over carefully," Sakura promised. "With the help of my lovely nurse, of course."

"Haru is ready for duty," she laughed.

"Just make sure he doesn't exert himself," Reborn replied knowingly. "He's been hiding it, but I know it's been hard for him to be away from the Family for the past week. I think he was expecting more visitors, even though we told him not to accept any so that he didn't chance getting shot again. There's always the possibility that the enemy might try to sneak in by illusion next time."

"That's why I snuck Haru in here as my nurse," Sakura explained with a smile. "This way Tsuna can see at least some of his Family and doesn't have to feel bad about turning away everyone but his lawyers."

With a nod of agreement, Reborn started to jump off Sakura's desk, but a sudden light made him turn back around. Hotaru was quickly forming in the middle of the room while Haru watched on like a parent ready to scold.

"Hotaru, I thought I asked you to stay in your room until Tsu-kun got here," she admonished with a tapping foot. She paused, however, at the tearful look on Hotaru's face.

"Papa's fire is getting small again," he sniffed. "And Papa's fire is getting closer, so Hotaru wanted to see if Papa was okay."

"What do you mean, Hotaru?" Haru asked in worry. Behind her, Sakura and Reborn traded looks. Tsuna wasn't due to come to this part of the prison for another hour. The sound of running followed by Xanxus cursing made their attention snap to the room's entrance. Before Hotaru could answer, Xanxus burst through the door with a blood-soaked Tsuna in his arms.

"What happened?!" Sakura screeched. He ran forward and helped the man unload his burden onto an infirmary bed. Without waiting on an answer, he ripped Tsuna's shirt open and pulled off the useless bandages to see for himself. The long line on Tsuna's chest where he'd been cut open for the transplant was broken wide open. From the looks of it, he'd even managed to somehow rip it, making it twice the length it had been.

"I'll cauterize it shut for now," Xanxus offered. "You just go get some fucking blood to replace what this shit-for-brains lost." Sakura looked at him for a moment before nodding and darting off. Tsuna was already borderline from the amount he'd lost. If Sakura took the time to close it properly, he'd possibly die first. Sakura was back within a minute and started connecting the two large packets of blood to a transfusion unit.

He watched out of the corner of his eye while Xanxus held the wound shut with one hand pressed flat against it. His hand began to softly glow in small bursts, sending tremors through Tsuna's body each time he released a small dose of Flame in maddening slowness.

"Can't you go any faster?" Sakura growled while he began searching for the vein in Tsuna's arm. Blood was still oozing out of his chest at a frightening rate.

"Sure, scum," Xanxus replied with a dark look. "If you want me to punch a hole through his damn body, I'll hurry this right the fuck up." Sakura's mouth snapped shut in response.

"Haru, get the kid out of here," Sakura yelled over his shoulder instead. Haru snapped out of her shock and reached for Hotaru, but paused when she looked at the little boy. He had his small fists clenched and a look on his face that said he wanted to scream. But not out of unhappiness. Out of anger of all things.

"No, no, no, no!" Hotaru finally yelled. Before anyone could react, the little boy flew across the room and barreled into Xanxus. "You're not using the right color!" He yelled at the startled man. "That color won't make Papa better!" Xanxus stared at the little boy who was pounding on his chest with small fists in momentary surprise before anger once again took over.

"Get out of my way, shorty," he growled. "He's still loosing fucking blood. If you know of a better damn color to use, then go right ahead. But this is the only one I've got."

"Hotaru does!" Hotaru replied with a bright smile. Xanxus blinked at him for a moment before reaching up with the intention to toss the kid out of his way. Hotaru dodged effortlessly on his way back to Tsuna. He landed on his knees weightlessly on top of Tsuna's chest before pressing two small hands onto his wound, completely oblivious to the blood.

Then he began to glow.

Sakura dropped the transfusion needle in his hand and even Xanxus paused. Haru inched forward in worry while Reborn jumped up next to Tsuna's unconscious body. Slowly, the glow covering Hotaru moved down into his hands and for a single instant, a bright yellow Flame spewed out between the little boy's hands and Tsuna's chest. Tsuna gasped and his body arched on the bed before crashing back down like he'd been hit with electrocution paddles.

Hotaru smiled up at the people around him, insanely happy that he'd helped his Papa. Hovering back into the air, Hotaru went to sit by his father's head while the group looked in shock at Tsuna's chest. Even while they watched, the wound closed and healed. Even the scars around the area started to fade and disappear, leaving behind flawless pink flesh.

With a shaking hand, Sakura reached for a towel and began to wipe away the blood to better see. It was no illusion, however. By the time the yellow light faded from the place where Tsuna's wound had been, his upper body was completely healed. Sakura could see how far the miracle had spread from the way that Tsuna's scars picked up on his shoulders, stomach, and sides. It was as if someone had cut a large circle from his chest and inserted new flesh. A quick check proved that his blood pressure had even risen back to normal levels.

"Hey, kid," Xanxus mumbled to the little boy gently playing with his father's hair. "How did you--?"

"Hotaru has a fire like Papa's," he answered with an innocent smile. "Hotaru can make all kinds of colors out of Papa's fire. Papa's fire looked like it needed more yellow, so Hotaru gave Papa some of his yellow!"

"Could you maybe give Uncle Xanxus some yellow?" Xanxus asked carefully with wide eyes. Sakura, Haru, and Reborn looked at him like he was a different person, but he ignored them. This was the first and only chance that he had to get rid of his zero-point scars. He wasn't going to curse at a damn miracle worker. And he wasn't going to chance upsetting that same miracle worker since he was a kid.

"Uncle Xanxus doesn't need yellow," Hotaru said. Xanxus bristled at the little boy's tone. It was like he was telling Xanxus something he should have already known. "Uncle Xanxus needs more blue and green!"

The sound of Reborn snickering made Xanxus snarl and storm out of the room before he started busting heads.

"Did Hotaru say something wrong?" Hotaru asked after he was gone.

"No, Hotaru," Sakura replied in suppressed laughter. "It's just that Xanxus' blue and green is Squalo and Levi. He hasn't seen them for a long time and he gets touchy if people tells him that he needs others."

"Oh," Hotaru said with a small nod. At the little boy's childish ease of acceptance, Sakura darted out of the room to hide his laughter. Miracle-worker or not, Hotaru was probably the only one to have so easily told Xanxus 'no' on something and gotten away with it.

"Tsuna," Sakura gasped into the empty hallway once his laughing fit stopped. "Your son is really something."


	67. Chapter 67 Strength

With a small moan, Tsuna opened his eyes. He felt the inexplicable urge to laugh while he looked at the blank ceiling. How many times could a person nearly die in a single week? What star was shining on him for him to have such a screwed up life? Tsuna chuckled at the image of the Greek Gods sitting around a table, betting to see how many near-death experiences it would take before he finally kicked the bucket.

"Good morning," a voice said from the head of his bed despite him knowing it was probably afternoon. Tsuna tilted his head back to find the owner of the voice to be his own beloved Haru smiling down at him in relief in a nurse's uniform.

"Good morning," he softly greeted with a smile in return. "What are you doing here?"

In answer, she walked around the side of the bed and leaned over him with a pouty expression. Unable to deny his need with her so close, he tried to reach up and pull her into a kiss. Unfortunately, handcuffs holding him to the bed didn't allow it. Tsuna looked at the offending pieces of metal then back up to Haru. Back and forth he looked, hoping that she'd get the picture and just kiss him since he wasn't able to. His jaw dropped at the unfairness of it all when she stood back up and crossed her arms in what he recognized as the pre-scolding stance instead of letting him touch her for the first time in over a week.

"You've been bad, Tsu-kun," she said with a glare. "Dr. Sakura told you to be careful and you still broke open your cut."

"I'm sorry," Tsuna immediately apologized. "I'll be more careful from now on. I promise. I swear! I won't move an inch until it heals!"

"I was really scared," Haru mumbled, looking down. "You came in all bloody and you almost died, Tsu-kun." Tsuna's thoughts came to an abrupt halt at the tears she was trying to hide. Shamed at his own selfish desires, Tsuna pushed his wants away and tried to find the words to make her happy again.

"I really didn't mean to hurt myself, Haru," Tsuna replied softly. "I want to get better so that when I get to go home, I can live happily with you and Hotaru and the rest of our crazy Family. Until that happens, there's no way I'm going to die."

"Promise?" Haru sniffed.

"I promise," Tsuna confirmed with a smile at Haru's childish expression.

"Then...then..." She blurted out a stream of words too fast and jumbled for him to make out in her sudden excitement.

"What was that, Haru?" Tsuna asked with a small laugh at her energy. She could get too energetic for even herself it seemed.

"Then when you get out of here," she blurted, "Let's get married!"

Tsuna blinked. Twice.

"Alright," he chuckled. "If that's what you want, we'll get married when I get out of here. You can even dress up as the wedding cake if that's what will make you happy."

"Who would do that?" Haru mischieviously asked while she leaned back over him again.

"I don't know," Tsuna mumbled while she got closer. He found himself staring needfully at her lips again, so maddeningly close yet still so very far away. "Maybe somebody that would look beautiful no matter what she wore. Someone that is charismatic and energetic and amazing and..." He broke off his words with a soft moan when she finally got close enough to let him kiss her. Even without the ability to pull her into his arms, he released a week's worth of suppressed passion into the kiss to let her know how much he wanted her and needed her.

He nearly screamed in frustration when Sakura walked in and she broke it off. At Sakura's knowing look, however, he bit his lip and let his head fall back to his bed in resignation. His blood was already pumping and he wanted Haru more than anything at the moment, but he couldn't have her. Had she sneaked in to see him a day or two ago, it would have been easy to disappear for an hour or so. But with the large influx of inmates and guards, it wasn't meant to be. He'd have to be satisfied with only a mere kiss for now, no matter how insane it drove him.

"So, how bad is it, Sakura?" Tsuna asked in effort to distract himself.

"How does it feel?"

"I'm not supposed to feel it through the pills, right?" Tsuna asked in confusion.

"That's correct. But you're not on the pills right now," Sakura answered.

"That's not possible," Tsuna muttered. "You had to give me something. I know I had to rip it open pretty badly even if I couldn't feel it before. There was too much blood for me not to have. If I'm not on anything, it should hurt, right?"

"You're not medicated right now," Sakura assured him. "Believe it or not, you're completely healed." Tsuna blinked and shook his head in utter disagreement. It wasn't possible.

"It's true, Tsu-kun," Haru agreed with an energetic nod. Tsuna's eyes snapped to her in surprise. "Hotaru healed you," she explained. He shook his head again, although this time it was because he wasn't comprehending. She sighed at him in exasperation and pushed open his unbuttoned shirt for him to see for himself. Tsuna looked down at the flawless pink skin in complete disbelief.

"H-How...?"

"Hotaru healed you," Haru repeated.

"He was amazing, Tsuna," Sakura agreed. "He actually stopped Xanxus in the middle of burning it shut and took over."

"Hotaru...Xanxus...?" Tsuna shook his head again in disbelief. His little Hotaru had stopped Xanxus...?! Haru and Sakura nodded softly while he tried to overcome his shock.

"Here," Sakura said, walking up to him with a roll of bandages. "We're going to hide this so that no one notices your little miracle." Tsuna nodded mutely and tried to do his best to make it easier for Haru to hold up his shirt while Sakura began wrapping his unmarked chest. By the time that they finished, Tsuna felt like he was capable of talking again.

"Where's Hotaru?" He asked. In answer, Haru nodded her head over to the corner of the room where Hotaru had been watching them the whole time. He was shyly hiding behind a chair, trying his best to go unnoticed.

"Don't you want to say hello to your Papa?" Tsuna asked softly. Tsuna's head snapped to Haru in askance when the little boy hid behind the chair in response.

"He's scared that you're going to be mad at him," Haru whispered. "He told Xanxus that he couldn't have any of the yellow that he gave you and now Xanxus is growling at everyone. Hotaru didn't mind Xanxus at first, but Xanxus has gotten more and more temperamental while you were resting. Hotaru thinks he did something wrong even though we told him he didn't." Tsuna looked at her in surprise again, knowing that 'yellow' meant yellow Flame. Not only the Mist Flame, but Hotaru had the Sun Flame too?! His abilities were starting to make sense in a way, although Tsuna still didn't feel like he fully grasped it yet.

"It's okay, Hotaru," Tsuna soothed after shaking away his amazement. "Papa's not mad at his firefly. You didn't do anything wrong. Xanxus is just a little grouchy. Can you come out so I can thank you for sharing your yellow with me? That's what made me better, right?" Hotaru peeked out from behind the chair and nodded. Tsuna smiled reassuringly at him until he slowly flew to Tsuna's bedside. When Hotaru came to a stop and drifted effortlessly into Tsuna's lap, he couldn't help but feel mildly in awe of his son's abilities.

"Papa's fire is big again," Hotaru commented hesitantly.

"It is," Tsuna agreed with a warm smile. "And it's all thanks to you. It must have taken a lot of courage to stand up to someone scary like Xanxus." Hotaru shook his head slowly and looked up at Tsuna.

"Uncle Xanxus isn't scary, Papa. Uncle Xanxus' fire is like a yo-yo.".

"A yo-yo?" Tsuna prompted while he tried to hide a laugh at the description.

"Yup," Hotaru agreed with a smile. "A yo-yo always goes up and down the string. And if you bounce it when it gets to the bottom, it rolls back up again."

"That's a yo-yo," Tsuna agreed. "But how's that like Uncle Xanxus' fire?"

"Uncle Xanxus is good at bouncing," Hotaru praised with a wide grin. "He bounces it a lot. His fire gets bigger and bigger every time he bounces it. Hotaru was scared of a yo-yo before because Hotaru didn't know how to stop it from bouncing without getting tangled up in the string or getting hit. But Chikusa-nii taught Hotaru how to catch it so that didn't happen anymore. Since Uncle Xanxus knows how to catch it, too, Hotaru isn't scared."

"I-I see," Tsuna replied, once again looking at his precocious son in amazement. "I'll have to buy Uncle Xanxus a yo-yo and let him know that you aren't scared of him since he can catch it."

"He's too big for a yo-yo, Papa!" Hotaru exclaimed with a giggle. Tsuna laughed with him at the thought of what Xanxus' expression would be over being given a yo-yo. However, his laughter came to an abrupt halt at the sound of footsteps coming down the hall.

"Hotaru," Haru called softly yet urgently. "Playtime with Papa is over for now. You'll get to see him a lot more when he comes home, okay? For now, I need you to go to your room and wait for me to tell you that it's okay to come out again." Hotaru looked at Tsuna, unhappy that they already had to part. Despite his own wish that they could stay together for a little longer, Tsuna nodded in agreement with Haru.

"I love you and we'll see each other again soon. For now, give Papa a hug then go to your room like Haru asked," Tsuna ordered softly. Hotaru stuck out his bottom lip in a pout, but did like he was told. By the time the footsteps paused at the door before coming in, Haru was already buttoning his shirt up for him and Hotaru was nowhere in sight.

"He's ready for transfer, Doctor," Haru called in effort to live up to her nurse disguise.

"Alright," Sakura called back. "A guard is here to escort him. Stand to the side like you were trained Nurse Miura and let him take over."

"Yes, sir," Haru replied. She gave Tsuna a last love-filled look before doing like she was told.

"No funny stuff," the guard warned. "I'm going to uncuff you from the bed." Tsuna nodded, knowing the drill from the way he'd been transferred from the hospital. The guard uncuffed the end of his far arm and forcefully guided his wrists together. There, he fastened the end of the cuffs hanging loose to his still-bound wrist before completely removing the second set. This left Tsuna's wrists cuffed together instead of bound separately to either side of the bed.

"Let's go," the guard ordered after forcing Tsuna to stand. He wasn't being purposely rough, Tsuna noticed. The man was just in a hurry to do his duties. Knowing that the guard was probably a transfer and therefore had much to do in effort to acclimate himself to his new surroundings, Tsuna tried his best to make it easier. He began walking before the guard had to prod him. He paused at the gates before the man forced him to stop. His efforts seem to pay off since he began to act much gentler to Tsuna by the time they reached his cell and freed him again.

After he walked off, Tsuna turned to his two relieved cellmates. Makoto was lazily laying across his bunk and Hammer had taken up a wall to himself. Both were looking at him like he was a walking miracle. Which, he thought to himself, he almost was.

"I'm alive," Tsuna assured them to break the tense silence. He walked over to his bunk and carelessly tossed himself on it, bringing panicked expressions to his two friend's faces.

"Don't do that!" Makoto gasped, looking down over the side of his bunk. "You want to end up back in the infirmary?" Tsuna smiled and was tempted to show him his wound-less chest. The knowledge that there was still someone out to kill him made him decide not to. If it got out that his chest was healed, the hitman wouldn't mark himself as such by aiming there.

"Sorry," Tsuna mumbled instead. "The doctor bound it up really good this time. I should be able to move around without any problems now. As long as I don't take any punches directly to it, it should hold shut just fine this time."

"Makoto told Hammer that his little friend was hurt," Hammer said hesitantly.

"Ah," Tsuna agreed. "I got hurt pretty badly, but don't worry. I'm a lot tougher than I look."

"Hammer will take care of little friend," he replied with a smile. Tsuna smiled at Hammer's determination in return. Even though they'd only talked for a few minutes, the look on the man's face suggested he wouldn't let anyone harm his 'little friend'.

"What time is it anyway?" Tsuna asked.

"Almost lunch," Makoto answered while he laid back on his bunk once again. "After that, the guards announced that we'd be going out to the yard since things are so cramped in here. Our block got moved to afternoon showers, too, since transferring in all the new prisoners took so damn long."

"Great," Tsuna mumbled unhappily. Before he could think up a plan to deal with the possible consequences of the new schedule, the bars of their cell slid open to release them for lunch. "Makoto," Tsuna said softly when the man jumped down off his bunk, "Remember what I said. Keep your head down, okay?"

Makoto looked at him in surprise then slowly nodded. Letting him go first, Tsuna led Hammer toward the prison cafeteria. As soon as they had food and were seated, Sao and Ryohei slipped over to their table and joined them. Neither men looked happy when Tsuna tossed half of his food over to Hammer. After a quick explanation of who the newcomer was, both men also shared their helpings in effort to make Tsuna's very large cellmate happy, though. Hammer was overjoyed by the growing amount of food on his plate. When even Makoto sat down with them and threw half of his helping onto Hammer's plate, the poor man was nearly crying in happiness while he ate.

"What?" Makoto growled at Tsuna's look of surprise. "I've got to sleep in the same cell, you know? Sheesh, you guys are pretty damn hard to ignore."

"Hammer has lots of little friends now!" The man sobbed around a bite. Ryohei and Sao traded incredulous looks over the man's vulnerable nature then pointedly turned to their food in effort not to laugh. Tsuna just patted the large man's back soothingly until he managed to inhale the mountain of food.

"Hey," Ryohei mumbled softly once Tsuna turned to his portion. "I heard about the firefly. Did he really--"

"My little firefly is absolutely amazing," Tsuna interrupted. He would have said more, but he paused.

He felt a prickling sensation on the back of his neck, signaling a watcher of some kind. Tsuna stiffened momentarily in response before purposely forcing himself to relax to make everything seem normal. A feeling of impending tenseness was beginning to well up in him and he recognized it as one of his intuitive warnings. Something was going to happen.

Softly, so only those at his table could hear, Tsuna hummed a few bars of the theme to _Rocky _in warning. There was no way for him to warn his friends verbally without tipping off his would-be attacker, so he could only hope that Ryohei understood the cue. This might be their only chance to catch the inserted hitman. Ryohei stiffened in recognition of the song a single moment before all hell broke loose.

Without warning, a man went flying into their table and scattered their nearly-empty trays all over the place. To their left, a fist fight broke out between four inmates. It quickly spread until the whole room was covered in flying food and fists. Dodging poorly-aimed blows, Tsuna quickly made his way to the corner of the room with Ryohei beside him. His instincts were telling him to get his back into a corner as fast as possible, but the spreading chaos didn't allow it. He found himself fighting back out of pure need for self-preservation and he quickly became separated from Ryohei.

While he was dodging two strikes aimed for his head, a third strike suddenly hit his chest and knocked all of the air out of his lungs. He gasped and flew onto his back from the power in the blow. It had nearly rivaled that of Hibari in strength and speed. Had his chest not already been healed, it would have easily went through to his heart. Especially considering that even through his healed chest, his heart stopped beating for a few seconds. He gasped for air in effort to get his lungs working again and tried to see who had hit him. Cursing at himself, Tsuna realized the man had already slipped back into the fray in hiding.

Ryohei caught sight of him laying on the ground and began knocking heads together in his rush to help. By the time he reached Tsuna's side, however, he paused at the look in Tsuna's eyes.

His flame-lit, angry eyes.

Tsuna stood. He'd allowed himself to appear weakened to try to catch the hitman, but the plan had failed. There was no reason to allow the chaos to go on any longer. He was upset at himself for missing his chance. He was upset at the prison guards for letting this continue. He was upset at the prisoners for causing such mayhem. No more. Tsuna calmly grabbed the fist suddenly aimed for his head and tossed the owner into a group of fighting inmates. The prisoners near him broke off their fighting in amazement, but Tsuna wasn't done yet.

"Oh, shit," Ryohei yelled in warning at the still fighting prisoners. "He's gone extreme!"

Tsuna ignored him. His eyes lit on three men who were trying to corner Makoto and he began to fly forward. Even without his gloves, Tsuna had trained his unarmed speed by sparring with Cheri. He didn't need his gloves to become a ghost to most people anymore. Tsuna paused and looked at Makoto while the three men around him dropped to the ground, clueless as to what had hit them.

"I told you to keep your head down," Tsuna softly admonished.

"S-Sorry...?" Makoto replied in amazement. Tsuna shook his head in mild exasperation before turning back to the still fighting mob. Hammer was fighting a dozen men, all while telling them off for wasting food.

"Ryohei," Tsuna ordered, his voice carrying over the tumult despite the soft tone. "Stay with Makoto." Ryohei nodded and began to pull the man into the corner that Tsuna had been aiming for.

"Sure thing, little bro," he agreed. Ryohei of all people knew Tsuna's strength. Now that it was being unleashed, there was no reason to protect him. Staying out of his way was the best way to help.

Tsuna waited until they were safely in place before beginning his run. By now, he had the wide-eyed attention of over half of the inmates, but there was still a very large and oblivious crowd. The guards had started to attempt to interfere, but the growing pile of unconscious uniformed men was proof of the fight's ferociousness. Even so, it was child's play to Tsuna. He began darting low through the mob, using his small size and agility to dodge blows before sending uppercuts and counter-strikes into jaw after jaw. The path of his fury began to be marked by a growing number of stunned or unconscious inmates.

The guards stood dumbfounded, as did the prisoners that hadn't been fighting. The people that had seen Tsuna take out Hiko in the showers had been too fearful to talk about what had happened, so Tsuna's strength had been previously unknown. Until now, everyone had merely seen him as a short and wiry man and had automatically assumed that it translated into being weak.

He proved them all wrong in their assumptions.

Within seconds, he cleared the men off of Hammer and continued to forcefully stop the riot. Bodies started dropping left and right. Those that got in his way or tried to attack him directly found themselves tossed aside like wads of paper. Inmates that he hadn't yet reached began dropping their fists to watch in shock. Tsuna ignored them. As long as they weren't fighting, they were safe from him. The others, however, he hit and struck without mercy.

Tsuna stood panting in the middle of a pile of unconscious bodies and looked around for his next target. There wasn't any. The fighting had completely stopped in order to watch his flash of speed and power. Satisfied, Tsuna dropped his flame back down to normal levels. To his left and right, guards were cautiously coming forward, thinking he was a rampaging beast that they had to control. In effort to signal that he wasn't, Tsuna put his hands on his head and abruptly sat down.

"Thought you could use a hand," he called to the guards. "Sorry if I overdid it."

Still the guards hesitated. They traded uneasy looks before cautiously approaching him. Tsuna tried not to flinch at the baton that began speeding toward his head out of fear. He knew that they were just scared and thought that he would be easier to deal with unconscious. He was imprisoned for mass murder, after all. And since he could see that, he forced himself not to defend himself against the blow.

* * *

Ryohei gritted his teeth while Tsuna fell over from the hit to his head. He'd seen it coming, Ryohei knew. The way he'd glanced to the side before it landed was the only reason Ryohei didn't immediately run forward to aid him. He'd had the same look of resignation in his eyes that compromised boxers did before they threw a match. Ryohei even knew why Tsuna had relented, but it still made him want to spit and snarl. 

"Why did he--?" Makoto whispered in askance while the guards began dragging Tsuna's unconscious body away. Ryohei clenched his fists shut and gritted his teeth again in effort to not give chase. It was a full two minutes before he calmed himself enough to answer. Hammer joined them quietly during that time, not wanting to be singled out by the guards like Tsuna had been.

"Little bro is an idiot," Ryohei despaired. "He considers the guards as innocents, so he won't fight them."

"But he's seen how crooked they are," Makoto objected.

"That was before," the boxer corrected while he watched the guards begin to slowly return the unconscious inmates to their cells. "Since so many new ones transferred in, he can't tell the good ones from the bad. He's a bloody optimist, even now. Since he can't tell the good from the bad, he sees them all as good until they prove themselves otherwise."

"But--"

"Look," Ryohei explained. "What are the guards doing right now?"

"They're taking the guys that were fighting back to their cells," Makoto answered in confusion.

"That's their job, right?"

"Right," Makoto agreed.

"Little bro won't hurt them because they're just doing their jobs," Ryohei grumbled. He nodded at the sudden look of understanding in Makoto's eyes. "Little bro might have a lot of blood on his hands, but I can promise you that none of it is innocent. He's not that kind of guy."

"So the three hundred guys that he killed...?" Makoto asked in curiosity.

"Murderers, rapists, information thieves, and traitors to the Family," Ryohei answered with hard eyes. "Little bro does what he has to in order to protect the Family, but he would never kill a kid or an innocent person."

"So when he said he'd cut out my tongue?"

"Oh, he meant it," Ryohei confirmed. "He'd rather cut out your tongue than see you dead. Not that he'd choose either since it was for his own protection, but the Family would for his sake and he knows it. Little bro decided to warn you so that you could stay in one piece. Assuming you keep your mouth shut."

"No problem there," Makoto assured him.

"Hammer's little friend is strong," Hammer suddenly interjected.

"Ah," Ryohei agreed softly while he looked again at the pile of bodies. "Little bro is strong."


	68. Chapter 68 Colors

"Hotaru's doing something funny again!" Lambo called from the back yard. Haru traded a quick look with Chrome in exasperation before putting down the box of old toys she had been sorting through.

Hotaru did a lot of strange things and the Family had _mostly _gotten used to it. Yet they still couldn't manage to take everything he did in stride. Such as when he'd tried to help Nana and Toshi make dinner. He had said the small fires on the stove were unhappy only a moment before summarily making them big and nearly burning the kitchen down in his efforts to make the fire not sad. Then there had been the time that he'd been curious how birds flew and decided to chase one until he figured it out. That had led to a cross-city sprint to chase the little boy down.

Although, the strangest thing that he'd done to startle his family had been after they returned home from visiting Tsuna in secret. He'd finally come around to asking what all the red on his Papa had been. At a loss, Haru had turned to Mukuro to help. She felt slightly uncomfortable around the strange man, but she couldn't deny that he was invaluable during the times that Hotaru became precocious. Without delay, Mukuro had sat Hotaru down and answered the little boy's questions about the red with surprising patience.

This had begun a marathon of biology lessons. First he had wanted to know why a person needed blood and veins. That had led to an explaination of what a heart was good for. Then muscles. Organs other than his lungs. Then bones. By the next morning when the energetic boy had finally run out of questions, Haru, Mukuro, and even Dr. Shamal were out of answers. They had completely went through every textbook Gokudera had dug out of the underground infirmary's reference library before he'd been called away.

But it had been worth it. Hotaru had been happy to finally understand what made other people tick. He'd went to take a 'nap' in his ring soon after with a head-full of knowledge that he'd wanted to think about. The next morning, he'd seemed perfectly fine and back to his child-like self -- without his incredible learning ability working in full force. Instead, he'd went to play with Lambo in the backyard while Haru went through the kid's old toys in hopes that she would find something good enough to distract her son like the yo-yo had. He'd been out there all day without any sign of difficulties.

That was what made the scene in the backyard so much more difficult to comprehend. Hotaru was...

Walking.

Not flying. Not drifting. Not hovering. He was actually taking cautious steps on his feet like a normal person. And Lambo was right. It did look funny. The little boy, unsure and unused to using his legs in such a fashion, had his face screwed up in concentration with his small tounge absently sticking out. His hands were out to his sides in effort to keep his balance while he slowly moved one foot in front of the other. And he was wobbling! Knowing that the little boy had no difficulty keeping his balance in the air, the sight of a small, unsteady shake he gave between steps made her jump in place. He stopped for a moment and looked up at the watching presence of his mother and 'Aunt' Chrome.

"Hotaru is learning to walk like Papa!" He exclaimed with a large grin. Lambo looked at the little boy like he was crazy before running into the house to see where I-Pin had disappeared to.

"Why, Hotaru?" Haru asked while she kneeled down next to him. "Hotaru can fly."

"Hotaru always flew because Hotaru wasn't heavy," he said before screwing up his face in concentration again. He began once again in his attempt to learn to walk while Haru watched in growing confusion. "Hotaru is heavy now so Hotaru wants to learn to walk like Papa since Papa is heavy, too!"

"Papa is heavy...?" Haru repeated with a small shake of her head to show her inability to understand.

"Papa has big fire like Hotaru, but Papa is heavy since Papa has more. Since Hotaru has more now, Hotaru wants to learn to do what Papa does."

"More? More of what? What does Papa have that Hotaru doesn't?" Haru asked, still not understanding.

"Blood," Hotaru answered obliviously. "Mommy and Mukuro-sensei taught Hotaru about blood and bones and stomachs and hearts and all kinds of things. Remember, mommy?"

"Are you saying you have a real body, Hotaru?" Chrome asked when Haru completely froze in shock.

"Hotaru is heavy now," he replied with a wide smile. Unfortunately, he switched from concentration to smiling at Chrome midstep. He wobbled a bit in surprise when his foot landed before completely toppling over. It was proof of his weight that he was now subject to the gravity that pulled him down mercilessly.

Haru rushed forward in worry while Hotaru looked at his freshly skinned knee with wide eyes. She paused in surprise when fat, watery tears began falling down his face instead of sparks. It was his first time feeling pain, she realized. Hotaru was only two weeks old yet she sometimes forgot that since he looked like he was five. When they'd went over nerves and how the brain worked in hopes to satisfy Hotaru's endless curiousity the previous night, none of them had expected him to create a full body from it.

"It hurts!" Hotaru wailed. Haru started to pull him into her arms, but he let out another cry before combusting into Flame. Haru looked at it in surprise. It wasn't orange like it had been before. Instead, it was a complete rainbow of colored Flame that blew up out of Hotaru. She looked at it with wide eyes, completely unable to comprehend what had happened to the Flame that made up her son.

"Kufufufu," Mukuro chuckled behind her. She looked up at where the man had replaced Chrome in watching the little boy's Flame begin to merge. "Look at your son, Miss Miura. See the colors he used to make his body."

Haru did like she was told, too shocked to do anything else. While she looked on, the rainbow of embers and licks of Flame began to merge into one solid pyre again. The colors began to fade while they mixed until it once again became a solid beacon of orange.

"H-How...?" She asked after the Flame shot into her ring in hiding.

"The Sky Flame is a completely balanced mixture of the core six Flames," Mukuro explained with a knowing chuckle. "Mist, Storm, Rain, Thunder, Cloud, and Sun. It is said that the keeper of the Sky must encompass them all. The meaning of that is much more literal than Vongola lore would have it's decendants believe."

"What's that have to do with Hotaru?!" Haru squealed.

"Kufufufu," he laughed at her impatience. "It seems the little firefly has an inherent grasp of his Flame's makeup. He knows how to turn the stew back into it's ingredients which would be impossible for the likes of an ordinary human."

"I--" Haru started to say in effort to let the man know she didn't understand a word. He interrupted with a chuckle before she managed.

"All you need to know, Miss Miura, is your little firefly is magic. He just has a bit more than your mafia lover is all. Although, if his current pattern continues, I find it unlikely that he'll be able to use it to it's full potential. From the simple fact that his Flame didn't automatically overcome the new weight of his body, he must have converted much of it into his flesh and blood." He gave Haru a knowing smile before musing, "It's such a pity that he is choosing to become like his father rather than embrace his own unique qualities. He could make a new Path in this world rather than following the footsteps of the old. If only he had someone to guide him..."

"Are you saying there's something wrong with following Tsu-kun?!" Haru replied beligerently. She stood and placed her hands on her hips while she waited the man's response. Mukuro blinked in surprise not only over her defensive attitude, but the fact that she hadn't taken his bait even for an instant. Then his surprise gave way to a loud burst of laughter that he couldn't surpress, leaving Haru as the one standing in surprise.

"My dear Sawada Tsunayoshi has no clue as to the nature of the beast he's tamed, does he?" He chuckled.

"Are you calling me a beast?!" Haru yelled in instant understanding for once. She knew that she was overreacting, but she didn't care. She was upset over Hotaru getting hurt. She was upset over Mukuro's long speech that she hadn't understood. She was upset over the man's insult to Tsuna. She was just plain upset! And his constantly laughing didn't help! Knowing that she shouldn't, she balled up her fist anyway and sent it into Mukuro's smug face. Haru smiled in satisfaction for a mere moment before she noticed that Mukuro had somehow switched places with Chrome while she'd been swinging.

"Chrome!" Haru gasped while she helped the poor girl up from where she'd been knocked down. "I'm so sorry. I didn't see you there. Did you see where that Mukuro guy went? I was aiming for him, but he must have sneaked away when I wasn't looking."

"Mukuro-sama might visit again later," Chrome replied softly while she completely ignored her injuried cheek.

"I'd like to see him try!" Haru growled. Chrome took on an expression of intent listening for a moment before turning to Haru again.

"Mukuro-sama says Hotaru might calm down and come out if you promise to teach him the other things that he can feel with his new body," Chrome relayed quietly. Haru blinked for a moment before smiling widely.

"If he can feel ouchies, he can feel tickles, right?" She asked in contemplation. Chrome nodded in answer and Haru started trying to think of other things he could feel. When she came up clueless, she turned to Chrome with eyes begging for help.

"Taste," Chrome prompted quietly. "Sweet, sour, bitter, salty--"

"Cold!" Haru added in sudden inspiration. "He's never been cold before! I bet he'd get a thrill out of cold, too!" The two women looked at each other for a moment and shared a common thought.

"Ice cream!" They said in unison. Chrome's eyes widened at her own sudden burst of enthusiasm, but Haru didn't give her time to fret over it. She grabbed her hands and started listing her favorites while simulteneously asking for Chrome's. By the time the two women decided on orange sherbert to soothe Hotaru with, Chrome's head was spinning from Haru's overwhelming energy.

But it was worth it when Hotaru hesitantly came out from his ring and tried ice cream for the first time. When he successfully _ate _for the first time! Although he was a bit messy, he enthusiastically dug into the bowl after the first bite didn't turn into charred ash.

"Hotaru likes ice cream!" He exclaimed joyfully after several bites. With a chuckle, Haru wiped his messy face and went to see how dinner was coming. From the way Hotaru gave up on using the spoon and had begun eating with his hands, it was definately going to be an experience.

* * *

Reborn looked down at where Tsuna was sitting in a corner of his solitary cell. He'd done well over the past two weeks. Neither showing weakness nor loosing control. Yet Reborn could tell that he was starting to fold under the pressure of being cut off from his Family. Even then, Tsuna's sense of obligation was still second to none. He would implode before doing something that would hurt the Family. He wouldn't do something such as letting the enemy _or _his Family see his weakness. Or let them see how much it hurt for him to be imprisoned. Or letting them see how lonely he was. 

It was highly possible that he'd snapped in effort to control his own pain. Solitary was possibly the best thing that could have happened to him in that case. It gave him a private place to release his heartache without the watching eyes of his enemies or his Family. Regardless of the reasons, though, he'd been crying since he woke despite his visible efforts to control himself.

"Reborn, I know you're there," Tsuna called into the empty room. He sniffed and wiped his unending stream of tears away while he waited for an answer. Reborn was tempted to let him believe he was truely alone for once, but decided not to. Tsuna wouldn't have called out if he wished to pretend he was alone.

"I'm here," Reborn finally answered from the room's air vent.

"I screwed up," Tsuna sniffed. "I got too mad and forgot that Gokudera could catch the guy on tape."

"It's understandable," Reborn called after a moment of thought. "You've been without open aid of the Family for two weeks now."

"I know that they're there," Tsuna sobbed. "But I still can't stop crying. I want out of here, Reborn. I want to go home to everyone."

"Do you want me to get Toshi ready?" Reborn asked carefully. "We can have you switched by morning."

"You know the answer to that, Reborn," Tsuna said through his tears. "I can't do something like that. No matter how much it hurts, Toshi shouldn't have to pay for what I did."

"Well, if you can just pull yourself together for a few more days, we'll have you out of here," Reborn replied.

"Don't worry," Tsuna responded. He finally managed to stop his tears and wipe his face dry. "I'll keep it together for as long as it's required."

"See that you do," Reborn muttered like they were once again student and teacher. "I managed to overhear the guards," he said to change the subject. "They're planning on keeping you in here until all the inmates wake up. I hit one of them with a tranquilizer to give you some time, so just let me know when you feel up to facing others again and I'll give him the counter-agent."

"Thank you, Reborn," Tsuna said with a crooked grin. "I think I'm fine now."

"Alright," came the predicted reply. "I'll wait twenty minutes so that you can get rid of your red eyes, then expect the guards to come for you."

"Thank you," Tsuna repeated. He sighed to himself once he felt the little hitman's absence. The wait felt longer than it actually was since the empty room left nothing to the imagination. And considering that the only thing Tsuna thought about when he was alone was his Family, he forced himself into a mental blank in order to keep himself from crumbling again. By the time that the cell door opened and no less than six guards entered, Tsuna was more than ready to rejoin people.

* * *

Ryohei, Sao, Hammer and Makoto watched the entrance to the yard in barely restrained impatience. Tsuna had been in solitary for most of the afternoon and they wanted to see him to ensure he hadn't been hurt by the guard's zeal in the cafeteria. The blow had been hard enough to knock him out, after all. Tsuna was strong, but he wasn't invulnerable. Unless he purposely broke his limits, he was just as subject to harm as anyone else. The more Ryohei thought about it, the more he became worried. 

Then his worst fears were realized when two guards dragged Tsuna into the middle of the yard before tossing him to the ground like a sack of potatoes. Tsuna lay where he fell, unable to move from the beating he'd gotten at the guard's hands.

"What did you do?!" Ryohei yelled while he knelt down next to Tsuna's body.

"We didn't do anything," one of the smug-faced guard replied. "Didn't you hear that there was a riot earlier? This punk got hit too many times in the chaos is all." Ryohei growled at the lie and began to stand with every intention of paying the guard back in full. The only thing that stopped him was Tsuna's hand darting forward and grabbing his wrist.

"Don't," he gasped in warning. Ryohei gritted his teeth and was sorely tempted to ignore that warning. It was only the look in Tsuna's eyes that stopped him. Pity. Sadness. Heartache. Understanding. Four emotions were reflected effortlessly in Tsuna's eyes for a single moment before he let go of Ryohei and tried to get up.

"What am I going to do with you, little bro," Ryohei grumbled while the two guards began strutting back inside. Once they were gone, the others rushed forward to help Tsuna up. With their aid, they made it over to a bench that quickly vacated itself in answer to Hammer and Sao's growls of warning.

"So, what happened? You look like you got the shit knocked out of you," Makoto commented.

"I let my guard down," Tsuna sheepishly replied while he shakily felt the knot on the back of his head. "They hit me from behind before I realized they weren't replacement guards from the Family or transferred guards. It was a group of Hiko's old friends that finally found a way to get to me for revenge. One of them hit me in the head and another hit me with some kind of tranquilizer before I could react. Xanxus broke it up before things got too serious, but I feel like my head is spinning."

"_Before _things got too serious?!" Ryohei exclaimed. "Who are you kidding? You got some pretty extreme bruises there, little bro."

"Are they any worse than a year and a half ago?" Tsuna asked softly. Ryohei froze at the reminder of how Tsuna had looked after he'd been tortured and Tsuna nodded at his response.

"Little bro..." Ryohei softly moaned in sympathy.

"Don't worry," Tsuna laughed. "I healed from that a long time ago. It's just that the guards' attempt at retribution is pathetic in comparison, don't you think?"

Once Ryohei sadly nodded in agreement, Tsuna laid his head down on the bench in hopes that he could get everything to stop spinning. The tranquilizer had been a pretty hefty amount. If it wasn't for his Flame already burning it off, he'd have been unconscious for hours. After twenty-minutes passed and Tsuna still felt dizzy, he started to get worried. When an hour passed and it still hadn't worn off, he started to panic.

"Big bro," Tsuna moaned softly to the man hovering anxiously over him. "It's not going away. I think I'm going to be sick."

"You look fucking green," Makoto commented.

"Everything keeps spinning," Tsuna explained. He put his hands over his eyes in a poor attempt to get rid of his nausea. It felt as if he was on a never-ending rollercoaster. "I don't understand. I know I'm burning it off, because when they first hit me with it, I couldn't feel anything for a minute."

"Maybe they laced it with something?" Ryohei suggested worriedly. "Damnit, Tsuna, you should have been more careful."

"So says the guy that lives every day to the extreme," Tsuna weakly chuckled. After a moment of thought, Tsuna softly said, "Gokudera, if you're listening, send a few flashes." He tried to sit up to see if the man signaled, but another wave of dizziness and nausea knocked him back down.

"He signaled," Ryohei relayed instead.

"Gokudera," Tsuna said weakly. "I know there wasn't any cameras in solitary, but I'm counting on you to figure out who hit me with the needle. Once you figure it out, have Xanxus talk the man into giving the syringe to Sakura and find out why the hell I'm not burning this stuff off."

"He's signalling like crazy," Ryohei mumbled. "He'll take care of it, little bro. You just try to take it easy for now."

"I can't take it easy," Tsuna growled in response. "Someone's trying to fucking kill me." Ryohei raised an eyebrow at Tsuna's sudden spurt of anger, but nodded in agreement.

"Do you think the guards are in on it?" Sao asked seriously.

"Who knows?" Tsuna replied while he once again tried to get his head to stop spinning. "The enemy might have went back to pulling strings when their direct attacks failed twice in a row."

"The numbers don't match," Hammer interjected. Everyone looked over at where the man was sitting next to the bench Tsuna was lying down on. Hammer's expression of contemplation seemed utterly at odds with his large size, but he didn't seem to notice. "Nope, the numbers don't match at all," Hammer repeated after another moment of thought.

"What do you mean, Hammer?" Tsuna inquired. "What numbers?"

"The number of hours since the fight and the number of hours since the guards came on duty," Hammer explained. "The numbers don't match."

"I see," Tsuna replied with narrowed eyes.

"What's wrong, little bro? What's he mean the numbers don't match," Ryohei asked in confusion.

"The guards must have brought the drug with them when they came on duty," Tsuna explained. "But since the new shift of guards were already in place by the time of the riot, they had to have known that they'd get their chance today."

"Maybe they always kept it on them?" Makoto suggested. Tsuna shook his head in response, despite the fact that it made his head spin faster.

"Too much chance of getting caught and questioned," Tsuna answered. "These are professional hitmen we're dealing with. They wouldn't have brought the tools of the trade unless they planned to use them. Even if it's someone pulling their strings, the guards would have been too scared to carry it around all the time. The fact that they brought it today can only be because they knew they'd be able--"

"Well, what do we have here?" A sickening familiar voice called.

"Suki!" Hammer exclaimed happily while he jumped to his feet. Tsuna sat up in surprise despite his head. He stared at the two cruelly smiling, identical men for a moment before turning to Ryohei.

"Big bro," Tsuna whined. "I'm seeing double of that Hiko trash."

"You're not seeing double, little bro," Ryohei growled in warning. "There's two of him." Tsuna looked over at Hiko again and realized that Hammer was talking to the one on the left while the one on the right continued to send dark looks at Tsuna.

"Oh, Hammer sees now!" Hammer exclaimed. "Suki's little brother was sent here and Suki came to where Hammer was." He turned to Hiko with devoted eyes, making Tsuna's spinning head suddenly spin for a different reason. "Suki's little brother is Hammer's little brother!"

"Come on, Hammer," Suki said with a knowing look tossed in Tsuna's direction. "Suki missed his big friend. Let's go talk and you can tell me all about these people that were using you so badly."

"Hammer not used," Hammer replied in confusion. "Hammer made lots of friends here! They even shared yummy food with Hammer!"

"Che," Suki growled. "Hammer doesn't see their numbers? They're using Hammer because they don't have a lot of numbers. They're using big Hammer to scare away the little nails. They're just pretending to be Hammer's friends."

"That's--" Hammer said in instant confusion.

"That's not true," Tsuna objected dizzily. "Hammer is our friend."

"Come on, Hammer," Suki ordered. "I'll explain it somewhere else so that the nails don't try to confuse Hammer." Hammer glanced back at Tsuna and the others before following Suki to another part of the yard obediently. Tsuna tried to stand to go after him, but the tranquilizer was still affecting his coordination. Had it not been for Ryohei and Sao's hands, he would have quickly faceplanted instead of merely being guided back down to the bench. He looked at Hammer's shrinking back in dismay until he disappeared around a corner of the yard with Suki.

"How's that, you little fuck," Hiko laughed at Tsuna, bringing instant attention to the man. "Not so badass without Hammer, now are you?"

"Shut up!" Ryohei yelled. "Or do you want me to teach you another lesson?"

"Go ahead and try," Hiko chuckled. "This time, you'll be back in solitary before you can land more than one punch."

"That's all I need," Ryohei replied angrily while he began to roll up his right sleeve.

"Stop, Ryohei," Tsuna ordered. Ryohei paused while Tsuna looked up at Hiko. His eyes were still unfocused and his face was green, but he'd be damned if Hiko was going to cause his Family problems. "Hiko," Tsuna said in warning. "You just got back, right? How's your wounds?"

"Just fine, shit-head," Hiko answered despite his lack of understanding Tsuna's sudden curiousity. "I got back an hour ago."

"That's good," Tsuna mumbled. "And how's your appeal coming? I know you're probably working on one since you have so many guards on your side."

"Should be out of here in six months for good behaviour," Hiko said with a wide grin. "The prison is my fucking play-ground. You should learn to listen to me in here if you want to stay in one damn piece."

"Are you sure," Tsuna asked knowingly. "Because you might want to know something."

"What's that?" Hiko said as if the words were pulled unwillingly from him. Tsuna smiled at how easy it was to manipulate the man.

"You might want to know that your playground is a bucket of sand compared to mine," he said softly. He looked up at Hiko with murderous intent before warning, "If you lay one finger on me or my Family, you'll be dead the moment you set foot outside of here." The man looked at him in surprise for a minute before laughing hysterically.

"Nice try, little fuck," Hiko chuckled. "Even if that's true, I'm still going to make sure you get paid in full for what you did to me and my buddies." He looked at Tsuna with a cruel smile before warning, "Get ready cause I'm going to teach you a lesson or two this time. Your buddies can't protect you all the time, you little shit."

Ryohei growled low in his throat while the man turned and laughingly strutted away. Tsuna watched him go in mild shock. He knew that he looked like hell because of the drugs still floating around in his system, but had the man forgotten that Tsuna didn't need his friends to protect himself? Or did he know about the drugs and was counting on it?

"Gokudera," Tsuna moaned in growing concern. "Please hurry."


	69. Chapter 69 Helpless

Gokudera threw down his headset and started snapping orders. The Tenth needed him and Gokudera refused to fail. He'd nearly blown their cover when the guards had begun attacking him, but he'd managed to control himself after a few calming smacks from his team. They might not have video in the solitary cells, but they had heat tracking. They'd had the guard that used the syringe on constant surviellance from that moment on in hopes of vengence.

"Transmit the location of the target to Big Boom," he ordered. "Tell him that we got a stinger and we need the bee sent to the flower-pot."

"Yes, sir," Fermata replied calmly. "I've got a confirmation signal, sir. Message recieved."

Gokudera pulled out a cigarette and watched the movement on the monitor for the heat-tracking. The form marked as Xanxus due to his abnormal thermal reaction slowly made his way to their target. The target paused for a few minutes while he listened closely to Xanxus. From the way his temperature rose, Gokudera could tell that he was either frightened or panicked by whatever Xanxus had said. Within several more minutes, the man passed a small package to Xanxus before darting off.

"Alright," Gokudera sighed in relief. "We just need flower-pot to figure out what they put in the Tenth and then we'll be good to go."

"There's a problem, sir," Fermata's brother called. At the man's silent cue, Gokudera swung back over to his headset and put it on while he locked his eyes on the monitor showing the prison yard. Four men had approached the Tenth's group and was talking. The large man that they'd identified as Yuuchi Gori, a.k.a. Hammer, had went to greet one during the time that Gokudera's attention had been away.

"...pretending to be Hammer's friends," one of the newcomers said coaxingly. Gokudera growled low in his throat when he recognized the man's face on the monitor. Hiko and his friends had finished recovering sooner than anticipated. He'd have to think of something to protect the Tenth from the man.

"That's--" Hammer said in instant confusion.

"That's not true," the Tenth objected. Gokudera groaned at his obvious dizziness. "Hammer is our friend."

"Come on, Hammer," the newcomer ordered. "I'll explain it somewhere else so that the nails don't try to confuse Hammer." Gokudera gritted his teeth when Hammer walked away obediently with the man. His heart skipped a beat when the Tenth jumped to his feet to follow and had to be helped before he fell over. Watching anxiously, he sighed softly in relief when the Tenth was safely placed back on the bench.

"Fermata," Gokudera called, wanting to know the newcomer's name and how he'd controlled the large man so easily.

"I'm transferring his image to Cadenza," she replied immediately. "She says she'll have his life story in twenty minutes." Gokudera turned back to the monitor, trusting her to keep her word.

"...little fuck," Hiko laughed at the Tenth. Gokudera snapped his cigarette in two when his fist clenched automatically at the insult. "Not so badass without Hammer, now are you?"

"Shut up!" Ryohei yelled. Gokudera supressed the urge to yell with him. "Or do you want me to teach you another lesson?"

"Go ahead and try," Hiko chuckled. "This time, you'll be back in solitary before you can land more than one punch."

"That's all I need," Ryohei replied angrily while he began to roll up his right sleeve. Gokudera mumbled an encouragement to the boxer even though he knew the man couldn't hear him.

"Stop, Ryohei," the Tenth ordered, making Gokudera pause along with the boxer. Gokudera groaned, wishing his boss would just let the scum get what he deserved for once. "Hiko," he said in warning. "You just got back, right? How's your wounds?"

"Just fine, shit-head," Hiko answered absently. "I got back an hour ago."

"That's good," the Tenth mumbled. Gokudera's eyes narrowed at the reasonable tone his boss was using. He recognized that tone from his occassional work at the Tenth's side over the past year and a half. It was the tone that typically signaled he was getting dangerously angry to those that knew him. "And how's your appeal coming? I know you're probably working on one since you have so many guards on your side."

"Should be out of here in six months for good behaviour," Hiko replied with a wide grin. Gokudera grumbled quietly to himself at the man's smugness before sitting back and lighting himself another cigarette. The Tenth was going to put him in his place, regardless of what he said. He could relax.

"The prison is my fucking play-ground," Hiko was saying. "You should learn to listen to me in here if you want to stay in one damn piece."

"Are you sure," the Tenth asked knowingly. Gokudera smiled to himself while he waited for the Tenth to start teaching the scum. "Because you might want to know something."

"What's that?" Hiko replied.

"You might want to know that your playground is a bucket of sand compared to mine," the Tenth said softly as expected. "If you lay one finger on me or my Family, you'll be dead the moment you set foot outside of here."

The man looked at the Tenth in surprise for a minute before laughing hysterically. The smile fell off of Gokudera's face at the unexpected reaction. Normally, people tended to start at least worrying when the Tenth gave a warning.

"Nice try, little fuck," Hiko chuckled. "Even if that's true, I'm still going to make sure you get paid in full for what you did to me and my buddies." He looked at the Tenth with a cruel smile before warning, "Get ready cause I'm going to teach you a lesson or two this time. Your buddies can't protect you all the time, you little shit."

Gokudera cursed but paused at a small whisper from his boss, "Gokudera, please hurry." Hearing the hidden panick in his boss' voice made him toss off the headset again and put out his cigarette in thought. He glanced at the biometrics of everyone in the prison yard in worry. The Tenth's was much lower than his normal reading. Whatever they'd given him must have been more problematic than they had initially thought.

"Someone get me word from flower-pot," Gokudera called in reference to Sakura. A glance told him that his boss was laying down again. From what he could tell from the color monitor, he didn't look healthy. Thinking ahead, Gokudera knew just how problematic that could be. Ryohei and Sao were both in different cellblocks and could only protect him during the times that they were allowed to roam. During work and the showers, however, the Tenth had been relying on his own strength to protect himself. Hammer would have been useful, but the man had switched sides from the looks of it. Makoto also seemed to have joined the Tenth's side, but Gokudera was clueless as to the man's strength. From the way he'd kept his nose clean so far, it was highly possible he was useless.

Almost as bad was the fact that Xanxus' shift would be ending soon. There would be no way to protect him since the prison's schedule of operation had altered due to the influx of new prisoners. They'd already tried to alter the prison's cell assignments to get Ryohei in the same block, but the guards had marked it as a clerical error and corrected it instead of moving him. Even worse, they couldn't insert any new prisoners due to the fact that the maximum capacity had already been filled thanks to the two prisons burning down.

"Damn," Gokudera cursed to himself. "Any word yet?"

"Just got a transmission, sir. Unencoding it now," Fermata replied calmly. "He says the drug was a self-propagating tranquilizer. Effects include immediate loss of muscle control, dizziness, inability to focus, and if untreated it will lead to a comatose state within three hours. He notes that it's acting like a virus instead of an agent, sir. It's capable of reproducing itself and spreading inside it's host. He also says that the boss' special physiology should be able to burn most of it off, but that the speed of it's self-propagation is quick. Whatever level of symptoms the boss has right now is going to continue until he can fabricate a counter-agent."

"Shit," Gokudera replied. "So it's spreading just as fast as he's getting rid of it. How long on the counter?"

"Six hours," Fermata answered with a grimace. "He says his specialty is counteracting poisons, but he's never seen anything like this. Someone apparently spent a lot of time bio-engineering it."

"Damn, damn, damn!" Gokudera cursed again.

"Sir," she added. "He says he sent something to the boss to get rid of some of the dizziness, but it's just a temporary fix. The Tenth will still have the muscle weakness and other symptoms until he can finish." She blushed a bit at the next transmission she unencoded from the doctor. "Sir, I think the last message is for you."

"What is it?" Gokudera asked in curiosity.

"Well, that is, um..." She blushed again, obviously not wanting to translate it.

"Spit it out," Gokudera growled.

"He says that if you don't leave him alone to work, he's going to tie your octopus legs together to keep you busy," she translated faithfully. Gokudera's face turned purple when Fermata failed to hide her amused tone at the end.

"I'm going outside to smoke," Gokudera growled on his way to the bunker's door. "Come get me if there's any change. And see how Cadenza is doing on clearing up the video from the riot. We need to identify the person that tried to attack the Tenth during it."

"Yes, sir," Fermata replied with a chuckle.

* * *

Tsuna tried not to choke on one of the laced cigarettes that Xanxus had slipped him at dinner before going off duty. Inmates weren't allowed medication, but they were allowed to smoke. Sakura had used that fact to enable him to take the medicine for his dizziness without needing a third-party to constantly slip him pills. He looked at the burning stick in distaste again while Ryohei grimaced in sympathy. 

"Why a damn cigarette?" Tsuna groaned before forcing himself to inhale from it again. He already knew the answer, but he still continued to ask himself the question. All these years he'd managed to ignore Gokudera's habit and not allow himself be tempted to try it himself. All these years he'd went with only alchohol being the black mark on his health choices. And now...

"Well," Ryohei quipped, "I guess you can't say that you'd only smoke over your dead body anymore."

"Ha, ha," Tsuna replied blandly. He glanced around the room before sucking on it again and once again nearly choking. "How the hell did Gokudera smoke for so long?" He asked in effort to hide his need to cough. Ryohei shrugged before sitting down next to him with a newspaper. They were currently in the 'recreation' time of day where the prisoners were sent indoors to an entertainment facility. As if a single television, a ping-pong table, and a cart of books shared between a couple hundred inmates could be called recreation.

"Here's the book you asked for," Makoto said when he walked up with a copy of _Hitman High _in his hands.

"Thanks," Tsuna grinned widely at the sight of it and snatched it greedily out of his hands. "I knew someone would think to insert a copy for me."

"What is that, boss?" Sao asked curiously. Tsuna opened it and took another long drag on his cigarette before answering.

"It's my school newspaper," he said simply. "Don Girarde up in Italy."

"Don Girarde?!" Sao inquired joyfully. When Tsuna nodded in confirmation, Sao leaned over Tsuna's shoulder in curiousity. Tsuna let him, knowing that the man was probably even more greedy for news than he was.

"Damn," Tsuna growled after a few pages. He tilted his head back to think and let out a stream of smoke he'd been holding in.

"What's wrong, little bro?" Ryohei asked.

"Word got out that I got busted. There's a four-page color spread on how the demon Lovang became chained by a demon-slayer's weapon," Tsuna growled.

"It was bound to happen," Ryohei said with a grimace. "Even if Yamamoto locked down information about you from leaving the country via public routes, the Families have ways of figuring it out. All it would take is one spy in Namimori and he wouldn't even have to look hard."

"I know," Tsuna grumbled. To get his mind off of it, he checked the page titled Lowick to see how Cheri was doing. It wouldn't mention her specifically, but it would give him an idea of how her Family was doing. "Looks like the Olwicks got busted, too," he said with a curse. "Three of the Family got caught in the middle of a supply shipment."

"How can you tell?" Sao asked from behind him. Tsuna pointed to the page where three squirrels had been working together to stockpile nuts and then pointed to the next panel that showed them in a hunter's trap.

"Lowick is the psuedonmyn for the Olwicks," Tsuna explained. "Nuts are a squirrel's supplies and I don't think I have to explain the trap."

"I got it," Sao confirmed.

"I doubt Cheri was one of the three, but it makes me worry," Tsuna mumbled while he tried to find Sangia's Family. When he couldn't manage, he went to the table of contents to try and figure out which one was her psedonmnyn. "Help me find Kuneri," Tsuna asked the man over his shoulder. Sao grunted agreement and looked down the list with him.

"Is that it?" Sao inquired. "Nurike."

"Yup," Tsuna agreed. He flipped back to the page for the Nurike chapter and started cursing again to himself. He handed the book off to Sao and leaned back in his chair to think while he continued to smoke the laced cigarette in effort to keep his head clear.

"What's wrong?" Ryohei asked, looking up from where he'd been scanning a world newspaper.

"Sangia's father died," Tsuna growled. "Her older sibling took up the Family's throne, but I have no clue where that leaves her. I wasn't thinking when I brought us back to Japan so suddenly. I didn't think to grab her and bring her with us."

"Couldn't be helped," Ryohei soothed. "Saving your son was too important to waste time thinking about things like that." He handed over the newspaper he had been reading and Tsuna looked it over between drags. Looking for information helped him take his mind off the feeling of smoke going down his throat. He paused and hissed when he looked over the crimes section.

"What the hell is going on?" Tsuna asked darkly.

"What's wrong little-bro?"

"Look at this," he replied, pointing to the section he'd been reading.

"It's just regular crime reports, right?" Makoto asked, also coming to see what Tsuna was pointing at.

"Look at it closely," Tsuna explained. "This is an international newspaper. Doesn't something seem a bit off if they're only reporting petty crimes?"

"Information blackout?" Sao suggested. Tsuna shrugged, unable to come up with a better theory.

"Maybe no one decided to do anything big?" Makoto proposed. Tsuna, Sao, and Ryohei traded looks before laughing loudly over the conjecture. Tsuna paused mid-laugh, however, while the other two continued to have hysterics.

"Hand me _Hitman High _again," Tsuna ordered. He took another drag off his cigarette and looked up at Makoto with wide eyes. Once the book was in his hand, he began flipping through it in sudden urgency. "Makoto, normally that would be the most crazy thing you could say about the Mafia. There's always someone doing something somewhere, you see. It would take a miracle to get all the Families to stop business at the same time. But just this once, I have a feeling that you might actually be right." Tsuna started cursing when page after page verified what he feared. "Six, Seven, Eight," Tsuna counted. "Eight Families have been busted in the middle of dealings. Looks like two have lost their Boss...no loss for the Whister Family, but still...And, shit, the rest have been having one close call after another. What the _hell _is going on?"

"So the Families are pulling back their hands before they get burned, boss?" Sao asked in contemplation. Tsuna nodded softly while he tossed down the paper and put out his cigarette before lighting a new one.

"One or two could be coincidence, but not all of them," Tsuna mused. He leaned back in his chair and tilted his head back against the rim to better think. Laced smoke wafted slowly out of his mouth and he stared at the stream while he considered all the implications. "It's got to be a traitor," Tsuna said firmly. "No one else could tip the cops off on so many occassions unless they had an insider's knowledge."

"Probably more than one," Ryohei added in agreement.

"Mafiosos turned vigilantes," Tsuna spat. "Don't they know they're hurting their own Families by doing that?"

"Maybe--"

"Line up!" A guard yelled. "Rec time is over." Tsuna cursed and took a last, long drag off his cigarette before putting it out. He hoped that he had taken enough of the laced smoke in to last until they returned to their bunks, but he didn't know. The dizziness was gone for now, but his body would see the helpful drug as just another foreign substance in his system and burn it out mercilessly.

Ryohei and Sao shot him a worried look before lining up on the opposite side of the room with the rest of their cellblock. Following Makoto, Tsuna joined the stream of prisoners from his cellblock that were filing out to the showers. Once in the locker area, Tsuna took his time getting undressed to ensure that his bandages still covered the morning's miracle. It seemed like the day had lasted an eternity, but it would be lights-out after showers and he'd finally be able to get sleep.

He cursed internally when he entered the showers to find only Suki, Hiko, and Hiko's two friends waiting. His mind had been too focused on what he'd just learned to think properly about his current problems. It was too late to do things differently now, though. So, doing the only thing he could, he went to one of the open showers and tried to ignore the knowing looks the four men gave him. Unfortunately, the four men didn't seem to fall for his fearless bluff.

They surrounded him within seconds and Tsuna tried to dart for freedom. For the first time since being imprisoned, Tsuna was scared. He couldn't use his Flame since it was occupied with the drug in his system. His muscles felt like sluggish mud compared to their usual form. And worst of all, he was alone. He groaned when two of the men grabbed him and slammed his back into a wall before he made it three steps. They pinned his arms to his sides while Hiko smiled in cruel anticipation.

"Nice try, shrimp," Hiko laughed mercilessly. "I told you I'd make you pay in full for what you did and it's time to collect." The man sent a powerful fist into Tsuna's stomach, making him double over despite the arms holding him up. Then one hit his face and he saw stars.

"W-What are you going to do?" Tsuna gasped with a slight quiver in hopes that he could buy enough time for Gokudera to figure out a way to save him.

When Hiko started lathering his hands up with soap in a silent answer, Tsuna began struggling in panic. It was useless, however. The laced smoke in his body was already starting to wear off and the dizziness was slowly starting to creep back. Just as bad, his muscles were bound by his normal physical limitations and they were woefully overpowered by the larger men surrounding him.

"Stop!" He gasped when they forcefully dragged him into the middle of the showers. When he tried to kick at the men restraining him, Suki came forward and pinned his legs in place. Horror and fear creeped into every fiber of Tsuna's body when he found himself bent over and staring down at the shower floor. "Stop it or--"

"Or what?" Hiko interrupted. Tsuna started shaking when he felt the man begin to rub his soapy hand down his back and between the cheeks of his buttocks. "Or you're going to have us killed?" He continued. "You're pretty good at bluffing you little fuck, but I'm not buying it. You might have gotten a lucky shot in before, but not this time. Without your friends, you're nothing. I'm going to teach your ass what it means to obey and if you send your hounds after us, I'll just do it again and again until you learn."

"Don't!" He yelled at the feeling of Hiko finger teasingly prodding him in order to increase Tsuna's fear. It worked. He continued his panicked attempts to struggle in the hands of the men restraining him, but was unable to loosen their grips at all. Their hands bit into his arms and legs ruthlessly and Tsuna could nearly feel his bones cracking under the pressure they were using. Then Hiko jammed his finger roughly inside him and he bit his lip against the pain. Tears formed in his eyes at his own helplessness and he sagged when a wave of dizziness washed over him. Whether it was from the drug or Hiko's actions, Tsuna didn't know.

"Stop," Tsuna sobbed pathetically.

"That's more like it," Hiko replied in satisfaction. He removed his finger and Tsuna could feel something larger pressed against him. Stiffening against it, Tsuna tightened his muscles in effort to make it harder for the man to do what he wanted. "That's no good," he said.

Tsuna sagged in relief for a single moment when Hiko backed away. Then he cringed against the fist that came flying into his head. After three blows, Tsuna could feel blood trickling down from his eyebrow and his head took on a new direction of spinning. He tried to shake his head to clear it, but couldn't manage to regain his focus. Too dazed to fight from the combination of the drugs and strikes, Tsuna was held limply in the air by his three restrainers. Hiko stood behind him once again and grabbed his hips in preparation. Knowing what was about to happen, Tsuna's vision began to blur with more than just the inability to focus; hopeless tears began to fall down his face unimpeded.

The next thing he knew, his face slammed into the shower floor from a sudden lack of support. He lay shaking where he fell without understanding what had happened. Not only was he unable to see straight, but whatever happened had been too fast for him to comprehend. Part of his mind was screaming that he should run at the chance, but fear held him paralyzed. He could make out the blurry shape of a guard walking toward him and he cringed back at something closing in on his face.

"A solitary herbivore is truely pathetic," the man said softly while a gentle hand brushed the wet hair out of Tsuna's face. Tsuna began shaking in relief instead of fear.

"Hibari," Tsuna sobbed to himself in recognition. "I'm saved."

"For now," Hibari agreed. "The baby made me a deal I couldn't refuse. We'll iron out the detail later, however. I'll deal with these prisoners and you go tend to your wound. It would harm discipline if you bled out over such a indecent scratch." Tsuna tried to get up to follow his order but darkness creeped in from the edges of his vision and he fell back to the ground. Before Hibari could even ask what was wrong, Tsuna completely blacked out.


	70. Chapter 70 Interview

"Tsuna isn't that kind of guy," Yamamoto replied with a disarming smile. "I mean, just look at that innocent face. Do you really think he could kill all those people?" He and his interviewer turned to the monitor beside him to see the waiting photo of Tsuna. He'd had Nana's help in picking one out that showed his innocent and happy smile. It might be from two years ago, from before he'd graduated at Namimori, but it was still the perfect one to use in playing the audience.

"I don't know," the interviewer replied in open doubt. "There have been people in the past that knew how innocent they looked and used it to commit crimes much worse than murder."

"This is Tsuna we're talking about, though," Yamamoto replied effortlessly. "He's known for helping people. Even the police have noted his services in the past. He's really a selfless person."

"How do you explain his lack of alibis for each of the murders then?" The reporter asked mercilessly.

"He has alibis," Yamamoto answered with false confusion. Finally, they were getting to the reason for the whole public interview.

Yamamoto's team had finished creating false records of Tsuna's whereabouts for each of the murders. It had taken a while, since there were nearly a hundred, but it was done. It had taken three civil servants, a cop, and a very talented photoshop artist to do it, but they'd been able to create all the false alibis. All the records of his trips had been altered. Plus, they had fake photos of Tsuna's sight-seeing and fake receipts to prove the lies.

"The police didn't once ask for his statement," Yamamoto continued mercilessly. "If they had, they would know that Tsuna wasn't even in the countries during the times of the murders. All they paid attention to was that he'd taken a trip during the time without verifying what country he went to. For example, at the time of death shown in the autopsies for the murders in the United States, Tsuna was eating lunch at a bistro near the Eiffel Tower. Unless he could magically cross the ocean, kill a dozen people, then be back to pay for his lunch in five minutes, it's impossible for him to have done what they're trying to say he did."

"They never took his statement?" The reporter gasped in mock surprise.

"Not even once," Yamamoto confirmed. "Officer Takahashi's single-minded and unfounded grudge against Tsuna kept him from being allowed to say anything in his own defense. It's a major breach!"

"Indeed," the interviewer agreed. "But you say Officer Takahashi has a grudge against Mr. Sawada?"

"Oh, yes," Yamamoto said. "I was there the first time Officer Takahashi tried to pin a false murder on Tsuna. Tsuna and me were sitting in class at Don Girarde Private School in Italy and some officers pulled him out of class and arrested him in front of all our classmates. I can't even tell you how upset Tsuna was when they told him he was being arrested for his friend Mochida's death."

"Mochida died in a car accident," Yamamoto explained, "and Tsuna had agreed to drive down to the beach with him on the weekend he'd died. He got called back to school early, though, and didn't get to go like planned. He already had survivor's guilt since Mochida died and he should have been with him, but being told by a police officer that it was completely his fault upset him greatly. He couldn't eat for weeks after they let him go. And it was all on Officer Takahashi's word that he'd gotten arrested in the first place! The man had no evidence other than a bunch of what-ifs!"

"If Takahashi has no evidence, like you claim, then how do you explain the gun that was matched with the international murder spree?" The interviewer asked after a moment. "Why would someone so innocent, like you say he is, even have a need for a gun?"

"I have no clue how they think Tsuna's gun killed all those people," Yamamoto lied effortlessly. "Tsuna got attacked by a bear once in a freak accident and he was scared after that. He couldn't even walk to the store without being afraid some wild animal was going to jump out and get him. His father and several of his friends, including me, talked him into buying a gun so that he could overcome his fear. He's never once fired it outside of a firing range, though."

"Well, we're almost out of time," the interviewer cued. "There was someone you wanted to introduce before we go, correct?"

"I sure do," Yamamoto replied with a fake smile. He felt like sewer trash for doing this, but it was something that was needed to gather more of the public onto Tsuna's side. At least Haru had agreed and helped prepare. "Come on out, Hotaru," Yamamoto called softly. The interviewer and the audience looked over to where Haru guided the shakily walking toddler on-stage.

"Uncle Yama-chan!" Hotaru called happily. He let go of Haru's hand and tried to run forward to his 'uncle', but stumbled a bit in his rush. Haru caught him before he fell, but it was a near thing. With her help, she helped him shakily walk to Yamamoto before handing the little boy off and exiting the stage.

"And who is this?" The interviewer asked once Hotaru was settled in Yamamoto's lap.

"This is Tsuna's son, Hotaru," Yamamoto answered while Hotaru looked around at all the people and lights in open facination. "Tsuna never mentioned him before because he was scared the little guy would be tagged negatively over the fact that Tsuna had him so young. But Tsuna's a very good father. Did you know that they barged in and arrested him in the middle of Hotaru's birthday party?"

"That's horrible," the interviewer commented. She looked down at the little boy and Yamamoto could see the questions flaring in the woman's eyes. He could also see her hesitation over how the little boy would take to being questioned. "Hello, Hotaru," she greeted to test the waters.

"Hello, pretty lady," Hotaru replied with a bright smile.

"And how are you doing today?" She asked cautiously.

"Hotaru is okay," he answered innocently. "Mommy taught Hotaru how to eat with chopsticks this morning!"

"Do you like eating with chopsticks?" She inquired with a smile. Yamamoto smiled to himself in satisfaction, sensing that the woman had already been completely won over. If _she _was won over, so were the viewers.

"Hotaru likes eating with chopsticks!" He exclaimed. "Hotaru can't wait to show Papa that he can eat food with chopsticks! Hotaru practiced hard! Papa will be happy when he sees how hard Hotaru practiced!"

"Do you miss your Papa?" The interviewer asked, snatching up the first opportunity to turn the conversation in the direction she wanted. Hotaru's excited face fell a little in response and the interviewer lost some of her enthusiasm.

"Hotaru misses Papa a lot," he said quietly. "Hotaru hasn't gotten to see Papa in a long time. Hotaru has been learning a lot from his Mommy and his Aunts and Uncles, but Hotaru wants to show Papa. Papa said he loves Hotaru, but he can't be with Hotaru right now. It makes Papa sad and it makes Hotaru sad. Hotaru wants to see his Papa," he said with a small lip quivering from the desire to cry.

"And if you could say something to your Papa right now, what would you say?" She prompted softly.

"Hotaru misses Papa," he repeated in growing unhappiness. "Hotaru wants to tell Papa about all the things he's learned and wants to see Papa smile. Hotaru loves Papa and wants Papa to hug him. Hotaru wants to ask Papa when he is coming home!"

Hotaru buried his head into Yamamoto's chest to hide his tears and Yamamoto held him tight in support. He hated using Hotaru like this, but it was a fact that it was needed to pool more positive public image for Tsuna. He had to make it so the public wasn't just okay with Tsuna's release. He had to make it so that the public was _screaming _for Tsuna's release. Letting them see how unhappy his son was without him was the fastest way to create that. Even so, the soothing encouragements that Yamamoto whispered to the little boy weren't fake. Neither were the tears welling up in his own eyes over the little boy's sadness.

"W-Well, I think that's all the time we have for today," the interviewer said, turning to the camera. She began to quickly say her lines to set up for the next show and in a corner of his mind, Yamamoto allowed himself to feel satisfaction at the tears hidden in the corner of her eyes. Hopefully, they wouldn't have to do this ever again. Tsuna's trial would begin in two days. At worst-case estimates, he would be free in another week.

For the sake of the little boy quietly crying in his arms, it couldn't be soon enough.

* * *

Sakura looked down at Tsuna's sleeping form. Using Reborn's suggestion, they'd kept him in the infirmary with claims that he had a fever. It wasn't that far from the truth. The toxin in his system had begun to mutate and Sakura needed longer than expected to make the counter agent. He wasn't sure what had caused the mutation. Possibly an irregularity in Tsuna's system or his raised heart-rate and breathing due to his panic during the latest attack. 

Either way, the second stage effects had rendered Tsuna unconscious for two days after Hibari had brought him in. Now, finally, Sakura had developed a counter-agent to stop the propagation of the drug and allow Tsuna's Flame to burn out the remnants. The side affect might not be pretty, but he'd already planned for that, too.

Carefully, Sakura inserted the syringe into Tsuna's neck and pumped him full of the new drug. The effect was immediate. Sakura barely had time to retract the needle before Tsuna gasped and sat up in panic. His eyes darted around the room in paranoia before settling wide-eyed on Sakura himself.

"It's okay, Tsuna," Sakura soothed when he began shaking from the side effects. "You're in the prison infirmary. Hibari brought you in two days ago and we've kept you here until I could fabricate a counter for the tranquilizer you were hit with." Sakura gave him a sad and knowing look when he continued to look panicked. "Until your system is totally cleared, you're going to feel a little shaky, okay? Try not to think about it too much."

Tsuna nodded but didn't loose his wide-eyed expression. Sweat was forming on his head out of uncontrollable fear and Tsuna looked like he was about to crumble. Sakura handed him a pill and a glass of water in response.

"Take this," he coaxed. "It'll help you calm down, okay?" Tsuna took it with a small tremble and shakily put it in his mouth. Sakura grimaced when he swallowed without the aid of the water. "You got beat up pretty badly," Sakura commented to help distract him until the pill took effect. "Reborn said that you got beat up by the guards before lunch and then you were attacked again before bed. I had to stitch the cut on your eye closed, but other than that you're fine. I also took care of the bruises with a poultice while you were resting."

In response, Tsuna pulled his legs up and hugged his knees. He buried his head into them and shook slightly despite his efforts to hide it. Sakura quietly let him be until he sagged in relaxation twenty minutes later. The doctor nodded in satisfaction, knowing that the pill had finally kicked in.

"I made these for you," Sakura said, holding up a new pack of "Cherry-Blossom" cigarettes. "I know you don't like to smoke, but you'll need these to keep yourself from feeling the side-effects of the counter-agent. I laced them with an altered version of the stuff I found during my research trip. These should knock out the pain from...um..."

"My ass," Tsuna supplied crudely from where his head was still buried in his knees.

"Yes, um, your ass," Sakura confirmed with a bright blush, "But these shouldn't do more than give you a sense of calm. They won't make you smile for eight hours like it did before."

"Fine," Tsuna said, holding out a hand to accept them without argument. "I'll try one now before I go back." Sakura blinked a few times in surprise before handing Tsuna a lighter and watching him shakily begin to smoke. It looked strange, seeing such an innocent face with such wide eyes while he absently sucked on the burning stick. Tsuna didn't even notice Sakura's unease. He laid back on the infirmary bed again and continued smoking until he felt calm enough to once again face the world.

* * *

"Oi," Ryohei yelled suddenly. "Turn that back!" Tsuna raised his eyebrow and looked over at where a man had been switching through channels on the television in the rec room. The man seemed frozen in place by Ryohei's sudden yell, but quickly turned it back a few channels out of self-preservation when Ryohei growled in warning. Tsuna blinked and sat up in sudden understanding when he saw Yamamoto being interviewed. 

"Turn it up!" Tsuna ordered, pointing at the television with his cigarette. Everyone in the room froze at the intensity in his voice, making him want to snap. "I don't care who, just somebody turn it the hell up!" Three people darted forward and turned the sound on full blast, bringing the attention of everyone in the room. Tsuna didn't care about their fearful reactions, he wanted to hear what his friend was saying. After a moment, he smiled knowingly at the swordsman's flawless defence using the right mixture of truth and lies.

"That's Yamamoto," he said with a wide grin. He sat back in his chair in satisfaction and continued smoking his laced cigarette while he watched.

"Ah," Ryohei replied with a matching smile. "He's come a long way from the baseball nut we used to know."

"If he keeps this up, Officer Takahashi will be thrown off the police force by the time I'm out of here," Tsuna added merrily. He turned to Ryohei to see the barely surpressed joy at the thought. "Serves that bastard right for--"

_"Uncle Yama-chan!"_

Tsuna froze and slowly stood before looking again at the television.

"Oh god, little bro..." Ryohei mumbled, standing next to him. Tsuna ignored him, too intent on the television to respond. Without even thinking about it, he started walking forward at the sight of his son being led on foot across the stage by Haru. People began scrambling out of his way when he absently sent a chair flying out of his path in his need to get closer to the image of his Family.

"He's walking, big bro," Tsuna called excitedly back to the boxer after a few silent moments. "My little Hotaru is walking! And look at Haru! My precious Haru..." Tsuna trailed off while he watched the little boy sit in Yamamoto's lap and look around the studio in curiousity. By now, the room full of prisoners were curiously watching the television in order to see what Tsuna was so intent on.

"_Hello,_ _Hotaru," the woman on the television said in greeting._

_"Hello, pretty_ _lady," Hotaru replied with a bright smile._

Tsuna put a hand over his mouth in order to try to keep from crying at the sound of his son's voice. When his lips met the cigarette in his hand, he absently began smoking it again in hopes that the calming affect of the stuff hidden within would counteract his clenching heart.

_"And how are you doing today?"_

_"Hotaru is okay," he answered innocently. "Mommy taught Hotaru how to eat with chopsticks this morning!"_

_"Do you like eating with chopsticks?"_

_"Hotaru likes eating with_ _chopsticks!" He exclaimed. "Hotaru_ _can't wait to show Papa that he can eat food with chopsticks! Hotaru practiced hard--"_

"You hear that, Ryohei?! Hotaru is eating!" Tsuna called back excitedly. He pointed at the television with his cigarette and turned around to see whether the boxer was watching. "Hotaru couldn't--"

_"Do you miss your Papa?" The interviewer asked._

Tsuna fell silent and turned back the the television while he waited anxiously for the answer.

_"Hotaru misses Papa a lot," he said quietly. "Hotaru hasn't gotten to see Papa in a long time. Hotaru has been learning a lot from his Mommy and his Aunts and Uncles, but Hotaru wants to show Papa. Papa said he loves Hotaru, but he can't be with Hotaru right now. It makes Papa sad and it makes Hotaru sad. Hotaru wants to see his Papa."_

_"And if you could say something to your Papa right now, what would you say?"_

_"Hotaru misses Papa," he repeated in growing unhappiness. "Hotaru wants to tell Papa about all the things he's learned and wants to see Papa smile. Hotaru loves Papa and wants Papa to hug him. Hotaru wants to ask Papa when he is coming home!"_

"Little bro..." Ryohei called cautiously when a full minute passed in silence and Tsuna didn't move. He was still standing in front of the television in shock even though the program had went off. "Little bro..." The boxer repeated while he carefully touched Tsuna's shoulder to knock him out of his daze. Tsuna jumped a little bit, having been lost in his own thoughts, before looking at Ryohei with wide eyes. "Are you okay, little bro?"

"I-I'm fine," Tsuna replied. He slowly went back to his chair and sat down despite every fiber of his being screaming that he wasn't fine. Hesitantly, Sao, Makoto, and Ryohei pulled up chairs around him while he began absently smoking again with wide eyes.

"So that was your son?" Sao asked carefully. "He looks just like you except for the color of his hair." Tsuna leaned forward in his chair and covered his face with his hands in effort to not cry at the man's words. Sao and Ryohei traded sympathetic looks before sending warning glares around the room at the curious onlookers and Makoto sat back in his chair at a complete loss. The sound of someone laughing in the corner caught their attention.

"What's so damn funny?" Ryohei growled dangerously at the laughing Hiko. The man was standing in a corner of the room with his two friends. All three of them had bandages on their head from where Hibari had knocked them out two days previously.

"Oh nothing," the man chuckled. "I was just telling my friend here that the shrimp's son--"

"Say another word and I'll kill you right here and right now," Tsuna interrupted softly from where he sat. Ryohei, Makoto and Sao's heads snapped in unison at the dangerous menace in Tsuna's voice. When Tsuna turned around in his chair to look at Hiko, the murderous intent in his eyes was clear.

"Little bro, you can't--" Ryohei started to say in warning. He stopped at the low growl Tsuna gave.

"Hiko's already on my list," Tsuna replied before putting out his guttering cigarette. Tsuna looked up at Ryohei with a dark and petrifying stare. "If he says another word about my son, you'll get to see first-hand why I always left footprints when I returned."

"Tsuna, you can't mean-- You can't do that here!" Ryohei squealed in instant understanding. "Do you want to screw up everything Yamamoto and the others have been working for?!"

"Fine," Tsuna grumbled. "I'll leave him so that he can survive off of life support."

"That's not what I mean, Tsuna!" Ryohei yelled. "You can't--"

"What the fuck is he going to do? Bite me to death?" Hiko laughed mockingly.

"Say anything about my Family and you'll find out," Tsuna replied darkly. When the man paused for once, Tsuna turned around in his chair and lit another laced-cigarette in effort to calm himself. He knew he was still emotionally jumpy, but he'd be damned if the scum said anything about his son. "Ryohei, where did you always start?" He asked lazily.

"Knees," Ryohei admitted. "Then again, I never got the important assignments that you did. I had to keep them from running away."

"Ah," Tsuna agreed. "Mine were already trussed up unless it was a member of someone's upper echelon that we had to personally track down. Then I'd go for the knees, too. But usually...usually I'd start with the fingers."

"Back in the day, we always started with the feet and worked our way up," Sao interjected when he caught on to the subject. Tsuna nodded in seeming boredom while he continued to smoke.

"What the hell are you fucks talking about?" Hiko inquired in irritation.

"How long did it usually take you, Sao?" He asked in bored curiousity, ignoring Hiko's open noncomprehension.

"Eh, typically four hours unless we got a talker, boss," Sao answered. "If we had a talker, we'd finish in two but we'd take an extra hour to ensure quality. What about you?"

"About four and a half," Ryohei said sheepishly. "What about you, little bro?"

"Since I always had to do so many, I got to where I was leaving them to rot after an hour," Tsuna replied with a dark smile. "Two at most," he amended. "But that was only a couple of times when the target actually showed some fortitude." Tsuna tilted his head back and blew smoke in a steady stream. He watched the stream dissipate in the air for a moment in satisfaction. Thanks to what Sakura had put in the cigarettes he'd been given, he was calm enough to deal with Hiko without going beserk over his memory of what the man had tried to do.

"Now," Tsuna said to Ryohei conversationally. "Since I wouldn't have to do a question and answer session with that piece of trash, I could probably show you my routine in less than five minutes. That's if anything about my Family touches his dirty lips."

"Let me, little bro," Ryohei begged. "It's no big deal if I'm tossed in solitary. I'll work hard to make up for you not being able to do it."

"I don't know," Tsuna replied. "It all depends on whether or not the the scum over in the corner decides he doesn't want to keep his mouth shut." Tsuna turned around in his chair and looked directly at the confused man in the corner. "Well, Hiko? Do you want to say something about my Family and die right here? Or are you going to keep your trap closed and die after you get out? Either way, you're a dead man walking."

"You got some big fucking balls," Hiko growled. He glanced from Ryohei to Sao to Makoto in turn before angrily walking out of the room with his two smaller friends. Tsuna sent a crooked grin after him, knowing that Hiko didn't know how serious he was. Hiko _would _die for what he'd done. It was just a matter of when, where, and how long Tsuna wanted to spend.

"Someone want to tell _me _what you three were talking about?" Makoto whispered softly once normal conversations began picking back up around them again. Tsuna laid his head back on his chair and continued to smoke despite his previous distaste for it.

"Levi called it the 'Outreach Program'," Ryohei answered with a wiry smile. Tsuna barked a laugh at the title.

"We sometimes called it 'Truth or Dare', as in we dared them to say something other than the truth," Sao added. Tsuna found himself chuckling at this one.

"Xanxus used the term 'Information Gathering'," Tsuna said once he managed to stop laughing. "But I prefer to call it what it is."

"And what's that?" Makoto asked despite his expression saying he didn't want to know.

"Torture," Tsuna answered simply. While Makoto turned green, Tsuna sighed to himself and took simple pleasure in planning out how he was going to make Hiko pay.


	71. Chapter 71 Plain View

Tsuna waved away Ryohei and Sao's worried looks while he once again joined the line of inmates filing out of the recreation room. Things wouldn't go like last time. Tsuna was in full control of himself and had never felt better. He might be a bit jumpy, but he had already tested his Flame to ensure it answered his call again. If Hiko once again tried something, he'd find himself in pieces before he even left a bruise.

Like last time, Tsuna took his time getting undressed and checked his fake bandage wrappings. Like expected, Hiko, Suki, and Hiko's two friends were waiting on him afterward. Surprisingly, however, so was Hammer and Makoto. After his curious glance was ignored, Tsuna went to an open shower and began bathing without worries. Also as expected, he was surrounded within a few seconds.

"Don't even think about it," Tsuna warned. "You got lucky last time, but I'm not the same as before. I won't--" Someone grabbing his hair and slamming his head into the wall caught him by surprise. He'd expected them to at least try to trash talk first. He shook his head to clear it from the impact but a blow to his gut sent him to his knees. While he doubled over and grabbed his injured stomach, he quickly began to increase his Flame. Kicking behind him fiercely when he felt Hiko's presence at his back, he felt a calm, cold rage descend over him at the same moment the Dying Will Flame burst free on his head.

It proved unnecessary.

He let his Flame falter back down in surprise when he got back to his feet. Makoto was standing over Hiko and his two unconscious friends while Hammer held Suki in the air by the scruff of his neck. Tsuna stared at the scene in surprise while Suki began yelling at Hammer to put him down.

"See, Hammer," Makoto said coaxingly. "I told you that they were the bad people, not Tsuna. They were the ones lying to you and using you to make their numbers seem big so that they could hurt people easier. Tsuna meant it when he said he was your friend, though. He wouldn't use Hammer like Suki said. Tsuna wasn't going to rely on us to fight for him because he didn't want either of us to get hurt and he didn't want Hammer to have to choose between him and Suki. Right, Tsuna?"

"Eh, um...right," Tsuna agreed in confusion at Makoto's pointed glance.

"Put me down, Hammer!" Suki yelled angrily. "What do you think your doing to your friend?!"

"Suki isn't Hammer's friend!" The large man yelled in return. "Suki is bad man that tried to hurt Hammer's little friend!"

"He's just a little nail," Suki exclaimed. "Hammer is supposed to knock down the nails!"

"Hammer doesn't want to knock down nails anymore," Hammer said firmly with a little shake to the man hanging from his large hand. "Hammer's little friend wouldn't make Hammer knock down nails! Suki is only one that makes Hammer knock down nails!"

"People aren't nails and he's not a Hammer," Tsuna added softly. "If he doesn't want to hurt people, you should have never made him."

"Little friend understands Gori!" The man sobbed. "Gori isn't Hammer! Gori is Gori!" Without even thinking about it, the large man absently tossed Suki into a wall and ran forward to hug his 'little friend'. Tsuna watched the man gasp when he hit the wall before plunging unconscious to the ground. Seeing his strength, Tsuna decided not to deny the man affection. He patted him on the back soothingly while Gori wrapped two large arms around his waist and sobbed.

"It's okay, Gori," Tsuna mumbled with a blush, "Gori doesn't have to be Hammer anymore."

"Gori is happy!" Gori cried. It took five full minutes to calm Gori down enough that they could actually take their showers and leave the four men to be found by the guards. Tsuna was tempted to get his revenge while they were unconscious, but decided it would be better to wait until he had an unlimited amount of time. He wasn't going to spare Hiko in the least when the time came.

Once they returned to their cells, Tsuna sat back on his bunk and leaned against the wall with a cigarette. He was still in shock over what had happened. Makoto was sitting on the bunk above him and Gori was sitting on a futon that had been placed on the floor for him. The two were talking obliviously like they must have since Tsuna had disappeared into the prison infirmary.

He sat back and listened while the calming affects of what he was smoking washed over him. It had felt like he'd been hit by a brick in the showers. When Gori had left with Suki several days previously, Tsuna had believed him to be gone for good. Never in his wildest dreams did be believe that the man would forsake his 'little brother' for his 'little friend'.

He had honestly expected Suki to order the large man to hurt him when they were in their cell together and he had honestly expected Gori to follow those orders. The way he'd obediently followed him in the prison yard had suggested such a possiblity. But Gori was a person, not a dog. He had feeling and wants and needs just like anybody. That meant he also had his own thoughts. Thanks to Makoto's inteference, Tsuna now had another very large supporter within the prison walls.

"Why did you help me, Makoto?" Tsuna asked softly. He exhaled slowly, sending smoke into the middle of the small cell. "I thought you were the type to want to keep your head down."

"I was here a long time before you came, Tsuna," Makoto laughed. "There's a reason people came to me instead of Hiko. We've been warring for a long time now over who gets first dibs on the fresh meat."

"That's a lie," Tsuna replied immediately. "I don't know how you got your reputation, but you're not the same type of person as Hiko."

"Now who's lying?" Makoto said with a crooked grin. "It's just that since you've been here, I've been too busy to take on any new pets. We might go about it differently, but me and Hiko both have a certain amount of influence in here."

"Why hasn't Hiko tried to take total control by controlling you then?" Tsuna asked curiously before once again taking a long drag on his cigarette. He was slowly getting used to smoking and no longer thought twice about leaning on the calming effects of what Sakura had given him. It was enough to make him think about using them in the future when things got tough.

"Oh, he tried," Makoto answered. "I knocked the shit out of him and his buddies the first day I was here. Every time he tried something, I knocked the hell out of him again. After a few weeks, he finally gave up. We've been at a stalemate since."

"I had no clue," Tsuna mumbled honestly.

"Well, that's kind of my fault," Makoto admitted sheepishly. He hung his head over the side of his bunk and looked at the smoking Tsuna with a wide smile. "You got my interest. I saw you break your metal cuffs in half, you had a fireball for a son, and you had a slippery control over the prison there for a while. Then I find out you're a Mafia boss, so I decided to keep a low profile until I'd figured you out. You had me confused there for a while, I'll admit. It took me a over a week to understand the death threat one minute and the protective side the next."

"So did you figure it out?" Tsuna inquired with a quirky smile.

"Somewhat," Makoto answered. "I still don't get the little fireball that came to visit or how you get so strong at times, but I get that you're a father figure for a lot of people. You pat them on the head when they're good and then you smack them on the hand when they're bad. It's like the carrot and the stick. And since you know how to use both for your Family, that gets you perks in return. Like the protection they've been giving you while you're in here and the assurances that you'll get out."

"That's one way to put it," Tsuna replied with a small smile. He'd never thought of himself as a father figure for anyone but Hotaru, yet wasn't he the soon-to-be Godfather of Vongola? Tsuna laid down on his bunk and took a long draw from his cig while he thought about it. "That still doesn't tell me why you helped me back there," Tsuna commented after a moment.

"You warned me about the riot," Makoto answered. "And you pulled those three guys off of me. Things might have happened differently if you hadn't, so it's only fair I return the favor." Makoto sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know much about the Mafia other than it's a pretty big ass organization and you seem to be a pretty powerful boss in it despite how you look. But there's one thing I've learned while you've been here."

"What's that?" Tsuna asked with a growing smile.

"No one fucks with your Family, right?" Makoto asked with small grin.

"Right," Tsuna agreed with a chuckle.

"Seriously, though, I know I said when you first came in here that I was glad I didn't have to play daddy to you," Makoto added after a moment. "But isn't it okay to be brothers or something?" Tsuna choked on smoke in surprise at the question.

"Eh?" he coughed.

"Well, um, it's just..." Makoto blushed while Tsuna looked up at him with wide eyes. "You're pretty strong, you know, and I'm pretty tired of fighting Hiko alone. I thought maybe if I helped watch your back, you could watch mine, too? Isn't that what brothers do?"

"You know that means you're asking to be part of the Family, though, right?" Tsuna warned. "You can't just take me, you've got to accept everyone and everything that goes with it."

"I-I don't think that would be so bad," Makoto replied. "You might have killed a lot of people, but I don't see you as someone that ever did it for fun. You're not a psychopath, you're just a bit...um...over-aggressively determined. But that's not a bad thing since it's to protect people. I think that anyone that you're friends or...err...Family with couldn't be all that bad."

"Alright," Tsuna agreed softly. "If that's how you feel about it, then I'd be happy to welcome you into Vongola." Tsuna smiled at him warmly and for some reason the man bit his lip before rolling back onto his bed. Tsuna blinked at the man's reaction before blushing in understanding. Like he'd already said, he hadn't been able to get any new pets since Tsuna became his cell-mate. Tsuna had been coping with suddenly being cut off from Haru's intimate touch only due to the knowledge that he'd be able to see her again soon. Makoto, on the other hand, had killed his wife before being locked away for a long time already. He was likely...

"Is Gori a brother, too?" Gori asked from where he'd been quietly listening to the conversation. Tsuna turned to him in relief at the distraction.

"Yes," Tsuna agreed. "Gori can be a brother, too." The man smiled widely at Tsuna's easy acceptance before rolling onto his futon and settling in to sleep. Tsuna sighed to himself and flicked his cigarette out the bars of the window before turning over himself. All in all, it had been a pretty good day. He'd gotten to see his son on the television, he'd gotten to see Hiko get beaten, and best of all, he'd gained two new members to his Family.

Not bad at all for a man in prison.

* * *

"We've finally figured out the identity of the insert hitman," Ryohei whispered. Tsuna jerked in surprise, but went back to smoking on his bench in effort to hide his reaction. He sent a glance up to Sao who managed to effortlessly get Gori and Makoto turned so that Tsuna and Ryohei were hidden from view. 

"Who?" Tsuna finally responded.

"Natsuko in cell block C," Ryohei replied. "He's small and good at going unnoticed. He somehow managed to shadow one of the other people aiming for you during the riot and Cadenza only managed to catch him on a single frame. The rest of the time, he always had someone between him and the camera."

"Big bro," Tsuna mumbled hesitantly. "We have to find out who sent him but..."

"Don't worry," Ryohei said reassuringly. He patted Tsuna's shoulder with a wide smile and looked into Tsuna's heart-sore eyes. "I'll take care of it, little bro. You just hang in there until your trial, okay?"

"B-Be careful," Tsuna warned when he couldn't think of anything else to say. Ryohei nodded and slowly stood with determination. While he walked toward where Natsuko was hiding in plain sight, Tsuna mumbled where he hoped Gokudera would hear him. "Please, Gokudera, send retrieval for him as soon as possible." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a single flash before the show started.

Tsuna openly watched Ryohei while he smoked, knowing that he couldn't do anything else. Sao and Gori had placed themselves protectively at his back and Makoto sat down beside him in curiosity. All of them were riveted on the boxer while he calmly and coaxingly tried to pull information out of the man without yet raising a hand.

Out of the four onlookers, Tsuna was the only one that noticed when Natsuko's knee was broken. The man abruptly sat down and Ryohei sat down with him to cover it. To anyone else, it looked like two men just suddenly deciding to sit together and talk. Ryohei was using every ounce of skill he had in order to torture the man in plain view of others without being caught. He knew he'd eventually be caught, but he could get more information the longer it took for others to catch on.

Natsuko bit his lip when Ryohei forced the man to shake hands. Again, no one other than Ryohei, Natsuko, and Tsuna noticed how it was instantly broken. Even Sao was watching the two men talk without realizing what was really going on. Natsuko started urgently speaking while Ryohei held his hand in a tight grip like it was an extended handshake. Tsuna noticed how the fingers had started turning in odd directions.

Then Ryohei laughed and punched the man's shoulder like he'd just told a joke. Once again, Tsuna was the only one of his group that instantly understood that the man's shoulder was dislocated by the blow. Natsuko was showing surprising fortitude, considering how much pain he must have already been in. He bit his lip again and Tsuna thought he saw tears forming in the corners of his eyes.

"Is he just going to sit there and chat with the guy like they're old friends?" Makoto asked in a hushed tone. "The guy's not going to talk like that."

"Natsuko's already had his knee, hand, and shoulder broken," Tsuna corrected with a sad sigh. "Look at how he's biting his lip to keep from screaming." Makoto jerked in surprise and turned back to the hidden torture with wide eyes. "Ryohei will probably go for the foot next," he added. Tsuna inhaled deeply off his cigarette, needing the calming effects more than ever. He'd done tortures several times a week with Xanxus, but it was a completely different thing to watch his friend do it on his orders.

As predicted, Ryohei stood and smiled. He reached down in what looked like an effort to help the man up, but it was so much more for those knowing where to look. Ryohei's foot crunched down heavily on the man's foot while he grabbed Natsuko's uninjured hand and broke it while he forced the man to stand. The man grimaced openly at the double-shock and began babbling again. After he was done talking, Ryohei smiled and waved to Tsuna to signal not only that the man had admitted guilt, but that he'd gotten all the information he could without openly pummeling the target.

Tsuna nodded softly in permission and clenched his eyes shut for a moment against the pain he caused himself from agreement. When he opened his eyes again, Ryohei was already flying with an Extreme Rush and asking his questions openly. By the time a dozen guards managed to pull him off nearly ten minutes later, Natsuko was dead. Most of the other prisoners looked at the corpse in shock, having never seen such a quick and violently bloody massacre before. The ones that had seen such a thing looked at Tsuna instead, inherently understanding that Tsuna had ordered it to be done.

"Gokudera," Tsuna moaned softly, "Please tell me that those guards are the retrieval unit. One flash yes, two no." Tsuna sagged in relief when only one flash of light could be seen across the expanse outside the prison yard. "Thank goodness," Tsuna mumbled. He turned his back on the bloody mess in the middle of the prison yard and lit himself a fresh cigarette.

"Wow," Makoto muttered in awe. "Just like that."

"Ah," Tsuna agreed. "Just like that."

"He was a bad man?" Gori asked after a moment.

"He tried to kill me, Gori," Tsuna replied sadly. "And he's been hiding and waiting on another chance. If I'd let him be for any longer, he might have tried to hurt you or one of our other brothers so that I wouldn't be so well protected. I had to take him out of the picture so that you would be safe."

"If Tsuna-nii says bad man, Gori believes him," Gori said in an attempt to reassure his friend that he trusted him. Tsuna looked up at him in surprise before sadly nodding and looking back down.

"Ah," Tsuna confirmed. "He was a bad man, Gori."

"Sawada Tsunayoshi!" A guard called from the entrance to the yard. Tsuna's head snapped up in surprise and he stood.

"I'm here," he called back hesitantly. He threw his cigarette to the side and walked forward to the waiting guard, wondering if they somehow were going to pin Natsuko's murder on him even though the corpse was still fresh.

"It's time," the guard informed him. Tsuna blinked blankly at the man when he pulled out a set of handcuffs.

"Time for what?" He asked simply.

"Time for your hearing," the guard replied. "Or didn't they tell you that it was today?" Tsuna stared at the man in shock while he had his wrists locked together and the guard prodded him into leaving the yard.

"H-Hearing...as in trial?" Tsuna asked hesitantly when the guard didn't seem like one of the bad apples.

"Think of it as a mini-trial," the guard replied while they walked. "It's where you plead guilty or not-guilty and both sides give the basics of their case. If there's not enough evidence against you to go to trial, it's possible for the judge to throw it out altogether."

"Really?" Tsuna inquired hopefully. "So I could go home today if there's no case against me?"

"Yup," the guard answered absently. "But don't expect it. I doubt you were transferred from local holding to a prison without there being a solid case against you."

"Actually, it's because I had too many people come to tell the police that I was innocent," Tsuna said with a small smile. The guard looked at him in mild disbelief, but Tsuna just shook his head. The man would see soon enough, supposing that Yamamoto had gotten word of the hearing already. Then again, Tsuna couldn't see how the man would have missed it.

He smiled to himself and ignored the curious look the guard gave him. One thought kept circling in his head and he couldn't surpress his happiness at it.

He was going home today.


	72. Chapter 72 Freedom

The crowd in front of the courthouse left even Tsuna gaping and he'd expected them. It looked like not only a quarter of Namimori's total population had show up, but so had several Families. Dino was there with his usual mob. Cheri was there with nearly a dozen people. Pink had shown up with Red, Blue, Grey, and Yellow; although he hardly recognized Red and Blue in their color-coded suits instead of their skimpy uniforms. Lamprey was standing with them for old times' sake. Lanchia stood with his boss and a half dozen others. Even Sangia had managed to show up with a small escort and he had to hide his relief at seeing her. Irene of all people had shown, too, with several Havlocks he recognized from school in attendance.

Then he walked inside to find the entrance almost as crowded. Only this time, it was full of his own Family and reporters. Tsuna ignored the reporters and focused on the smiling faces of the people he cared about. All his Guardians were in attendance plus everyone from the estate. His mother had pulled out her store of outfits that she had normally only delved into for Tsuna's class visitations and weddings. His father was actually wearing a suit in front of her instead of his fake work uniform. Fuuta, I-Pin, and Lambo were crowded around them and waved at Tsuna enthusiastically when Bianchi kept them from running forward.

Although, no one could keep Hotaru in Haru's arms. He darted forward at the first opening and Tsuna paused when the unstoppable boy latched around his leg. The guard paused, too, since he wasn't one of the heartless bunch that Tsuna had been dealing with on a regular basis. The man gave a little nod of permission which Tsuna accepted immediately. He knelt down to the little guy wrapped possessively around his leg and smiled.

"I saw you on television, Hotaru," he said softly. "I'm so proud of you for learning to eat and learning to walk."

"Hotaru practiced hard!" He exclaimed while he tightened his grip on Tsuna's leg.

"I can tell," Tsuna encouraged. "You didn't wobble even a little bit when you just ran up to see me."

"Hotaru misses Papa!" He yelled. "Hotaru doesn't want Papa to go away again!" Tsuna gently put his hand on Hotaru's head and tried to fight the tears in his eyes at the words.

"I miss you, too," he said softly. "Can I have a hug from my little firefly? That would make me smile a lot, you know." In response, Hotaru immediately let go of his leg and reached his arms up to hug Tsuna. It was awkward picking him up and holding him around the chains binding him, but he managed while a corner of his mind went blank over how heavy the little boy seemed. Closing his eyes, Tsuna fiercely embraced his son and internally cursed at how much time they'd lost together. He missed him. He missed his Family more than he could ever put into words, but out of all of them he missed Hotaru the most.

"I love you, son," Tsuna whispered with a sniff. "But I've got to go now if I want to be able to come home soon. Do you think you could let your Papa go for just a little while longer?"

"Don't want to!" Hotaru answered stubbornly while he grasped tighter around Tsuna's neck.

"I know you don't want to, Hotaru, but Papa needs you to. I don't want to let go either, but do you see that nice man over there," Tsuna whispered, pointing out the guard with his chin. Hotaru loosened up around his neck long enough to peek out at the person that Tsuna was referring to. "That nice man is going to take me to see when I can come home. Didn't you say that you wanted to know when Papa could come home?"

"Y-Yes," Hotaru agreed hesitantly. "Hotaru wants to know when Papa is coming home."

"Well, I'm going to find out for you as soon as you let go and go back to Haru. If you promise to be quiet, I bet Haru will even let you come in the room with me and listen to the judge. But you have to be really good and not fidget or talk while you're in there. And you have to stay with Haru instead of Papa."

"Hotaru can promise! Hotaru will be really good if it means he can see Papa some more!"

"Alright," Tsuna agreed. "Then be a good boy now and go back to Haru." When Hotaru nodded in acceptance and Tsuna put him down, he immediately went to stand next to Haru again. Tsuna paused and gave her a warm smile before turning to the patiently waiting guard. "Thank you," he whispered. The guard silently nodded in acceptance of his gratitude before escorting him inside the courtroom.

Tsuna's mob of lawyers decended the moment he was inside. Having been drilled over such eventualities, Tsuna did what his training told him to do. He sat down and kept his mouth shut. He stood when the lawyers stood. He sat when the lawyers sat. He repeated what the lawyers whispered in his ear. Then he listened attentively while the prosecutor began listing the names of all the people Tsuna had shot. The order was different than what he had memorized himself, but he recognized every name.

Then they came to the evidence against him and Tsuna tensed unconsciously.

"Your Honor," Tsuna's head lawyer interjected, "I would like to make a motion for a re-examination of the defendant's weapon. The ballistics testing that is being used against the defendant has not yet been examined by Japanese authorities. Maybe it was an oversight by the prosecutor, but the ballistics match was made by Italian authorities and I cannot accept it as proof of his guilt in this instance."

"Very well," the judge agreed. "This is a high-profile case, so I don't want the crucial piece of evidence unvalidated by Japanese authorities. We'll recess until tomorrow at noon to allow time for the crime lab to confirm the findings for all ninety-three murders."

"Thank you, Your Honor," the lawyer replied calmly before following the procedures for the court's dismissal. Tsuna's heart sank when he realized it meant he wouldn't be free just yet. He sent a pain-filled glance back at Haru and his Family at the back of the court before following his escort guard out of the room. He clenched his eyes against the tears he saw welling up in Hotaru's eyes when the little boy saw his Papa leave the room.

"Tough luck," the guard said sympathetically while they walked through the entrance hall. "Looks like you're going to be with us for a little longer."

"I can survive one more night, I think," Tsuna mumbled. The guard gave him an understanding look before joining the group of guards waiting to clear the way outside. The crowd outside was openly displeased when Tsuna was still in chains. Still shaken from his son's tear-filled eyes, Tsuna kept his head bowed and followed his escort into the waiting armored transport without acknowledging his supporter's cheers for once.

By the time that Tsuna was released again back into the confines of the prison, the inmates were all in the recreation room. Tsuna walked over to Sao, Gori, and Makoto in a haze and sat. Absently, he pulled out a cigarette and started smoking while the three men tried to take his mind off of how he'd been forced to return.

"They showed your hearing on television," Makoto commented cautiously. "The guards let us in here early so that we could watch."

"Ah," Tsuna acknowledged absently.

"Your son is even cuter when the two of you are together," Sao added in effort to help. "They showed you two talking before the hearing. The resemblance between you two is really remarkable."

"Ah," Tsuna repeated.

"Tsuna-nii had lots of numbers," Gori said hesitantly. "Some of the numbers even had signs for Tsuna-nii."

"Ah," Tsuna agreed with a small sigh. He stuck his cigarette in his mouth and leaned back in his chair while he smoked. He was already starting to think more about his plans for the future than what had already occurred. His friends shrugged to each other and left him be when he didn't seem talkative.

He already knew the findings that the crime lab would come up with. But after they got those findings, it might take several hours for them to contact Italy and figure out that it had been a mix-up with _their _crime lab instead of the Japanese crime lab. The plan had been set up to make it look like they'd accidentally mixed-up Tsuna's gun with the "unknown murderer's" gun during the original ballistics testing. This would easily explain away the descrepancies between the two gun's serial codes and other factors. Plus, it allowed no one other than Officer Takahashi to take fault other than maybe the big-wigs that hadn't verified the man's claims before allowing Tsuna to be arrested.

Either way, he should be home, eating dinner with his Family, by the following evening. He'd set his hopes too high to think he'd be released on the first day of the hearing. In a way, though, it was better this way. It allowed him to have some time to come to a decision about his new Family members.

"How attached are you three to your names and faces?" Tsuna asked softly. The three looked at him in surprise. He blew out the smoke he'd been holding in again and sat up with a gesture for them to come closer so that they couldn't be overheard. "I'm probably going to get out of here tomorrow," Tsuna explained quietly. "After that, I'd like to help you three, but I wouldn't be able to promise your freedom through normal means. But, if you guys don't mind a fresh start all together, I might be able to set up an alternative."

"I don't mind, boss," Sao said immediately. "This isn't my real name and face anyway. The only reason I couldn't just disappear like your Sun Guardian is because the incident was too public."

"That was ten years ago," Tsuna replied quietly. "If Sao disappeared now and Enrico returned, it wouldn't be that big of a fuss. What about you two?"

"Are you suggesting busting us out?" Makoto inquired with wide-eyes. When Tsuna nodded, he sat back in shock and actually considered the implications. "If you think you could actually manage it without us having to be on the run..."

"That's why I asked how attached you are to your names and faces," Tsuna replied. "We can wipe your old records for your DNA and fingerprints, but you'd need new identities to be on the safe side."

"I could live with that," Makoto answered finally. "As long as I don't get a pug-face like Ryohei's." Tsuna nodded with a small smile in agreement before turning to Gori.

"How about you Gori?" Tsuna asked. "You wouldn't be able to go see your Mama anymore, but I'll make sure you get all the yummy food you want. All it would take is trusting me and agreeing to take a new identity."

"Could Gori maybe..." He paused and looked sheepishly at Tsuna. When Tsuna gestured encouragingly, the man continued, "Could Gori maybe get both yummy food and get to play with numbers again? Gori kind of misses numbers."

"I can't promise, Gori," Tsuna grimaced, "But I can introduce you to other people that like numbers and see if you could join them in playing. Whether or not you get to play with them depends on how good they say you are with numbers."

"Gori is happy with that," he replied with a wide grin. "If Gori has a chance, Gori can show anyone how good with numbers he is. Gori doesn't need to see Mama anymore. As long as Gori has food and numbers, Gori will stay with Tsuna-nii."

"Okay then," Tsuna said with a bright smile. "Then you three just keep your heads down and trust me to take care of the rest. Once I'm out of here, you three won't be far behind." Tsuna leaned back in his chair and enjoyed the rest of his cigarette while the three men around him stared at him wide-eyed. They weren't shocked at the ease with which he made the promise. They were shocked because they knew he meant it.

Tsuna always took care of his Family.

* * *

Tsuna rose beside his lawyers with a slight jingle of his chains. Like the previous day, the guards hadn't slacked on his bindings. His hands were bound together in handcuffs and trailed a chain down to a second, slightly larger set around his ankles. He had just enough give in his chains to walk and move, but that was about it. Even with so many yelling outside for his release, the guards hadn't lessened their security measures for a man accused of mass murder. 

But from the panicked look on the prosecutor's face, he wouldn't be accused of it for much longer.

"Alright," the judge called once he was in place and order was called to the court. "Yesterday we recessed to verify the validity of the evidence against Mr. Sawada Tsunayoshi. He's been charged for ninety-three counts of murder spanning six countries. So," he said, looking up from his file. "What did the ballistics testing say?"

"Your Honor, we'd like to make a motion for an extension on the allotted time to verify the evidence," the prosecutor requested. The judge narrowed his eyes at the request.

"What's the problem?" He asked seriously. "The allotted time should have been plenty to ensure the accuracy of the information sent from the Italian authorities."

"Well, that is...you see, Your Honor..." The prosecutor sighed when he was unable to think of a way out of the truth. "It's not a match."

"Approach the bench," the judge ordered immediately. Tsuna's lawyer went forward, as well, and Tsuna didn't have to work to create a hopeful look on his face. After several minutes of hushed discussion, the prosecutor unhappily walked back to his bench and Tsuna's lawyer rejoined his ranks calmly.

"Will the defendant please stand," the judge ordered. Tsuna immediately did like he was told with another slight jingle of his chains. "Sawada Tsunayoshi, I hereby dismiss the charges against you with the sincerest of apologies. It seems there has been a gross mistake and I assure you that it will be investigated thoroughly. You are free to go."

Tsuna was trembling in relief while his Family cheered at the back of the courtroom. The same guard that had escorted him the previous day came forward and released him with a wide smile. It took him a few tries to get the keys in the cuffs due to how hard Tsuna was shaking, but after a moment Tsuna was completely unbound. The moment he was free, he dashed back to his Family to trade joyous embraces and tears.

He was free. He was free! _He was FREE!_

"Is Papa coming home?" Hotaru asked into the loud tumult. Everyone paused and Tsuna pulled the little boy into his arms with a wide smile.

"Yes, Hotaru. Papa is coming home," he answered softly into the silence. Hotaru gave a happy squeal and hugged his father's neck in simple joy. Tsuna embraced him while he turned to his approaching attorneys.

"We've prepared you a change of clothes and the judge gave us to use any building in the room so that you can get out of those prison clothes, Sawada-dono," he offered. Tsuna saw a glint in the man's eye suggesting there was information he needed to pass along, so Tsuna nodded despite his desire to stay with his Family a little longer.

"Come on, Hotaru," he told the little boy in his arms, "You can come with Papa. How does that sound?" Hotaru clapped happily and smiled widely in response. Gokudera fell in behind him while Iemitsu worked on getting the Family moving outside the courtroom and Yamamoto went to spread the news to the people outside.

Tsuna slipped into the conference room they'd set aside for him to use and put Hotaru down in one of the overstuffed office chairs lining the table. His head lawyer, Mr. Crook, handed him a duffel bag of clothes that he dug into greedily. Without second thought, he started stripping off his shirt and fake bandages, wanting nothing more than to get out of the uniform he'd been forced to wear for so long.

"The judge is personally speeding up your release while we speak," Mr. Crook began. "You should have your personal effects back within the hour along with your... ahem... your Glock," he said with a pointed look. Tsuna nodded, understanding that his old Glock was long gone. He wasn't going to make a fuss over it, though, considering it's loss was the only thing that had freed him. Without it, there hadn't been a single shred of solid evidence against him.

We've also filed suit against Officer Takahashi for harassment since this is the second time he's caused your _unlawful _arrest," Mr. Crook continued. "We have a case since he's the one that pushed for your arrest, pushed for a full assault force to invade your home, and pushed for your transfer into a prison without even taking your statement or verifying the validity of the evidence he'd gained in Italy before doing so."

Tsuna nodded with a small, dark smile while he tucked his white shirt into his pants. After this, Officer Takahashi's career would be ruined. Between the public backlash against the man and the internal investigation, he'd be kicked off the police force faster than Tsuna could say Vongola. That was just the beginning, though. Tsuna planned to have a nice long talk with the man once everything settled down.

"Anything else that can't wait?" Tsuna asked while he tickled Hotaru before picking up the giggling boy again.

"There's a party planned at Club 27 to celebrate your release," Mr. Crook added. "Your Family has been preparing it for over a week now."

"Hotaru helped!" Hotaru exclaimed. Tsuna raised his eyebrow at Gokudera, wondering why his son had been in an adult club.

"Hotaru still doesn't sleep, Tenth," Gokudera mumbled with a blush. "Bianchi took him down there a few times after hours in order to help put up decorations. From what she said, he was really useful for putting up streamers over the dance floor."

"Did Hotaru have fun?" Tsuna asked. Hotaru nodded and smiled with bright and innocent eyes.

"There were clouds inside that Hotaru got to fly through," he exclaimed. "Mommy said Hotaru wasn't allowed to go up and touch the ones outside, but Aunt Bianchi let Hotaru play in the ones inside!"

"How did you like them?"

"They were wet and cold, Papa," Hotaru said with a little wrinkle of his nose.

"Cold?" Tsuna asked, turning to Gokudera. His eyes were wide at the implications of the simple statement.

"I'll explain later, Tenth," Gokudera said with a smile. "Hotaru's learned a lot while you've been away, but right now there's a crowd of people waiting outside for you. The rest of the Family probably already went ahead."

"O-Okay," Tsuna agreed. He let Gokudera lead the way to the entrance of the courthouse and paused in surprise at the loud cheer that burst out when he appeared. Dozens of people started crowding around him in effort to congratulate him on his release and reporters started elbowing their way close so that they could begin questioning him. Tsuna hugged Hotaru protectively to his chest and loudly called out his appreciation until Gokudera managed to clear the way to a waiting limo.

Once inside the vehicle, Tsuna blinked cluelessly at the child's car seat placed across from him. Hotaru giggled at the look on his face before getting inside it and buckling himself up. Tsuna just watched in amazement while his little hands dealt with straps and clips that he would have been fumbling with for an hour if he'd tried. Only one strap did he seem to need any help with and Gokudera leaned forward out of practice to snap it closed for him.

"Hotaru's ready!" He exclaimed once he was done.

"Are you ready, Tenth?" Gokudera asked while he leaned over to give directions to the driver. When Tsuna didn't immediately answer, he looked back and was dismayed to find tears streaming out of his boss' eyes.

"What's wrong, Tenth?" He asked while the vehicle started to move.

"I-I don't know, Gokudera," he replied softly. He reached up and touched the tears on his face in surprise. "I-I just..." He trailed off and looked at his son who was watching the passing scenery in wide-eyed enjoyment. His son who had learned to talk, walk, and do so many things while he was gone. His son who had grown spectacularly without him. His son who... His son who he didn't know how to be a father to.

Tsuna put his face into his hands and started weeping uncontrollably at the thought. Gokudera cursed softly and had the driver head out of town in order to let his boss have some time to himself. He understood without being told what was bothering him. After several weeks of imprisonment, he'd finally come home but the world hadn't stopped without him. No matter how much everyone needed him and wanted him, they didn't require him to wake up in the morning.

At Gokudera's direction, the driver pulled off into a deserted park outside of town and Gokudera aided Hotaru in unbuckling himself so that he could go play. Like Gokudera hoped, his boss automatically wiped his eyes and followed. Reaching into his pocket absently, Tsuna pulled out one of the cigarettes Sakura had given him and started searching for a lighter while he watched his son begin to climb up a slide. Silently, Gokudera offered his favorite one to him and watched while he lit it. He sagged against a tree while he smoked with shaking hands. He tried to hide his grimace at the sight, remembering the warnings that Sakura had given him in secret. Tsuna's cigarettes were laced and although the drug he'd used didn't have any visible side-affects, the doctor didn't know how addictive it was. It was a new discovery, after all.

"I-I don't know," Tsuna repeated softly, although this time with a different meaning. "I don't know how to be his Papa," he continued. Tears began streaming down his face again and he slid down the tree when his legs gave out on him. Gokudera knelt down next to him while keeping a corner of his eye on Hotaru at all times.

"It's okay, Tenth," Gokudera encouraged. "You practically raised Lambo and I-Pin. Hotaru's not much different. He's a lot brighter and has his special qualities, but he's still just a curious kid."

"Look at him, Gokudera," Tsuna mumbled while he leaned forward and took a long, deep pull off of his cigarette. "My little Hotaru grew up. He learned to talk while I was gone but I don't know what his first word was. And I heard how he's eating but I have no clue what his favorite food is. And--"

"And he's still learning, Tenth," Gokudera interrupted when he saw where his boss was going. "He's progressed a lot in the past few weeks, but he still needs his Papa to teach him. Even more than that, he needs his Papa to love him. The rest of his Family loves him, but it's not the same as if it were you, Tenth."

"You mean it, Gokudera?" Tsuna asked hopefully. When Gokudera nodded reassuringly, Tsuna leaned back against the tree behind him and wiped away his remaining tears. Putting out his cigarette, he looked up at his silver-haired Right Hand with wide and unnaturally vulnerable eyes. "Gokudera," he nearly begged, "C-Can you teach me how to buckle him in?" Gokudera smiled softly at his boss' request before nodding in agreement.

"I'll do whatever you want, Tenth," Gokudera replied firmly. Tsuna sagged in relief at the man's answer and called out for his son. Hotaru came rushing forward and plunged into Tsuna's lap, making him gasp in surprise.

"Is Papa happy again?" Hotaru asked innocently.

"I'm happy if Hotaru is happy," he said, pulling the little boy into a fierce hug. "I missed you so much, you know."

"Hotaru knows!" The little boy yelled happily. "Because Hotaru missed Papa, too! But Papa is with Hotaru now so Hotaru is very happy!"

"Then I'm happy, too," Tsuna agreed. "But I have a feeling Haru isn't going to be happy if we take much longer to go see her." Hotaru giggled softly and Tsuna smiled down at his son warmly. "On the way to go see Haru, do you want to tell Papa about everything you learned?"

"Hotaru wants to tell Papa!"

And so he did.


	73. Chapter 73 Good Intentions

Tsuna smiled wildly when he walked into Club 27 and found himself being cheered at. Several Mafiosos at the entrance barred reporters bearing cameras and recorders under claims that the whole building had been rented out for private usage. Yet hundreds of people had still gotten inside to the celebration. Tsuna tried to keep himself from getting emotional again over all the support of the people around him.

"The second floor has been set aside for the kids, Tenth," Gokudera whispered into his ear. Tsuna nodded and headed for the elevator, knowing that Haru was probably up there. It took nearly an hour to cross the area, during which time Tsuna came face-to-face with person after person that he'd helped over the years. Some were there over small incidents, such as helping to catch someones kid's balloon. Others were there since he'd saved their life or the lives of someone close to them.

All of them wanted to know if he was okay. All of them were curious about his son. All of them wanted him to know that they'd never doubted him. By the time Tsuna reached the safety of the elevator, his head was spinning from all the truth and lies he was forced to spout. The guards had treated him well. His son had been living in Italy with him in secret for five years. He knew that he could count on such-and-such person, despite the fact that he didn't even know half of their names.

He sighed and leaned against the wall of the elevator, feeling strangely wrung out. Gokudera patted his shoulder with an understanding smile. Then the doors opened and a wave of loud and happy squeals knocked Tsuna back a few steps. Before he could react, he was overwhelmed with small hands pushing and pulling him into the Prehistoric-themed dance floor. He was seated and surrounded within seconds by a mob of children he recognized from Hayakeshi House.

"We missed you, Tenth," Nori said once they settled down. Tsuna smiled down at the little boy who he'd not seen in months. Looking around, all of the children had fully recovered from their ordeal at the hands of the Momokyo-kai. Nori was even holding hands with a girl Tsuna barely recognized from the last time he'd seen her. Winry looked healthy and happy and no longer seemed like a strong wind would blow her away.

"You're all looking wonderful," Tsuna replied warmly. "I'm so glad to see you again."

"We've been working really hard at being each other's Family, Tenth," Orinato said quietly.

"We even decided that Orinato would be our leader since he's the oldest and he takes care of all of us, Tenth," Nori added.

"Wow," Tsuna mumbled, remembering the last talk he'd had with them. "That's amazing. You must all trust Orinato a lot." The children all started to clamor to tell Tsuna about all the good that Orinato's done for them. He quietly listened until they exhausted their praise and Orinato stood in the middle of the group blushing. "That's amazing," Tsuna repeated. Sudden inspiration grabbed him and he gestured for Orinato to come closer.

"Y-Yes, Tenth?" Orinato inquired hesitantly.

"It's okay, Orinato," Tsuna soothed. "I just want to tell you how proud I am of you. You've been helping your Family just like you're supposed to. The way that everyone relies on you and you protect them is simply wonderful." The kids around him nodded in agreement of his words.

"T-Thank you, Tenth," he replied with a small smile and another blush.

"So," Tsuna announced with a return smile. "I hereby dub you the First Boss of the Hayakeshi Family. How does that sound? Do you think you could live up to the responsibility of formally being their leader?"

"He's the best, Tenth!" Toshiba piped up from the back of the mob. "No one wants anyone but Orinato to be our leader!" Tsuna smiled widely and looked down at Orinato, wondering what his reaction would be to formally becoming the leader for the Family of kids who'd all went through the same pain together.

"I-I'll do my best," the young boy answered solemnly. Tsuna patted him on the head and Orinato turned back to his friends to be congratulated over the title Tsuna had given him.

"Hotaru wants to go play with the First!" Hotaru exclaimed before wiggling out of his lap. Tsuna watched him go and begin to interact with the unnaturally mature children as if he'd always known them. He knew that although they all seemed so young, they had all survived through events that had aged them greatly on the inside. Considering how well they'd latched onto the idea of 'Family', Tsuna saw no harm in tightening their bond together by giving them a formal leader. It would focus their desire to take care of one another and would focus Orinato's determination to protect his friends.

"You're amazing, Tsu-kun," Haru praised softly while she came up behind him. Tsuna looked up at her and smiled when she wrapped her arms around his neck. He closed his eyes and sank into her warmth, utterly content to merely be able to touch her again. It was incredible how balanced it made him feel again to have her next to him and be surrounded by children. It made the two and a half weeks of constant attacks and near-death experiences seem like a long nightmare.

But he couldn't have her alone to himself just yet. There were still two floors of people waiting to see him and celebrate his release. More than anything, he wanted to just go home and wrap himself around his beloved, but he knew he owed it to the people that had supported him after his arrest.

With a sigh of resignation, Tsuna gave Haru a quick embrace before slipping back into the elevator before the kids noticed he was leaving. Hotaru looked up, being the only one to automatically see his Papa move, but went back to playing with Lambo and Orinato when Haru brought forward a box of games for them to choose from.

"I'm glad Hotaru is willing to play with the other kids," Tsuna mumbled to his Right Hand once the elevator doors closed.

"Ah," Gokudera agreed beside him. "He'd probably throw a fit if you tried to leave the building, but right now he's happy as long as he knows he can see you."

"From the lack of black suits on the first floor, I'm guessing they're all in the cocktail bar, right?" Tsuna asked. In answer, the doors to the third floor opened and Tsuna blinked in curiosity over the subdued atmosphere. Indeed, all the Mafiosos had taken over the floor, but it wasn't a celebration like he'd expected.

He paused once he was off the elevator and accepted a packaged from a black suited mafioso that had been waiting on his arrival. He opened it to find his personal affects from the prison, as well as his new Glock. After holstering it, he walked over to the table holding Dino, Cheri, Sangia, Lanchia, Lanchia's boss, and Pink that had obviously been set up for Tsuna to join with Gokudera.

"What's wrong?" Tsuna asked immediately. While he waited for an answer, he pulled out Cherry-Blossom cigarette and waved to a waitress to bring him a drink. Dino raised an eyebrow when he started smoking, but otherwise didn't inquire about the sudden habit.

"You probably haven't heard," Pink finally said with a sigh. "We just got word that Mafia Row was raided. I lost my damn bar."

"What?!" Tsuna squealed. "How's that possible?! Not only were there security measures, but it's the best kept secret of all the Families!"

"That's the problem, Tsuna," Dino replied while he leaned back into his chair and nursed his beer. "Not only did it get raided, but we hardly had any warning. We barely managed to evacuate and collapse the tunnels before the authorities closed in with assault squads. Mafia Row is gone and no one knows how the hell this happened."

"It's not the first time, either," Cheri added. "We haven't been able to successfully complete any shipments in almost two weeks. The dealers have all started to go into hiding and there's not a damn thing any of us can do."

"My sister thinks our father's murder is somehow connected," Sangia said softly. "Since Vongola is the core of our Family Alliance, she sent me to be a liaison to you while she works with Vongola the Ninth to try to sort this mess out."

"To me?" Tsuna repeated in confusion. "I've been in jail, though."

"That's connected, too, Tenth," Gokudera interjected. He pulled out a tape recorder and put it on the table with a raised eyebrow at his boss asking for permission. "It's a recording of the conversation that lawn-head had with Natsuko," he explained. Tsuna nodded in permission and Gokudera hit the play button. Sitting back, Tsuna listened intently while he continued to smoke to stay calm. The sound was just barely loud enough for their table to hear and the chatter going on around them covered what might have leaked past.

_"Don't scream now," Ryohei warned._

_"That was my fucking knee," Natsuko hissed. There was the sound of two people abruptly hitting the ground followed by Natsuko's panting. "What the hell do you want?"_

_"I've got a lot of questions for you and you're going to answer them," Ryohei growled. Natsuko grunted and Tsuna remembered that this would have been when Ryohei broke his first hand. "Who sent you?"_

_"No one sent me," Natsuko answered stubbornly._

_"Don't play dumb with me," Ryohei warned softly. There was a soft crunch signaling his tightened grip on the man's hand, bending his fingers into odd directions. "We both know you're connected with a Family. Which one and what were your orders?"_

_"I'll talk, just please, my hand," he begged in a panicked and pain-filled voice. "I'm not here on behalf of my Family. I'm here for my Family," he said after a few silent moments._

_"What the hell are you talking about?" Ryohei growled._

_"I'm part of a splinter group. There's nearly a hundred of us working to stop the Mafia and end the years of bloodshed. We're sick of seeing our Families killing each other and committing needless crimes." Ryohei laughed loudly and there was a thud of him hitting the man's shoulder. _

_"That's fucking hilarious," Ryohei chuckled before his voice turned dark and cold again. "You have about thirty seconds to tell me the damn truth."_

_"I am telling the truth," Natsuko pleaded. "The first phase is almost over. We've almost completely put an end to the supply shipments and without armaments, most of the Families can't fight. We've also taken out several of the Mafiosos with the most stained hands. Without them pushing for the killing, the death rates inside the Families have went down by a huge percentage. That's why I was sent after the Tenth. He's one of the top ones on the list."_

_"You're fucking sick in the head," Ryohei said with an unhappy grunt. "Do you really think that the warring Families will just drop their rivalries and say 'Hey, let's all just get along?' Don't you think that would have happened hundreds of years ago if it was possible? All you're doing is causing more pain to people like my little brother. People that are doing their best just to simply protect the ones they care about. And you think that taking him out of the picture is going to make people stop fucking dying? Get real. You're trying to kill one of the only reasons that the bloodshed hasn't touched innocents. You're trying to break off a leash that shouldn't be broken."_

_"I don't believe that," Natsuko replied belligerently. "People like the Tenth were once normal. It was just because of bad luck that they joined the Mafia instead of living normal lives. We wished there was some way to send him back to those times since we don't like killing, but his hands are too stained. Killing him is the only way to keep the bloodshed from spreading."_

_"You're at the limit for sanity," Ryohei insulted quietly. "Why the hell do you think people like my little bro has to kill in the first place? Fuck this shit, enough," he spat. "You're going to tell me more about this splinter cell and you're going to tell me the name of everyone in it."_

_"I'm not telling you shit," Natsuko responded. "I've already said too much and I'm not telling you anything more."_

_"Fine," Ryohei agreed. There was the sound of Ryohei standing followed by two more sickening crunches. "Although are you sure you want to die already?"_

_"Alright," he gasped. _

He began listing names that made everyone at the table sit up straight in their chairs. Dino looked across the room at one of his men with wide eyes.

"Tsuna," he hissed softly. "How good is the soundproofing in here?"

"Not bad," Tsuna replied. "There's a completely soundproof room up on the fourth floor, though. If you take him up there and tell the attendant I gave permission for you to use the Ciaossu suite, you should find what you need."

"Thanks," Dino replied. Tsuna sighed and sipped on his drink while he watched the blond man stand. A single glance brought Romario up behind him while he calmly pulled out his whip and started walking toward the named traitor. The man gasped when the whip went flying forward and wrapped around his neck. Dino pulled it tight, yanking the man out of his chair. Mafiosos jumped to their feet in shock and surprise, but sat back down when the table of bosses and important Familia didn't react.

"Romario," Dino ordered. "You and Gusto help me take this piece of shit up to the Ciaossu suite. I've got a few questions I need to ask him."

"What are you doing, boss?" The man gasped once Dino started to loosen the whip for his men.

"Does the name Natsuko ring any bells?" Dino growled. The man's eyes widened in panic and he yanked the whip the rest of the way off before attempting to run. Once again, Dino's whip expertly cracked before sending it flying forward to wrapped and bind the man, knocking him to the floor. Dino kept it tight while he walked up to where the man had begun weeping on the ground. "We've been Family for years," Dino said mournfully. "Why would you betray the Family? Betray _me_?!"

"I wanted to save you, boss," the man cried. "You never wanted to be a Mafia Boss. If there was no Mafia, you could go back to being a normal person!"

"That was before," Dino corrected softly. "There's no going back once you choose your path. You should know that. I'm sorry, but I can't forgive you for this. You're a traitor not only to your own Family, but to the whole Mafia. I have to turn you over to the Vendiche once we're done with our little talk."

"T-Talk...?" The man whimpered.

"It would be best if you just answered honestly," Dino added solemnly. "I really don't want to have to hurt you."

"I'll help," Lanchia offered. He stood and went over to where Dino was holding the bound man pinned beneath his foot. Dino looked at him in surprise for a moment before nodding in agreement. Tsuna sighed softly, knowing from experience how hard it was to question one of his own subordinates. He watched out of the corner of his eyes while Romario, Lanchia, and Gusto forcefully restrained the man and escorted him to the room's elevator. Dino shot Tsuna a look of heartache that Tsuna forced himself to not return. Dino might not have went through the Gauntlet, but he had years of experience on Tsuna. The man didn't need sympathy, he needed to steel himself against what he had to do.

"This sucks," Tsuna mumbled with a soft groan once he was gone. He laid his head back on the light blue chair he was sitting in and blew out a long stream of smoke. Cheri, Sangia and Pink looked at him with wide eyes so he explained. "I get sent to prison for a little while and come back to find that the world is being sent to hell in a hand basket by misguided attempts to save it."

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions," Gokudera quoted.

"That it is," Tsuna confirmed sadly. He sipped on his drink again, knowing that he walked down the very same road on a daily basis. "Well," he said with a sigh, "I better go upstairs and see who's waiting for me on the top floor. Although considering I still haven't seen my own Family, it's pretty obvious."

"Go ahead, Tsuna," Pink urged. "You've had it rough and this probably didn't help. Go enjoy your Family again." Tsuna nodded and downed the rest of his glass before standing and walking to the elevator.

"Finally," Tsuna moaned once he and Gokudera were safely inside. "Done with the public and done with work. I can actually relax now, right?"

"Sure can, Tenth," Gokudera said with a wide smile. The elevator pulled to a stop and he absently started to step out to go down the foliage-lined tropical path. He was knocked backward by his silver-haired friend before his foot touched the ground. Tsuna looked at the broad back in front of him in surprise for a fraction of a second before a loud sound split the air. Gokudera sagged and fell forward onto his chest. Tsuna stared at the spreading stain beneath him without understanding what had just happened.

"G-Gokudera...?" Tsuna asked in shock. Then he looked up and saw a familiar form holding a gun. Comprehension dawned on him and he turned Gokudera over in a panic. "Gokudera!" He screamed.

His right-hand man didn't answer due to already being unconscious. Blood continued to ooze out of his gunshot wound and out of a corner of his mouth, signaling that an internal organ had been hit. Tsuna looked up at the familiar assailant and completely ignored the gun pointed at him. There was only one question on his mind and he asked it with tears pouring down his face.

"Why?"

The man cocked the gun in answer and Tsuna gently put Gokudera down. The tears stopped flowing in his eyes and a cold, dark feeling began building inside him alongside his Flame.

"Why did you shoot Gokudera?" Tsuna repeated while he stood.

"It was supposed to be you," the man replied calmly.

"Why are you trying to kill me? Aren't we Family?" Tsuna asked while he stepped into the door of the elevator before it decided to shut. Before his assailant could answer, a rustle of leaves caught his attention for a split second. It was enough. Tsuna darted forward with flame-lit eyes and dodged a wildly aimed second bullet. With a smooth motion, he pulled out the Glock he'd been given and used it to land a heavy blow across the man's face, knocking him to his knees. With another step, Tsuna circled behind him and pointed his gun to the man's head. The man paused at the feeling of cold metal to his temple and Tsuna's bracing hand on the back of his neck.

"Drop it," Tsuna warned while Yamamoto rushed to Gokudera from where he'd been previously hiding in preparation for a strike. His would-be murderer dropped his gun.

"He's hit pretty badly," Yamamoto reported from Gokudera's side. "Iemitsu's keeping the Family busy, but--"

"Take him down to the second floor and ask Hotaru if he can share his yellow," Tsuna ordered. "If he says he can't, get Gokudera to a hospital." Yamamoto looked up in surprise but nodded in agreement after a mere second. His hand darted forward and hit the button to send the elevator back down. The moment the doors closed, Tsuna sighed in resignation. "Why did you do this?"

"I couldn't stand by and watch you be destroyed any longer, Lord Tsuna," Cress answered with a small tremble. "I'd rather kill you by my own hands than see you go back to how it was before. Being forced to maim and kill day after day. Returning home covered in blood every night. Your smile was so happy and innocent when I first saw you, but they corrupted it."

"I chose this path, Cress. I don't like it, but it's the only one I have."

"You stopped crying after assignments, Lord Tsuna."

"You're right," Tsuna admitted sadly. "But that's only because I got stronger."

"Is it really strength? Or has your heart been consumed like so many others?"

"It hasn't been consumed," Tsuna answered firmly.

"I'm glad, Lord Tsuna."

"Forgive me, Cress," Tsuna muttered. The man nodded in acceptance and closed his eyes. It was better this way. He wouldn't be tortured nor would he have to live with his betrayal. It would be quick and clean. They already had Dino's man as a source of information, so Cress wasn't required.

Before Tsuna could doubt himself, he fired.

Stumbling backwards a few steps, Tsuna holstered his gun and sank to the ground. He absently pulled out a cigarette and lit it while he looked at the corpse of his friend and subordinate. The man who had always been there for him during his training. The man who had seen everything. The man that he'd blindly trusted and relied on.

"Damnit, Cress," Tsuna mumbled to the corpse while he smoked. "Why?"

"Yamamoto, did you find out what--" Iemitsu paused when he broke through the thick vegetation lining the path and saw Tsuna smoking over the dead body of his manservant. "Son, what happened?"

"Cress was part of a splinter organization trying to destroy the Mafia from within. He was a traitor, so I executed him," Tsuna answered calmly. "He shot Gokudera and Yamamoto's asking for Hotaru's help while we speak. Knowing Yamamoto, the elevator won't be running for a while, so I thought I'd smoke until we could get a cleaning crew up here."

"Are you okay?" Iemitsu asked, openly disturbed.

"Just fine," Tsuna said. He looked at his father tiredly and gestured to the corpse. "At least now we know who the traitor was in our ranks. Now that he's dead, we shouldn't have any more close calls with the authorities."

"That's not what I mean," Iemitsu interjected. Tsuna waved his words away before inhaling deeply off of his Cherry-Blossom cigarette.

"I'm fine, dad," Tsuna repeated while he rubbed his head. "I'm used to it. It's pretty sad, though. Cress took care of me for almost two years now and I can't even cry over his dead body. He's a traitor and I can't cry over killing him because of that. I'm not sure if it hurts more or less this way."

"Tsuna..."

"Don't you have to report to the Ninth or something?" Tsuna suggested out of the desire to be alone. Iemitsu jerked a bit in surprise, but nodded and went back down the path in the direction he'd come from. Tsuna sighed the moment he was gone and once again looked at his former caretaker.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

In the end, it was all he could say.


	74. Chapter 74 Harmful

Yamamoto had been told how the little boy had saved Tsuna with the 'yellow', so seeing it being used on Gokudera's body brought tears of relief to his eyes. The mob of children had been dismayed to see their 'Goku-nii' bleeding when the the doors opened, but were surprisingly calm about it. Orinato had gotten control before anyone could panic and pulled the group back out of the way. Once Yamamoto hit the emergency stop on the elevator and pulled Gokudera off of it, Hotaru had automatically came forward and started working.

"What happened?" Haru finally asked. Yamamoto wiped away the tears that kept forming in his eyes and answered without taking his eyes off of Gokudera.

"He jumped in front of a bullet meant for Tsuna," he sobbed. "Stupid, stupid, stupid! He's fast enough he could have just pushed Tsuna out of the way, but he had to get all heroic. I swear if he lives, I'm going to kill him!"

"Not unless I kill Hayato first," Bianchi warned from the other side of Gokudera.

"Someone was shooting at Tsu-kun?!" Haru gasped. Yamamoto nodded and then found himself scrambling after the woman when she started heading for the elevator. "Let me go!" She squealed when he forcefully picked her up and carried her over to a chair. "I've got to go check on Tsu-kun!"

"You can't go up there right now, Haru," Yamamoto warned while he wiped his tears away again. "Tsuna had the situation under control when I came down. Knowing who shot Gokudera, I can promise you that you don't want to see what's up there."

"Haru!" Bianchi called urgently. The two turned back to see Hotaru's eyes roll back into his head and fall over. Haru gasped and ran forward to her son in panic. Before she crossed half the distance, Hotaru lost his form and once again turned into Flame.

"What happened?!" Haru squealed when she noticed how slowly the rainbow was reforming into Hotaru's Sky Flame.

"I don't know," Bianchi answered. "He said something about not being able to get rid of the bad thing a minute ago, but he kept using the Sun Flame so I didn't worry about it."

"Shit," Yamamoto cursed in instant understanding. He ran forward to Gokudera's side while the Sky Flame finally became whole and darted into Haru's ring to sleep.

"W-What is it? What's going on?" Haru asked tearfully. "I don't understand!"

"He was having trouble healing Gokudera because the bullet is still in him," Yamamoto explained. "Hotaru thought it was something that he could get rid of with the Sun Flame, so he overused it. He's probably just resting right now."

"But why isn't Hayato waking up?" Bianchi asked calmly. Yamamoto shook his head and ripped open Gokudera's shirt. A quick inspection proved that the wound was closed, but it was true that he wasn't showing any sign of regaining consciousness.

"We need to get him to a hospital," Yamamoto suggested.

"I'll call for an ambulance from Dino's facility," Bianchi offered. Yamamoto nodded and left Gokudera in their hands for a moment. They couldn't let the people downstairs see the blood, which meant that they needed a cover story.

"What's going on?!" Sangia blurted the moment the elevator doors opened on the cocktail bar. Dozens of Mafiosos were standing around the elevators, having long noticed it's sudden lack of functionality. Yamamoto yanked her inside and once again hit the emergency stop.

"Stay here and don't let anyone use this elevator," he ordered her. She blinked in surprise but the fierce look on his face didn't allow her to argue. "Get the hell out of my way!" He snarled at the mob of black-suited men who where crowding around the elevator in curiosity. They quickly backed away and Yamamoto darted forward to the bar. "Mr. Guru," he called to the wide-eyed bartender. "I need a bottle of red wine and fast. One that's dark enough to cover blood."

"S-sure," he replied while he quickly ran to the other end of the bar. "What's going on though?"

"Gokudera's been shot and we've got to get him to a hospital, but we can't let the people downstairs know that there was an incident up here," he explained in a rush. He snatched the bottle out of Mr. Guru's hand when he froze, then darted back to the elevators. "Someone call a cleaning crew," he ordered before sending the elevator rushing back down to the second floor. He barely noticed that Sangia was still in the elevator before it came to a halt and he hit the emergency stop again.

"They're waiting downstairs," Bianchi said the moment she saw him. Yamamoto nodded and pulled the cork out of the bottle in his hands. After liberally splashing red wine on Gokudera's clothes, he allowed some to dribbled on himself while ignoring Haru and Sangia's confused looks.

"Haru, Sangia," Yamamoto called, knowing that Bianchi probably already saw the plan. "I'm going to need your help. Sangia, you and Bianchi are going to make it look like Gokudera is passed out drunk. I'm going to come along and put an end to the party so that we can get the cleaning crews in here. Haru, you come and make sure no one uses the elevators the minute we're out."

They all nodded in understanding. Bianchi and Sangia each grabbed one of Gokudera's arms and slung it over their shoulders. Leading them into the elevator, Yamamoto spared himself a mere second to take a deep breath before sending the elevator downward. Not even a full minute had passed since Yamamoto had told them the plan, but they moved like they'd been drilled over it.

The moment the doors opened on the first floor, the waiting paramedics rushed forward to Gokudera. Patrons were curiously watching from all directions. They were all wondering not only why the elevators weren't working, but why paramedics had been waiting in front of it. Yamamoto smiled to put them at ease.

"Don't worry," he announced after handing off the bottle of red wine to one of the guests. The guest probably thought it was just to get it out of his hands, but the truth was that Yamamoto purposely wanted them to see what was on his and Gokudera's shirt. "He just had a bit too much wine to drink. Unfortunately, he broke one of the gas-powered Tiki torches on the top floor when he passed out, so I'm going to have to ask everyone to leave for your own safety until we can get it fixed. Tsuna would be unhappy if any of you got sick because of a gas leak."

A wave of understanding and warm smiles passed through the crowd. As soon as Gokudera was outside with Bianchi and Sangia in tow, the crowd began calmly filing out under the direction of the club's manager. Yamamoto hid a sigh of relief before once again returning to the elevators. He _wanted _to go with Gokudera, but he knew that protecting the Family as a whole came first. Gokudera would be fine, anyway. Hotaru had healed him. The bullet was just probably lodged in a bad spot and the doctors would take care of that fast enough.

He prayed.

* * *

Tsuna pulled out yet another cigarette while he numbly walked into a secluded corner of Club 27's tropical retreat. Chrome was using illusions to hide the body and blood from view long enough to allow the oblivious members of the Family to go home. Iemitsu had told them that Tsuna had already gotten drunk on the lower floors, which was one of the many reasons he was hiding alone. 

The other reason was that he didn't want to be around people. Even with leaning on the calming effects of his cigarettes, he had still felt incredibly shaken by what had happened. It had taken half of his remaining pack before he'd felt up to moving away from the corpse. A part of him knew he shouldn't be using what Sakura had given him for such a reason. He also knew that he had been supposed to discard them once the side-effects of his treatment had ended.

But he didn't want to.

It felt good to not feel after several cigarettes. He was incredibly calm and content thanks to them. Too calm and content to hurt over what he'd been forced to do. It was nice to not hurt for once.

"Tsuna, are you back here?" Yamamoto called while he walked down the path into the secluded sitting area that Tsuna had retreated to.

"I'm here," Tsuna replied lazily from where he was sprawled out on a chair.

"Are you smoking?" Yamamoto asked in surprise. Tsuna looked up at him blandly and nodded despite the obviousness of the answer.

"What's the situation?" He asked in effort to distract Yamamoto. The swordsman blinked at Tsuna's unnaturally calm attitude, but shook off his unease and answered.

"Hotaru used his yellow, but Gokudera still didn't wake up. Bianchi took him to the hospital to find out what's wrong," Yamamoto said while he pulled up a chair next to him. "I've got most of the facility cleared out and the cleaning crews are waiting until everyone is gone to-- Tsuna, when did you start smoking?" He asked, unable to allow himself to ignore how Tsuna was inhaling deeply off of the burning stick in his hand.

"Somewhere between the sixth and seventh near-death experience," Tsuna answered emotionlessly. "Or was it between the seventh and eighth? I lost track. I know it was after Hiko tried to rape me and before we took out Natsuko."

"Tsuna..." Yamamoto mumbled tearfully. "I know you've been through a lot, but picking up a bad habit isn't going to make it better."

"It's okay," Tsuna replied. "These are special. I don't hurt when I smoke these."

"You don't--" Yamamoto repeated. He stopped and stared at the smoke coming out of Tsuna's mouth in horrified understanding. "Tsuna, are you taking drugs?"

"Just a little bit," Tsuna admitted. "But it's okay. Sakura was the one that gave them to me for my treatment."

"Sakura knows you're taking them?" Yamamoto asked in relief.

"Ah," he confirmed. Tsuna felt a twinge of guilt over lying to his Rain Guardian, but he didn't feel like arguing about it. He wanted to just relax and enjoy the moment. A moment with no worries, no pain, and most importantly, no one trying to kill him.

"Well, like I was saying," Yamamoto continued, returning to the previous subject. "The cleaning crews are just waiting until everyone is gone to come in and deal with the mess. The Cavallones have all taken over the fourth floor, but agreed to not leave there. Cheri and Pink went back to their hotel rooms and so did all--"

"I want to see Haru," Tsuna suddenly interjected. "I'm not concerned with all the other stuff right now, Yamamoto. I know you'll take care of everything like you always do."

"A-Alright," Yamamoto agreed. "I'll go get her before I head to the hospital to check on Gokudera. Xanxus will be downstairs waiting whenever you want to go home." He stood at a nod and shot Tsuna a worried look before walking away. Tsuna tried to ignore the look. He'd earned the right to be a little irresponsible he thought. Just this once.

When Haru appeared, Tsuna bit his lip in order to keep from running to her. He'd been able to restrain himself before due to the crowd of children, but she was blessedly alone now. Standing, Tsuna went to meet her.

"Hotaru's sleeping," was what she attempted to say, but Tsuna cut her off with a long awaited embrace. He moaned in pleasure while his fingers became entangled in her hair. It took Haru a moment to get over her surprise, but she melted against him after that. Part of him realized it was a good thing that she didn't deny him. He wasn't sure if he'd have been able to control himself if she had. As it was, he was already lost in his own need.

"Tsuna!" She squealed in surprise when he pushed her on top of a nearby table. He barely heard her, too intent on fumbling his belt loose and pushing her skirt out of his way. The first chance he got, he buried himself inside her.

He'd waited two and a half weeks to have her again. He'd been patient in prison. He'd been patient for the sake of his public image and his Family. He'd been patient even when he'd had her in front of him earlier.

But no more.

He was out of patience. In the past two and a half weeks alone he'd lived through so much and been so patient. He'd lived through the attentions of Hiko. He'd lived through no less than three assassination attempts. He'd lived through two drug deadly drugs in his system and a heart transplant. He'd lived through being forced to watch Ryohei torture someone on his orders. He'd lived through being forced to kill Cress. He'd lived through--

"...hurting me!" Haru's voice suddenly reached his ears while he came. Tsuna gasped and realized what he was doing. He'd pinned Haru's arms to her sides while he'd been mindlessly thrusting inside her. He'd also ripped her shirt open at some point. In sudden panic, he let go of the mouthful of breast he'd been sucking on and sat up with wide eyes. "You're hurting me, Tsu-kun," she cried softly.

"Oh, God," Tsuna moaned. He carefully let go of her arms and backed away from her when he saw the bruises forming under his hands. She slowly sat up at the table and looked at him worriedly. In return, Tsuna stared at her with wide, shocked eyes. One thought circled in his head endlessly: What had he done?

"I-I'm sorry, Haru," he apologized before sinking to the ground and staring at the hands that had hurt his beloved. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I didn't mean... I never wanted... I'm so sorry, Haru."

"It's okay, Tsu-kun," Haru said shakily after a moment.

"No, it's not okay," Tsuna corrected in horror. "I'm not even human anymore. I've hurt and maimed and killed so many people. And now I've hurt you, too. I--" He looked up at Haru with wide eyes again and blinked tears away at the thought of what he could have done to her. "Run away, Haru," Tsuna begged. "Please, just run away from me before it's too late."

"Tsu--"

"_Run away!_" he screamed at her. He sat on the ground panting when he was done, feeling a mixture of calm and panic that made him feel strangely insane. One thing was his only focus, though. He didn't want to hurt her. Never in a million years did he want to hurt her. He loved her and didn't want to see her become like Cress. Like Mochida. Like Jack. Like Salmon. He didn't want to wake up one day and know that he was the reason she was dead or worse.

"Please, Haru," he whispered when she didn't move. "Please, just run away from me."

"I'm not going to run away, Tsu-kun," she said firmly. He jerked when she walked over and touched his face after a few silent minutes. He looked into her compassionate eyes in complete shock. Before he could wrap his mind around her words, she leaned forward and kissed his tear-filled eyelid. "Haru is going to be Tsu-kun's wife," she added softly while she pulled him into her arms.

Tsuna began weeping at her blind warmth and love. He wanted to make her wake up and see how horrible of a person he was. He wanted to push her away and tell her no. He wanted to make her to run away for her own sake. He wanted to protect her from himself by refusing her caring and oblivious acceptance of his actions. There was a hundred things he _wanted _to do, yet he did none of them. He did the things he _needed _to do. He latched his arms around her and continued to silently cry. He let himself be touched by her love and her warmth. He let himself accept her forgiveness. He let himself believe again that he could never do anything to hurt her.

He let his moon continue to be his light in the darkness.

* * *

"H-How's Gokudera?" Tsuna asked softly. It had taken him over an hour to calm down and regain his right mind before deciding to come to the hospital instead of home. Once there, he had been directed to a private waiting room where Bianchi, Sangia, and Yamamoto were already anxiously awaiting news. 

"He's in surgery," Yamamoto answered with narrowed eyes. "The bullet was lodged in his spine which is why he didn't wake up after Hotaru healed him. They're removing it right now."

"I should have been here sooner," Tsuna said in apology. "I don't have any excuses. Gokudera is an important person to me and I--"

"Why are you apologizing, Tsuna?" Yamamoto asked. Tsuna blinked and looked up at the honest confusion in the swordsman's voice. "You're here now and that's all that matters, right?"

"Yamamoto..." Tsuna breathed. "I--"

"It's okay, Tsuna," Yamamoto interrupted with a small smile. "It was because of that stuff Sakura gave you, right? Once your treatment is done, you'll be back to normal. You can be forgiven for a little bit of strangeness until then."

"Yamamoto, I--"

"Don't worry," he continued. "I noticed how it was affecting you earlier, so I didn't let it bother me. And you know Gokudera. He wouldn't care if--"

"Yamamoto!" Tsuna interrupted loudly when the swordsman didn't seem to want to let him talk. Yamamoto paused in surprise at Tsuna's red face.

"Tsu-na?" He asked, startled by the outburst. When Tsuna reached forward and grabbed his hand, he became even more startled. Then understanding started to dawn on him when Tsuna stuffed his nearly empty pack of cigarettes into his hand before bowing deeply in apology.

"I'm sorry, Yamamoto," Tsuna said from where his head was lowered. "I lied. Sakura did give those to me, but I should have stopped smoking them a couple of days ago. I was only supposed to keep them until the side-affects of my other treatment wore off. B-But I didn't because..." Tsuna paused for a moment, fighting back tears at the pain of confessing. Even though he knew he had to, he was no longer under the effects of the Cherry-Blossom cigarettes. He could feel normally again instead of everything being overlaid with a content haze of calm. "Because they made it so I couldn't feel very much," Tsuna continued. "I know it was wrong, but I didn't want to feel anymore, Yamamoto, so I overused them after the incident earlier. I'm sorry I lied to you and I'm sorry--"

"It's okay, Tsuna," Yamamoto interrupted. "I forgive you." Tsuna looked up at the words. After a moment, Tsuna once again found himself silently crying over the understanding and compassion in the eyes he looked into.

"Why does everyone forgive me so easily?" He sobbed when Yamamoto pulled him into a tight hug. "I've done terrible things but no one seems to care. You, Ryohei, Haru, G-Gokudera...You all get hurt over and over for me. W-Why?"

"Because you're hurting more than any of us, Tsuna," Yamamoto answered simply.

"How can you say that?!" He cried. "Gokudera's got a bullet--"

"But he's going to be fine," Yamamoto interrupted firmly. "He's going to wake up tomorrow and he'll be happy because he'll be so proud of himself for saving you. His wound is only a physical one, Tsuna. You're the one that takes blow after blow in so many other ways."

"B-But--"

"No buts," Yamamoto warned fiercely. "Just accept it, okay? We all care about you. You're our only brother who puts himself between us and harm over and over again. We want to protect you in turn, you know? Here," He grabbed one of Tsuna's hands and put the pack of cigarettes back into it, making Tsuna jerk in surprise. "If these make it so that you don't hurt, go ahead and use them. Just promise me you won't go overboard with them like you did earlier, okay? I won't make a fuss if you don't abuse them."

Tsuna pulled away from Yamamoto and stared at him for a long minute. Finally, he nodded at something he seemed to see and wiped away his tears.

"Who would have known that you were such an emotional person, Tsuna," Sangia mumbled softly into the silence. Yamamoto chuckled when Tsuna blushed at the words.

"You should have seen him back when I kept trying to poison him," Bianchi commented. "I swear I thought I was going to go deaf from all his yelling and screaming. 'Help me!' 'Save me!'" She mocked, making Tsuna turned even more red. "I was convinced he was going to cry his way through the Ring Battles."

"Who would?!" Tsuna yelled despite himself. Even his ears and neck turned red from the chuckles he got in reply. With a small grumble, he found himself a seat and quietly waited for news of Gokudera. He tried to ignore the three people across the room who began reminiscing about his past, but found himself smiling on occasion. Listening to the memories from their point of view, Tsuna slowly started to understand why they cared so much about him.

It was because _he _had always cared about _them_.


	75. Chapter 75 Consequences

"Good morning," Yamamoto said softly. Gokudera moaned a little and thought about shutting his eyes again. Then memory surfaced and he bolted up in his bed.

"Is the--"

"Tsuna's fine,' Yamamoto chuckled. "He wanted to be here to see you when you woke, but I sent him home to rest after we found out that you'd survive."

"A-And Cress?" Gokudera asked hesitantly. Yamamoto shook his head, silently telling him that the manservant was dead.

For the first time, Gokudera wasn't immediately satisfied with the fact. Even though the man had been aiming at his beloved boss, Cress was...Cress. He had been a friend and a reliable force for all of them. Cress hadn't merely been relied on to clean their rooms and bring them their dinners. Cress had taken care of them all during their training. From giving quiet encouragements to fatherly admonishments to caring touches, Cress had done it all.

Even the little things that he had done had been powerful to Gokudera. Such as secretly helping him study his languages so that he could in turn still be of help to the Tenth. Such as always making sure that he got up to practice before everyone else went to target practice so that he could keep his loner image yet still improve himself. Such as not resupplying Gokudera's rash ointment, but taking care of Yamamoto's without ever saying anything about it.

"Cress is dead," Gokudera mumbled to himself. It didn't seem real. It was like someone just walked up to him and told him that the Tenth was dead. Or Yamamoto was dead. It just didn't seem real. Cress had been more of a father to him than anyone else, but the same man had become a traitor. He had pointed a gun at one of only a dozen people that Gokudera couldn't forgive him for aiming at.

Gokudera moved to get up, since pacing always seemed to help him think. He gasped when he his movement sent him flying face-first off the bed and the ground started rushing up to him.

"Safe!" Yamamoto called, diving under him. The swordsman started to chuckle at being able to use a baseball quip again, but the panicked look on Gokudera's face stopped him. "What's wrong, Gokudera?"

"I--" Gokudera paused with the words caught in his throat. Yamamoto gave him a worried look and sat up with the silver-haired man in his lap. When Gokudera started sobbing, he began to panic.

"Hey, now," he soothed anxiously. "I knew you'd be upset over Cress, but--" He paused when Gokudera shook his head furiously and clutched his shirt. "What is it then?"

"I--" Gokudera sobbed into his chest. "I can't--"

"You can't...find your dynamite?" Yamamoto offered in an attempt to get Gokudera to calm down. Instead of calming down, however, Gokudera furiously grabbed his collar and pushed him onto his back.

"I can't feel my damn legs!" He screamed into the swordsman's face while tears continued to pour down his face.

"You can't..." Yamamoto's eyes widened in understanding and looked down at where Gokudera's legs peeked out from under his hospital gown. They hadn't moved an inch from where they'd landed after Gokudera's fall. He stared at them in shock until Gokudera's weeping on his chest snapped him out of it. Once more, Yamamoto sat up with Gokudera in his lap. This time, he wrapped his arms around the man.

"Here," Yamamoto soothed softly. "Let's get you back up in bed and then I'll go find a doctor, okay? Maybe they just gave you something so that you wouldn't feel the pain of the surgery." Gokudera's eyes filled with hope and he nodded in agreement. "I've always wanted to do this, but I never though it'd be you," Yamamoto chuckled. Gokudera glared in response while Yamamoto slid an arm under his legs and behind his back to lift him bridal-style onto the bed.

"You know if you tell anyone, I'll fucking kill you," Gokudera growled after wiping his face with his sleeve.

"You always say that," Yamamoto replied with a half-smile. "But we both know that it's our little secret." Yamamoto leaned over and touched his lips to his occasional lover's parted ones. Gokudera returned the intimate embrace for a moment before growling into the swordsman's mouth.

"That's not fair when only one of us can feel our lower half," he grumbled, pulling away.

"I'll be back," Yamamoto promised before taking the cue and darting out the door to find a doctor.

Gokudera watched him go, once again secretly impressed with his light and graceful step. Gokudera had always wanted to be able to walk like the swordsman did, but he could never erase the sound of his footsteps no matter how hard he tried. Yet Yamamoto did it effortlessly without even noticing it himself. It was one of those things he did naturally when he was focused or determined about something and Gokudera had always been in awe of his talent. It was one of the things that attracted him if he actually admitted it to himself.

If he could find a woman as graceful and strong, Gokudera would be a very happy man. Assuming, of course, that Yamamoto was correct in his theory of post-operation medication being the reason for his numb lower half. Curious, Gokudera poked his leg to test it. He was still poking it when Yamamoto finally returned. And from the look on Yamamoto's face, it wasn't good news.

"Where's the doctor?" Gokudera asked worriedly.

"I-I'm sorry, Gokudera," Yamamoto said with eyes full of sympathy.

"Why are you looking at me like that, Yamamoto? Where's the damn doctor?"

"Gokudera..."

"Stop looking at me like that!" Gokudera yelled. "Where the hell is--" He stopped in shock when Yamamoto sat next to him and wrapped his arms around him. "No..." he moaned. "No, no, no, no--"

"I'm sorry," Yamamoto repeated softly into his ear. "The doctor will be here in a little bit to double-check, but he said that he'd half-way expected it from the positioning of--"

"No!" Gokudera blurted in denial. "You said it was just--"

"I was wrong," he replied simply. Tears began to fall out of his eyes while he forced himself to say the words that Gokudera had to hear. "You're paralyzed." Gokudera started shaking in his arms before letting out an uncontrollable sob. Doing the only thing he ever could, Yamamoto held his friend while he wept.

* * *

"Good morning, Yamamoto," Tsuna called in greeting. "Good timing. We were all getting ready to head to the hospital to--" 

"Don't go," Yamamoto interrupted. "Gokudera-- Actually, it would probably be best if I only had to say this once, so do you think you could call a Family meeting?"

"Alright," Tsuna agreed with a bewildered look. "I'll have everyone meet in the dining room."

Yamamoto nodded and went ahead first. Within five minutes, Tsuna had the whole Family gathered. Tsuna took his place at the head with Hotaru in his lap and Haru sitting next to him. Once everyone was settled, Tsuna nodded to Yamamoto to take the lead.

"Okay," Yamamoto said with a sigh. He collapsed into his chair and looked around at all the curious faces. "Please listen carefully. I really don't want to have to say this more than once. Whether you knew it or not, last night Gokudera got hurt. He's in the hospital right now and he doesn't want any visitors. For now, just leave him alone until he calls. Especially you, Tsuna."

"ME?" Tsuna gasped. Something had to be majorly wrong if Gokudera didn't want to see Tsuna. "What happened? I thought--"

"He's paralyzed from his midsection down and the doctors said it's untreatable," Yamamoto interrupted.

"What's paralyzed mean, Papa?" Hotaru inquired innocently into the silence.

"It means he can't feel it," Tsuna answered despite his shock.

"Is it because Hotaru didn't share enough yellow?" He asked with his lip sticking out unhappily. Thinking it was his fault, tears began forming in the little boy's eyes.

"No," Tsuna soothed. "Hotaru's yellow was plenty. It was because of the thing inside of Gokudera that wasn't supposed to be there."

"Do you think you could--" Yamamoto started to ask in hope. Tsuna stopped him with a head shake.

"I checked over Hotaru's Flame this morning to make sure he was okay," Tsuna explained softly. "He gave too much yellow yesterday and his Flame is slightly unbalanced. If he gives any more before his Sun attribute recovers, his Sky Flame might be hurt. I can't take that chance, Yamamoto. Not for something that isn't even life-threatening." Tsuna clenched his eyes shut, hating himself for having to say it.

"How does he recover it?" Bianchi asked in hopes that they could speed up the process.

"I honestly don't know," Tsuna answered. "I can't feel the individual attributes of my own Flame, so I don't know how it balances itself out. The only reason I can tell on Hotaru's is because he splits them in order to make his body."

"Hotaru couldn't make his body for long this morning," Haru added. "He did just long enough for Tsuna to check him over before he returned to how he was when he first learned to talk."

"Hotaru can't make himself heavy like Papa," Hotaru agreed. "Hotaru needs more yellow to make blood go back and forth."

"From what he told me about how he makes his body and from what I saw when I did the Delving this morning, he uses Mist Flame to create his organs and bones; Lightening Flame for his nerves and brain connections; Cloud Flame for his actual blood cells; Rain Flame for all the water in his body; Storm Flame to hold it all together and bridge the different Flames; and Sun Flame for movement of his blood and simulated aging and regeneration. He also keeps a part of his core Sky Flame intact and uses some of that for his skin and hair. Without enough Sun Flame, though, everything in his body is pretty much at a complete standstill."

"Puts new meaning to the phrase 'lights out'," Xanxus laughed from the far end of the table. Tsuna shot him an unamused glance before once again turning to Yamamoto.

"My best guess would maybe be to let him spend more time with Ryohei," Tsuna suggested.

"Uncle Ryohei is Papa's yellow," Hotaru objected. Tsuna raised an eyebrow and looked down at his son curiously.

"Does Hotaru have his own yellow?" He asked. Hotaru nodded and smiled brightly. "Who's Hotaru's yellow?" Tsuna prompted with wide eyes.

"Hotaru promised not to tell," Hotaru said unhappily.

"Ah, geez," Ken grumbled softly from the middle of the table. "I didn't think he was serious." Everyone turned to stare at the blond man in surprise and he slouched down in his chair in effort to hide.

"Is Ken your yellow, Hotaru?" Tsuna mumbled softly. Not wanting to lie, the little boy shrugged and kept looking at his hands in his lap.

"Go ahead, kid," Ken growled. "They already know."

"Ken-nii is Hotaru's yellow!" Hotaru exclaimed immediately.

"Do you have other colors, Hotaru?" Tsuna asked.

"Hotaru has lots of colors!" He said happily. He started raising his fingers while he listed them. "Hotaru's Yellow is Ken-nii. Hotaru's Green is Toshi-nii. Hotaru's Purple is Chirp Chirp. Hotaru's Blue is--"

"Wait," Tsuna interrupted in a daze. "Who's Chirp Chirp?"

"Chirp Chirp is Chirp Chirp," Hotaru said as if it was obvious.

"We don't know anyone named Chirp Chirp," Haru told him gently.

"You know Chirp Chirp," Hotaru objected in childish exasperation. "Chirp Chirp plays with Uncle Hibari."

"You mean Hibird?!" Tsuna squealed. At Hotaru's nod, Tsuna gestured in a daze for him to continue his list.

"Hotaru's Blue is Sakura-sensei. And Hotaru's Red is Hayakeshi First!"

"Orinato," Tsuna supplied at Yamamoto's questioning glance. "What about your Indigo, Hotaru?"

"Hotaru doesn't know," Hotaru said with a small frown.

"That's alright," Tsuna mumbled. "Why don't you and your yel--ahem--Ken, go outside and play for a little bit so that the grown-ups can talk some more?"

"Okay, Papa," he agreed readily. He jumped out of Tsuna's lap and ran over to the blond man. Without hesitation, he grabbed Ken's hand and started tugging. Ken went willingly after a moment out of the mere desire to get away from the laughter that was barely restrained on the faces around the table. The moment he was gone, Tsuna started chuckling despite the seriousness of the situation, as did Yamamoto, Iemitsu, Chrome, Chikusa, Bianchi and even Xanxus. Nana, Haru, Toshi and the three kids hesitantly joined the laughter without really understanding what was so funny.

"Alright," Tsuna said with a sigh. "I'll keep checking back on Hotaru and see if being around Ken helps rebalance his Flame. Once he's back to normal, we'll see about him healing the damage in Gokudera's spine. In the mean time, let's send Sakura over to Dino's facility for a second opinion. He might be able to fix it without Hotaru's help. No one mention Hotaru to Gokudera, though. I don't want to get his hopes up." He paused and sighed. "If that's everything, then everyone is free to go back to what you were doing." When everyone nodded in agreement, Tsuna stood and started heading to the door.

"Where are you going, Tsuna?" Yamamoto asked in curiosity.

"I'm going to see Gokudera," he replied.

"But--"

"I'm _going _to see Gokudera," he repeated firmly. "Legs or no legs, he's still my Right Hand. I'll be damned if he's going to sit alone in a hospital room."

"I'll go with you," Yamamoto offered with a warm smile.

"I'll go, too," Xanxus added. Tsuna smiled at the quick, fearful glance the older man sent in Nana's direction before nodding in agreement.

"Let's go," Tsuna said softly.

* * *

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" A voice growled from the entrance to Gokudera's hospital room. Gokudera looked up from the gun in his lap and looked at his boss with wide eyes. After Sakura had checked him over and confirmed the diagnosis, Dino had supplied him with it in order to protect himself while he was healing. He couldn't blame the man since they probably didn't want Gokudera to use bombs inside the hospital. 

But that hadn't been what he was thinking about while he had been staring at it.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" The Tenth repeated.

"I--" Gokudera stuttered in confusion. He'd only been looking at it!

"How am I supposed to get anything done without my Right Hand?" Tsuna asked unhappily. "You know what this means, right?"

"Tenth...?"

"It means you need to get your happy ass into a wheelchair and come home," Tsuna supplied while he walked over to Gokudera's bedside. "I've got a prison break and Hiko's punishment to plan. Plus, the Ninth sent me a load of paperwork to go over. If it's going to be done right, I'm going to need your input."

"You don't need me, Tenth," Gokudera mumbled. He flinched when a warm hand pushed hair out of his face before cupping his cheek. Looking up at his boss, he was surprised when the man leaned over and kissed his forehead in a loving gesture. When he sat down beside him, he felt incredibly pathetic and forced himself to look away from the compassion and caring he saw in his boss' eyes. There was no way that he could serve his boss like this. He'd only be a hindrance.

"Do you regret saving me?" The Tenth asked softly.

"No!" Gokudera blurted, his head snapping back up to look at his boss' face.

"Why?" He asked simply. "You might never be able to walk again."

"Because..." Gokudera paused, not understanding why the Tenth was asking. It should have been obvious. "Because you're the Tenth."

"Is that all?" His boss inquired sadly. "You saved me because someone said I was the Tenth?"

"No!" Gokudera blurted again, incredibly upset that his boss would think like that. "No, never! It's because you _are_ the Tenth. You're a strong and amazing boss and you've never let us down. You've given me so much, Tenth. I don't regret returning that at all!"

"But I failed you, Gokudera," the Tenth objected softly. "I did let you down." Gokudera's heart clenched in dismay when the Tenth turned away in shame. "If I hadn't been so carefree, I would have been able to notice Cress and react before you got shot. It's my fault that you can't walk now."

"Tenth..." Gokudera moaned when he saw tears in his boss' eyes.

"Can you forgive me?" He cried softly. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Gokudera. If you couldn't forgive me, I don't know how I'd live with myself. You've always believed in me when I couldn't even believe in myself. Even when I was weak, you always protected me. Without you, there's no way I could be the Tenth. I need you, Gokudera."

"Tenth..." Gokudera breathed with tears in his own eyes. He chuckled softly despite himself at the surge of devotion he felt welling up inside. "It's not fair," he cried softly around his laughter. "It's not fair how you always do that, Tenth. You turn everything upside down and it's not fair!"

"I'm just not afraid to tell the truth," the Tenth sniffed from where he continued to look at the floor in shame. "I really wouldn't be able to live with myself, Gokudera."

"But there's nothing I need to forgive, Tenth," Gokudera said after a moment. His boss' head snapped up in shock, completely misunderstanding his words. "You weren't the one holding the gun. C-Cress was," he explained. The Tenth nodded and bowed his head again.

"I killed him, Gokudera," he said simply.

"I know. Yamamoto told me," Gokudera confirmed quietly. "At first I was upset, but it's better that way. Right? He won't be taken by the Vendiche and he wouldn't have to live through being questioned. I think he would have preferred it that way."

"Ah," the Tenth agreed.

"I just..." Gokudera sighed tearfully. "I just don't know what I supposed to do now. How am I supposed to be a Right Hand in a wheelchair?"

"Is that why you were staring at this when I came in?" His boss asked carefully with a small gesture to the gun still in his lap. Gokudera nodded and looked away.

"I'm no good anymore, Tenth," he answered softly. "I have no purpose anymore." A sudden slap across his face made him gasp. He looked up at his boss' raised hand in complete shock. "You slapped me," he mumbled. It was the first time his boss had ever raised a hand to him. He didn't know how to react.

"And I'll do it again," the Tenth replied firmly. "Don't you ever say something like that again! I said it before, Gokudera, I'm not the Tenth without you! I need you with or without your legs! Who else is going to make sure I don't do anything rash? Who else is going to remind me to take care of myself? Who else..." He sighed and Gokudera stared at him blankly. "Who else is going to be my purpose to keep going?"

"Tenth..." Gokudera said in awe. He'd always hoped that he meant something to the Tenth. He'd always tried to think that he was important to him. He knew his boss appreciated him due to the praise he gave, but he'd never dreamed that he was so irreplaceable to him. The very thought sent another surge of instant devotion through him so strong that it made him want to shudder.

"Won't you still be my Right Hand, Gokudera?" His boss asked softly. "There's no one else that could do it."

"O-Of course, Tenth!" Gokudera exclaimed. Then reality hit him again and he mumbled, "I-If you really think I can even though I can't walk..."

"I think you'd be even more scary in a wheelchair," his boss replied firmly. "Imagine how much more dynamite you could carry!" While his boss chuckled at the joke, Gokudera started actually considering it.

"You're right, Tenth!" He exclaimed after a moment. The Tenth's jaw dropped in a combination of dismay, shock, and awe that Gokudera found all too familiar. Then his boss snapped his mouth shut in resignation when Gokudera started explaining how he could retrofit a chair for his needs.

"I'll go get the doctors to release you and grab a chair," his boss interrupted. "You can work on it at home so that the rest of the Family can keep you company."

"Alright, Tenth," Gokudera agreed readily. "I'll do my best to be the strongest Right Hand in history even without my legs! I'll make everyone know that no one messes with the Tenth because Hurricane Hayato is with him!"

"Sounds good," his boss encouraged with a wide smile. "Sounds very good."


	76. Chapter 76 New Perspective

"Damn, kid," Xanxus groaned. He stood up out of the rubble of the wall he'd been knocked through and rubbed his jaw. "I didn't mean to fucking piss you off."

"Then keep your damn jokes to yourself," Tsuna growled while he let his Flame falter back down. "That's my Right Hand that you're talking about. Show some respect." Behind them, Gokudera and Yamamoto watched in amusement. They'd all let the first wheelchair joke slide. They'd bristled at the second. Tsuna had personally took offense by the third. By the fourth, Xanxus had went flying through a wall.

"Me and respect have never been on speaking terms, brat," Xanxus growled in return.

"Then just don't speak," Tsuna replied while he tried to hide how bad his hand hurt from the punch. It had been a while since he'd hit anything full force without his gloves on. Even with the protection of his Flame, it _hurt_. Tsuna cursed when he saw Dino coming to investigate the loud crash.

"I should have known," Dino laughed. "You guys can't go anywhere without making a disturbance."

"Sorry," Tsuna apologized sheepishly. "I'll pay for the wall."

"Don't worry about it," Dino replied, waving away the offer. "So the doctors released Gokudera?"

"Ah," he confirmed while Xanxus tried to get the debris off his jacket. "We were just heading home, but someone needed to be spanked first."

"Who the fuck are you talking about?" Xanxus growled in warning. "It'll take more than that--"

"But that's done with," Tsuna interrupted. Xanxus' face screwed up in anger over being ignored, but thankfully stayed quiet. "Since you're here, do you have the list?"

"Sure do," Dino said. He pulled out a envelope from his jacket and handed it to Tsuna. Deciding to wait, Tsuna put it into his own jacket without looking at it yet. The Ninth had sent word via Iemitsu that it would be his job to inform each of the Families about the traitors in their ranks. It was part of the large amount of paperwork on his desk. The Ninth had sent all the information that their spies had gathered. He'd also sent updated reports on the continued anti-Mafia attacks. Other than the people that had been present the previous night, none of the other Families yet knew that it was an inside job. They suspected, but they didn't have proof.

Tsuna was going to give them proof. They could verify that proof by questioning their own traitors.

"I really hate this job sometimes," Tsuna groaned.

"What would you have done if you weren't doing this?" Dino asked curiously. Yamamoto and Gokudera's ears pricked up in interest and Tsuna smiled sadly.

"When I was younger, I didn't really have anything. You know how bad I was at school and sports," Tsuna admitted. "But I remember how kids always seemed to like me, so a few times I remember thinking in passing that it wouldn't be so bad to be a kindergarten teacher. But those days are long gone." He gave a sad laugh at his own words and ran a hand through his hair. Then he looked up and blushed at the incredulous and sympathetic looks he was getting. "But that's okay!" He amended. "I've got my Family now and--"

"It's okay, Tsuna," Dino chuckled. "I completely understand."

"We need to get going," Yamamoto interjected. "I'm sure Gokudera wants something other than hospital food for lunch."

"Please, Tenth," Gokudera begged pathetically. Tsuna laughed at his pouting look, knowing from experience how bad hospital food was.

"Lets go then," he agreed. "I've still got work to do, too." Tsuna led the group outside, trying not to look at Gokudera. The man probably didn't even know how important the heart-to-heart talk had been for Tsuna. He hadn't been lying when he had said he wouldn't have been able to live with himself. He'd meant it literally. He'd regretted his actions of the previous night when he found out that Gokudera had been paralyzed. From that moment on, his Flame had hid from him again, although he'd not shared that fact with anyone else out of fear. Gokudera's words had dispersed that regret and, in a way, it had rekindled his Flame. Using it to hit Xanxus had been more out of relief over it's return than anything.

Still, looking at him hurt. It made his heart clench in pain over the fact that it had been done to save his life. Yet, thanks to Gokudera, Tsuna realized he couldn't regret Cress' actions. Only his own. And his own action had only been to step out of the elevator without looking first. He'd been able to do that because Gokudera had been with him, so there was no way he'd regret trusting his friend.

Or so he told himself.

It was good though. His determination was renewed. Tsuna had to work harder to protect them instead of relying on them so much. His Family was important to him and he couldn't ever let them down again. Starting with making Gokudera happy. The only way Tsuna knew how to do that was to give him work that Tsuna repeatedly told him that only he could do. Yet it had to be work that could be done without needing to walk. In the end, the only thing Tsuna could come up with was planning the breakout of his three newest Family members. If he handed the whole thing over to Gokudera to plan, it would keep him busy until either Hotaru could heal him or until he got used to his new circumstances. After that, Tsuna would deal with it by going one step at a time.

Tsuna growled at Xanxus' chuckle when Gokudera ended up being forced to accept help into the car. It had been either that or end up fumbling like a fool for several minutes. Yamamoto lifted him out of his chair and carefully sat him in his seat all while Gokudera glared at everything he could see. The swordsman didn't have his cocky smile for once, though. Tsuna tried not to be too curious about the caring and worried look he saw shadow the man's face for a moment before he pulled back to collapse the wheelchair and put it in the trunk.

"You two go ahead," Tsuna ordered. "Me and Xanxus will call for another car." Yamamoto paused for a moment at the order, but he agreed after a quick glance at Xanxus. The swordsman probably thought Tsuna was trying to keep the foul-mouthed man away from Gokudera, but the truth was far different.

"Let's go get a drink," Tsuna said softly once the car pulled away.

* * *

Tsuna tried not to laugh at the look on Xanxus' face. It kept going from bewildered to angry. Bewildered over Tsuna drinking tea in a bar and angry over the fact that he refused to trade shots with the man. The two were sitting up in the VIP booth alone, albeit only in the nearby vicinity. Even at noon, the dance floor was crawling with people who worked nights and had just gotten off duty. Tsuna didn't doubt that the third floor was probably full, too, considering the movement of the Families had come to a standstill. Those that had come to support him from Italy were stuck in Namimori until the splinter cell was rooted out.

Which was the very reason Tsuna had wanted to come somewhere he could be relatively left alone to think. If he went home, he'd be too worried about how Gokudera was doing to focus. If he went home, the children of the house would want two weeks of missed playtime with him. If he went home, he would want to spend time with Haru and Hotaru. If he went home, his mother would make him sit down and eat endlessly until he regained the weight he'd lost over the past month. If he went home... The list was endless. It was enough to make him want to get himself an office outside of the estate, but that would defeat the purpose of having the Headquarters in the first place.

"If you weren't going to fucking drink, why the hell did we come here?" Xanxus grumbled. Tsuna blinked and looked up at him for a moment before answering.

"I wanted some peace and quiet to think," Tsuna replied. Xanxus barked a laugh at the irony of the statement. The house band was blaring in the background and the sound of numerous yelled conversations rang in their ears. It wasn't what one normally considered 'peace and quiet', but the mayhem of Tsuna's Family made it pall in comparison.

"You think too damn much, brat," Xanxus said in response.

"I don't think enough," Tsuna corrected softly. "I've got to get my head on straight for everything that needs to be done when we get back. Traitors, a prison breakout, injured Family, and a ton of paperwork. It makes me wish I was back in Italy with the Ninth."

"Speaking of Italy," Xanxus interjected. "Here." He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out Tsuna's gloves. With a small flick of his wrist, he tossed them onto the table for Tsuna to retrieve. "I'm heading back this afternoon. The old man wants me to lead the Varia on a few shitty missions. We're in charge of questioning the traitors after you contact the Allied Bosses. The old man should have sent you a report on it."

"It's probably part of the stack on my desk," Tsuna grumbled while he put his long-lost gloves back on. "Shouldn't be hard to find if he signed it officially. I'll check it out when we get back." Xanxus nodded in acceptance before tossing another shot back. Tsuna ignored him, too intent on test-firing his gloves for the first time in what felt like ages. Ever since he'd gotten his new pair, he'd not been without his gloves. The man probably didn't know how reassuring it was to once again have them on his hands.

"What were you going to do if you didn't get your Flame back, kid?" Xanxus inquired curiously.

"You noticed?" Tsuna asked with a sheepish blush.

"Not easy to miss," Xanxus confirmed. "It felt like I was walking next to a damn baby. No aura at all after that shitty meeting you had earlier. Usually you have at least a hint of one, even when you're passed out drunk."

"I would have just tried to make up for it somehow," Tsuna said with a sigh. "Although if anyone but you noticed, I might have been in trouble."

"I don't get you sometimes, kid," Xanxus mumbled in bewilderment. "You just accept things that no one in their right mind would fucking accept. Like your kid's quirks or your main man being taken down. Even becoming a powerless fruit doesn't fucking phase you. How the hell do you manage it without going berserk? I would have probably taken down a damn city by now if I were in your shoes."

"Very carefully," Tsuna answered softly. "If it weren't for my Family, I'd probably be long dead by now."

"Seriously?" Xanxus asked. When Tsuna nodded, he shook his head in wonder. "Makes me wish I'd been more particular about taking them out during the Ring Battles."

"So you would have won?"

"No," Xanxus corrected, "So you'd have learned to let yourself go nuts sometimes, kid."

"You've seen me when I go nuts," Tsuna reminded quietly. Xanxus raised an eyebrow and nodded at the memory of the two Havlock murders.

"You're right," he muttered. "I would have been fucking dead, wouldn't I?"

"Who knows," Tsuna temporized. "I was a different person back then. I still believed the world was full of good people."

"And now?"

"It's still full of good people," Tsuna answered with a sad smile. "I've just learned to see the darkness they hide." Xanxus let out a small chuckle at his words before quietly going back to the bottle he was slowly emptying. Tsuna let him while he returned to his own thoughts.

So little time, so many shadows to reach into.

* * *

Gokudera looked up from where he'd been reading over the blueprints to Giannini's hover-chair at the desk in one of the unused conference rooms. Reborn had been waiting with them the moment they returned from the hospital and Gokudera had immediately snatched up the offer of increased mobility. If he was going to still be the Tenth's Right Hand even without the ability to walk, he had to do everything he could to not be a hindrance. Finding a way to increase his mobility and speed was the first step of that. 

"A visitor?" Gokudera repeated blankly. His eyes widened in surprise when Sangia's head popped in the door behind Yamamoto.

"I tried the hospital, but they said you'd already went home," she explained with a bright smile. "I'm glad to see you're looking well." Yamamoto chuckled a bit at the blush that crossed his face. "What are you doing?" She asked curiously, walking over to him. Yamamoto raised an eyebrow and gave Gokudera a knowing smile before slipping out of the room. Once the door was shut, Gokudera turned back to the file he'd been reading over in effort to hide his reaction.

"J-Just some blueprints," Gokudera replied. She leaned over his shoulder to look and he tried to hide how flustered it made him. Girls usually made him want to snarl and run in disgust, but Sangia was different. She was a mafia woman. She was neither feather-headed nor weak minded. Yet her circumstances, once he'd heard about them, had made him want to protectively curl around her.

He didn't understand it _at all_.

"If you invert the flow regulators and add a two gauge filter here and here, you could increase the maximum speed output," she said with a gesture to the two points on the blueprints that she was referring to. Gokudera blinked and looked down at where she was talking about.

"Y-You're right," he mumbled in surprise. "If I add another here and add a--"

"Why are you working on a hover-chair, Gokudera," she interrupted softly. "Is it for a race?"

"It's not for a race," he admitted with a grimace. "I'm going to need it if I'm going to keep up with the Tenth." The look on her face suggested she didn't understand. When he gestured to the chair he was sitting in, however, she gasped in instant comprehension.

"I thought it was temporary, Gokudera! I'm so--"

"It's fine," Gokudera soothed with a sigh. "No one outside the Family really knows yet. The bullet hit my spine and severed several nerves along with shattering the bone. I'm actually pretty lucky. Any higher and I'd be breathing through a ventilator or dead. I'm actually not supposed to be out of the hospital yet, but the Tenth pulled a few strings for me."

"That's horrible," Sangia muttered tearfully. Gokudera looked at the tears in her eyes in shock. Mostly over the fact that they didn't disgust him. They weren't like the other tears that girls had when he turned them down. They were tears on his behalf. They weren't superficial tears; she truly understood what the injury meant. And she wanted to cry _for_ him, not _at_ him like other girls would have.

"I-It's really okay," Gokudera stuttered with another blush. "I'm coming to terms with it. The Tenth says he still needs me, so I'm just trying to think of ways to work around this."

"Can I help?" Sangia offered gently. Gokudera nodded in amazement when he saw herself push her tears away in effort to assist him. He was even more amazed when she proved that she knew a thing or two about quantum mechanics and anti-gravity propulsion. By the time the afternoon disappeared and they completely finished reworking the blueprints, Gokudera was flabbergasted.

"How did you learn to do all this?" He inquired with wide eyes. She smiled sadly at him from where she'd pulled a chair up beside him.

"Before Father pulled me to Italy, I was studying to be a scientist," she answered. "I wanted to prove the impossible possible. From the Theory of the existence of Dark Matter to Sinsanko's Theory on Nano-technological Autonomous Bioengineering. I wanted to prove the truth one way or another and get rid of some of the unknowns of the world."

"Wow," Gokudera mumbled.

"It's not that great," Sangia replied with a small flush turning her cheeks pink. "I couldn't decide what field to focus on, so I ended up learning about a bit of everything. Before Father interfered, I had six majors in the University and was working on signing up for a seventh. I-I didn't really have any friends or anything, so I just studied a lot."

"University?" Gokudera repeated.

"Kind of silly, huh?" Sangia chuckled. "Father pulled me out of a normal University when he made me go to Italy. And he completely destroyed my records in order to make it look like I was supposed to still be in high school. All that work I did ended up being wasted on his whim."

"It wasn't wasted," Gokudera blurted in effort to get rid of her sad expression. He turned red for a moment in amazement at himself. What was it about this girl that made him automatically want to make her happy? "It wasn't wasted," he repeated softly with his face still flushed. "You've helped me a lot because of it."

"Thank you," she said with a bright smile. All the blood rushing to his face made Gokudera instantly dizzy. He was barely able to respond when she stood and said her farewells. Gokudera looked at the door she'd just walked out of in complete incredulity.

Sangia was graceful and beautiful. She was smart and compassionate. She was a woman that had been forced into joining the mafia despite her own choices, yet she hadn't become bitter because of it. She'd learned to roll with the punches and make the best of her life.

She was strong.

"I think I'm in love," he mumbled to himself while he looked back down at the completed blueprints.

* * *

"Did you have fun?" Yamamoto chuckled knowingly when Gokudera finally wheeled himself back into the Family wing. 

"She was just helping me redesign my new chair," he growled defensively. "We weren't doing anything."

"I know," Yamamoto replied sadly. Gokudera tried to suppress a snarl at his words due to the way they reminded him of the extensive nature of his injury. Gokudera wouldn't have been able to do anything even if he wanted to. It wasn't only his legs he couldn't feel. It was everything below his ribs.

A loud crack from the backyard and a yell made both of their heads snap in that direction. Yamamoto darted past him although Gokudera wasn't far behind. Years of throwing dynamite came into good use in adding speed to his wheelchair. He cursed when Yamamoto jumped over the kotatsu in the living area, though, while Gokudera fumbled to navigate around it. Within seconds, he managed and wasn't far behind in chasing the swordsman out the back door to the deck.

They both paused in surprise at the scene outside. Lambo was stumbling around in a daze with his hair sticking up like he'd just been struck by lightening. Hotaru was nearby, staring at him in horror while Ken rolled around on the ground in laughter.

"Gotta--stay--calm," Lambo repeated in a litany while he tried to regain his balance.

"What the hell happened?!" Gokudera yelled. Everyone's heads snapped into his direction and he found himself with an armful of crying cow within several seconds. Smelling singed hair coming off the boy, Gokudera tried to control his irritation toward the weeping brat. "What happened?" He repeated. Gokudera bit his tongue to keep from wringing the little cow's neck when he didn't answer and continued to pour fat tears onto his shirt.

"He called lightening," Tsuna answered, walking up behind them. "I happened to see it from my office. Lambo actually called it down."

"Our Lambo?" Yamamoto asked in surprise, knowing how the kid no longer had access to his Ten-Year-Bazooka.

"Yup," Tsuna confirmed. "Although I'd like to know the whys and hows." He sent Ken a warning look that immediately sobered him up and brought him to the group with Hotaru trailing behind him. "I thought you were watching them, Ken," Tsuna scolded.

"Geez," he grumbled. "I was. Hotaru and Lambo were just talking and the next thing I knew, he got hit by lightening. How was I supposed to expect that? There isn't a cloud in the sky."

"Don't be mad, Papa," Hotaru begged before hiding behind Ken. Tsuna sighed and knelt down to his son.

"I'm not mad," he corrected. "I'm just a little worried. Lambo couldn't do that before. At least, not on purpose."

"Lambo-nii asked Hotaru how to use his green," Hotaru offered quietly from behind Ken's legs. "Hotaru didn't know his green would make a big boom. Lambo-nii's green is stronger than Hotaru's."

"Of course it is," Tsuna soothed. "You've got an equal amount of every color. Lambo only has one main color, so of course it's going to be stronger in proportion."

"Gotta stay calm," Lambo repeated again before sitting up in Gokudera's lap and wiping his tears away with a small, final shudder.

"Lambo, why did you try and do something so dangerous without someone supervising? You could have gotten hurt," Tsuna admonished.

"Lambo's invinc--"

"Don't start," Tsuna warned. "Do you think I want to see you hurt like Gokudera?" Lambo paused at the reminder and Tsuna tried not to show how painful it was for him to say something like that. But it was required to impress onto the boy that he wasn't invincible. If Gokudera, who he secretly looked up to, could be hurt, so could he.

"Tsuna took away all of Lambo's weapons," he sulked. "Lambo wanted a weapon that Tsuna couldn't take away."

"Why?" Yamamoto asked curiously. "Why do you want a weapon? Didn't you learn before how dangerous weapons were?"

"Lambo knows," he admitted. He ducked his head and slipped out of Gokudera's lap when everyone stared at him with hard and questioning expressions. Gokudera grabbed his arm when he tried to slip past and retreat into the house before answering.

"Why do you want a weapon, stupid-cow," Gokudera growled. He forced himself to bite his tongue again when tears started welling up in his eyes again. "Why?" Gokudera repeated.

"Because!" Lambo yelled suddenly. "Because I wanted to be able to protect big brother so that he doesn't get hurt anymore!" Gokudera let go of his arm in surprise and he immediately darted into the house, crying.

"Did he..." _just say what I think he said_, Gokudera mumbled quietly in shock. He returned his boss' and Yamamoto's compassionate looks with wide eyes.

"Looks like you're the reason Lambo becomes strong, Gokudera," Tsuna stated softly.

Gokudera just sat and stared at him for a very long time before his mind would finally wrap around his boss' words.


	77. Chapter 77 Spreading Insanity

"I don't believe you. No deal," the Deter Boss said over the video feed. Tsuna sighed and tried to hide his irritation at the Las Vegas crime lord. This was the fifth boss he'd been forced to deal with in order to complete his orders. Thankfully, he only had to deal with the Allied Family bosses. The Ninth had taken over negotiations with the Rival Family's trades, including the three other crime Families centered in the southern United States. Even though these were Allies, however, they weren't proving cooperative. Out of the other five he'd already talked to the same day, only the Russian Family had immediately given in and believed his words.

"So you're saying you're not willing to trade?" Tsuna asked. "I'll give you the names as soon as you agree to letting one of our men take over interrogation rights. I'm not asking for you to let him do it alone. You'd be free to have as many witnesses as you want."

"No," Deter growled again. "I'm saying that I don't believe any of my men are traitors. I don't care what your information says. My men are loyal and I won't let some wise-mouthed brat tell me different."

"You've got three traitors in your ranks, Deter!" Tsuna pleaded angrily at the screen. "If you don't make this trade, you're going to end up _face up _by morning." Deter's face contorted in rage, but he kept silent at Tsuna's next words. "I'm not some fool you're talking to, Deter," Tsuna warned. "Unless you think your information is better than Vongola's, I suggest you take my words seriously. We _will _question your men, but I'd rather do it with your agreement."

"What the hell is Vongola playing at?" He finally retorted. He looked up at someone off-camera and laughed. "Do you hear this, Eric? Vongola the Tenth is trying to fucking threaten me. ME!"

"Eric Yassler?" Tsuna moaned. He'd told the boss that the conference was supposed to be private. He'd specifically asked the man if he was alone and gotten assurances that he was. The man blinked in surprise and nodded at the camera on his end.

"Eric's my Right Hand. Why do--" The Deter Boss' eyes widened in instant understanding and looked again at the man off camera in sudden fear. The sound of a gun being cocked signaled the reason why. "Eric, what--?"

"Get out of there, Deter!" Tsuna yelled at the man. "You damn fool, he's--" Tsuna's words became frozen in his throat when the sound of gunfire signaled the point of no return. Deter lurched as three bullets hit his chest before he fell back into his chair dead. Another gunshot a moment later followed by a soft thud off-camera made Tsuna curse and stare at the screen in shock, knowing that one of their targets had just commited suicide.

In a rage, Tsuna put his fist through the screen holding the image of Deter's dead body where his talking face had been moments before. Tsuna had been there. He'd watched it happen. Even knowing that there hadn't been anything he could do, his helplessness made him angry and frustrated. Out of pique, he grabbed his chair and threw it out of the window behind his desk. The effort proved useless in calming him, however. He stared, panting, at the broken glass and wood in complete lack of satisfaction.

"Boss?" The guards at his door exclaimed in panic at the crash. He'd asked them to keep anyone from entering while he worked, but their duty to ensure his well-being had been triggered by the loud noises. They'd come running inside the room without hesitation to check on him. Tsuna sent them running back out with a single glare. Knowing that he needed to calm down for his Family's sake, he shakily reached into his desk drawer where he'd stashed his cigarettes and pulled one out. When he couldn't find a lighter, he took savage pleasure in using his gloves to get it lit.

"Sorry about the mess," Tsuna grumbled when he walked passed the two guards on his door. They merely raised their watched him walk past with wide eyes. Those same eyes where mirrored when Tsuna passed through the Family wing, still smoking, on his way to get his coat from where he'd left it in the Guardian's parlor. They became even more shocked when he snarled at their questions and ignored them.

He wasn't happy at all.

"I'm going for a walk," he yelled a moment before the front door slammed behind him. He tried not to get irritated at the vehicle he noticed shadowing him after a single block. They were only looking out for his well-fare. Even so, he was angry and frustrated and just wanted to be left alone for once. With a growl to himself, Tsuna tossed his cigarette to the side, knowing he had several more in his pocket, and boosted himself into the air with his gloves. Within minutes, he was completely outside Namimori and into the mountains.

It was a relief when he finally set down at his old haunt in Death Mountain. If absolutely needed, his Guardians or Reborn should know where to find him. Other than that, Tsuna liked the thought of no one knowing where he was. For the first time in ages, Tsuna was absolutely, completely alone without a single person within at least five miles.

He hated it.

He realized it after walking aimlessly for half an hour while he smoked. Too used to constant noise and activity around him, the silence of the mountain was deafening. Even so, he didn't want to go back. Not yet. He sat down on a rock outcropping near where he'd swallowed a Rebuke Bullet for his Trial so long ago and looked at the still barren circle while he thought.

Deter was dead. He'd been killed in front of him by the man he'd trusted most. Nothing Tsuna could do would change that. Even figuring out the murderer's reasoning was impossible since he, too, was dead. Whether Deter had already chosen an heir or not, he didn't know. What he did know is that the Ninth wouldn't be happy that the murder had taken place while Tsuna was in conference with him. It would take some tricky cover-up work to erase the call from the records as well as get their hands on the traitors for questioning. But that wasn't the reason he was so upset.

Why?

It was the single-most asked question that went through Tsuna's mind since he'd taken up his role as Vongola the Tenth. Why was bloodshed the ultimate way to deal with things? Why was fear more powerful than caring in making people do the right thing? Why was greed more useful than love in gaining power? Why was loyalty such a slippery thing at times? Why was trust so fragile and easily broken?

He asked himself endlessly while he smoked in effort to calm his heart.

Why?

Neither the empty mountain or the cigarette in his hands gave him any answers.

* * *

"What happened?" Gokudera gasped when he wheeled himself up next to where Yamamoto was standing amid the destruction in their boss' office. 

"Dunno," Yamamoto replied. "Iemitsu's trying to find out, but looks like Tsuna's pretty upset about something."

"The Tenth did this?" He asked with wide eyes.

"That's what the guys who were guarding his door said." Yamamoto went over and picked up the remains of Tsuna's flat-screen monitor that was used for video conferencing. "Something tells me his call didn't go well."

"It didn't go well at all," Iemitsu agreed when he walked into the room. Gokudera looked up at him in askance while the man ran a hand through his hair to collect his thoughts. "The boss of the Deter Family was just found dead in his office along with his Right Hand. From the looks of it, it was a murder-suicide."

"Wasn't Tsuna supposed to be contacting the bosses about the traitors today?" Yamamoto asked in surprise.

"Ah," Iemitsu confirmed. "He was making the calls today. That's the only reason he'd put guards on his door. Although, from the look of this room, I have a feeling that something went wrong."

"Did word maybe get out that the Tenth had a list of traitors and someone moved on Deter before he could call?" Gokudera suggested.

"I have a feeling Tsuna was probably in the middle of the call when the traitor made his move," Yamamoto sighed. "If I remember the list right, Deter's Right Hand was on it."

"Shit," Gokudera cursed in comprehension. "Even if the Tenth requested privacy, a boss wouldn't normally force his Right Hand away."

"So when Tsuna named him..." Iemitsu continued in instant understanding. "I'll contact the Ninth and let him--"

"Sir," a black-suited man interrupted urgently. "We have a problem."

"What now?" Gokudera growled.

"It's the Tenth, sir," he replied, coming to stiff attention. "We were following him like you requested, but he..."

"What?!" Gokudera yelled when the man trailed off.

"He flew away, sir," the man finished in awe.

"Don't worry about it," Yamamoto ordered. "He probably just wanted to be left alone. I think I know where he probably went, so there shouldn't be any risk to his safety. A few bears wouldn't bother him like it used to."

"Y-Yes, sir," the man said before retreating.

"Where did he go?" Iemitsu asked curiously.

"There's only one place the Tenth could go to be alone," Gokudera answered with a sigh. "Somewhere too scary for normal people to go into and bother him, but also a place that he knows intimately."

"Ah," Yamamoto agreed with a smile. "He's been there enough in the past that he probably knows every rock and tree."

"Where?" Iemitsu prompted.

"Death Mountain," the two Guardians replied in unison.

* * *

Nearly two hours passed before Tsuna returned calmly to the estate. 

"I know," he sighed at the anxious Guardian waiting inside the door while he hung his jacket up. "I shouldn't have went off by myself, but I needed to get some air."

"You could have at least warned us," Yamamoto admonished. Tsuna shrugged non-commitally before heading for his office.

"What's wrong with wanting to be alone for once?"

"There's nothing wrong with it, Tsuna," Yamamoto replied in exasperation. "But we were worried sick about you. You weren't acting like yourself."

"Maybe I'm not who you think I am anymore," he said softly, making Yamamoto stop in his tracks.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked before reaching out and jerking Tsuna to a halt.

"Nothing," Tsuna mumbled without looking at him. For some reason, Tsuna's sulking, quiet attitude made Yamamoto want to smack him. He even clenched his fists from the desire. "Are you going to hit me, Yamamoto?" Tsuna asked, sensing how the swordsman was tensing up.

"Do you need to be hit?" He growled in return.

"No," he mumbled sadly while he once again started walking toward his office. "I think I've taken enough blows today."

"Tsuna..." Yamamoto moaned mournfully while his body loosened up.

"It's alright," Tsuna soothed quietly. He paused in the hallway and looked up at Yamamoto with pain-filled eyes. "I can still trust you, can't I?"

"What are you thinking, Tsuna?" Yamamoto inquired, feeling heartache to match his friend's. "Of course you can still trust us. We're Family, aren't we?"

"Family," Tsuna repeated with a sad laugh. "That word doesn't seem to mean much lately." Yamamoto froze at his words and silently watched him continue to his office alone.

"What's wrong with you?" Ryohei asked several minutes later when he walked up behind him. "You've been standing there for a while now. Whoa, are you crying?" Yamamoto turned and looked at the boxer with wide eyes. Reaching up to touch his own face, Yamamoto realized that he was indeed crying. He had been for a while. "Are you okay?" Ryohei asked worriedly.

"Ah," Yamamoto sniffed while he wiped his face with his sleeve. "I'm fine. When did you get back?"

"Just now," the boxer answered. "I was just on my way to show little bro that I got my face back."

"I-I see," Yamamoto replied while he cursed the tears continuing to run down his face.

"Hey now," Ryohei said with another worried look. "You don't look like you're fine."

"I--" Yamamoto tried to say, but a sudden, uncontrollable sob stopped him. He covered his face to hide his tears and tried to stop the trembling that started going through his body. He didn't fight when Ryohei pulled him into a supportive embrace.

"This isn't like you," Ryohei mumbled into his ear while he rubbed his back soothingly. "I've only seen you hit your limit once or twice and it took something really extreme. Lets go get a drink and you can tell me what happened," he suggested. Yamamoto pulled away and sniffed while he once again tried to stop his tears. With a nod of agreement, he followed the man into the Guardian's parlor where Gokudera was sitting on the floor, propped up with several supportive pillows, with parts to his new chair strewn out about him.

"What happened?" The silver-haired man asked immediately upon seeing Yamamoto's red eyes. Yamamoto collapsed into the couch while Ryohei went over and grabbed a bottle that the swordsman had only touched on a few rare occasions. It wasn't until he drank half the glass Ryohei poured him that he felt calm enough to talk.

"It's Tsuna," he said with another sniff. "These traitors are starting to get to him. He...He's questioning whether he can even trust his Family anymore."

"No wonder you seemed shell-shocked," Ryohei gaped.

"You can't really blame the Tenth," Gokudera said from where he'd returned to working on his chair. "Deter's Right Hand betrayed him and even we had Cress turn traitor."

"But this is Family he's starting to--" Ryohei paused, finally understanding the problem. "Cress was Family, too, wasn't he? I heard how he was executed for betraying the Family. And Deter's Right Hand must have been like a brother, but he still turned on his boss."

"We've got to find out why these people are turning on their Families," Yamamoto interjected. "It can't be just something simple like poor choices with good intentions."

"I've been thinking about that, too," Gokudera piped up. Yamamoto looked at him and tried not to laugh at the streak of grease that was on his face. With his hair pulled back so that he could work and a screwdriver in his hand, he looked like a grease-monkey right out of a car garage. "Cress took care of us for two years," he continued obliviously. He gestured with his screwdriver to emphasis his point. "And I saw a recording of his last conversation with the Tenth, but something about it doesn't feel right about it. I can't see him suddenly turning on us and trying to kill the Tenth for something so simple like trying to save him. He was like a father to me, but he didn't hesitate at all when I got in the way. Plus, if he'd really wanted to stop the bloodshed, he'd have done something else. I mean, how can it be considered saving if we're dead?"

"It's pretty ironic to use bloodshed to end bloodshed," Yamamoto agreed.

"Extreme brainwashing?" Ryohei suggested. Yamamoto and Gokudera shrugged, unable to come up with a better theory.

"If it is, then there's all the more reason for the Tenth to not trust even us," Gokudera said while he went back to calibrating the small engine in his hands. Yamamoto tried not to gasp when he fumbled and dropped it on one of his legs. "It's probably a good thing I can't feel that," Gokudera said in open amusement.

"What do you mean you can't feel that?!" Ryohei gasped with wide eyes. "That thing sounded like it was pretty heavy!"

"I can't feel it," Gokudera replied absently while he picked the engine back up. "While you were getting your face rearranged, I got shot. My legs are pretty much for show now."

"What!" Ryohei exclaimed.

"Didn't anyone tell you?" Yamamoto asked after another sip of his drink. Ryohei shook his head while he continued staring at Gokudera's legs in shock. "That's why Cress was executed. His betrayal was aiming at Tsuna, but Gokudera got in the way."

"I've got to stop disappearing," Ryohei muttered while he ran a hand through his hair in effort to get his brain working again. "Every time I go away for a little bit, I come back to something extreme. Someone, please, just give me the long version now."

With soft chuckles, Yamamoto and Gokudera did.

* * *

"Can you repeat that?" Tsuna asked in shock. Upon returning to his office, he'd ordered a new video monitor installed and had the broken window curtained off. After that, he'd called the Nubo boss in effort to return to his assignment. 

"After today, the Nubo gang is no more," the boss repeated. "We're turning all of our assets over to charity and have decided to confess our crimes to the police. So, traitors don't really matter."

"Wait, wait," Tsuna said while he rubbed his head in confusion. "You're disbanding your Family? Can you even do that?"

"Don't know," Nubo laughed. "But all of us agree. The bloodshed has got to end."

"But you know that turning yourselves in won't stop it," Tsuna objected. "What you're planning is crazy!"

"Maybe not just turning ourselves in," Nubo agreed. He smiled widely and continued, "That's why we're confessing about all our dealings with the other Families, too."

"Don't joke," Tsuna warned in instant panic. "You know you're a dead man if you break the Omerta and talk to outsiders."

"That's fine," Nubo replied, making Tsuna sit back in his chair with wide eyes. "If I have to die so that the bloodshed can be closer to ending, so be it. Now, if that's all, I've got to go finish liquidating all the gang's assets, Vongola the Tenth."

"Nubo, wait--!" He yelped, but the transmission cut off regardless of his words. Tsuna stared at the blank monitor for a few minutes before calling for his father. When Iemitsu arrived, Tsuna was sitting in his chair smoking again with shaking hands.

"What's wrong, son?" Iemitsu asked worriedly.

"H-Have you talked with the Ninth recently, dad?" Tsuna asked while he began dialing for the man anyway.

"I did earlier," he replied. Tsuna ignored him while he yelled at the operator to connect him to the Ninth's office. "What's wrong, son?" Iemitsu repeated in surprise.

"The Nubo Gang disbanded. They--" Tsuna shook his head, unable to explain, and took another long drag off his cigarette while he grabbed his wrist in effort to stop his hands from shaking.

"Tsunayoshi," the Ninth asked in open panic over the speakerphone the moment they were connected.

"It's me, Ninth," Tsuna said. "What the hell's going on?"

"You, too?" The old man inquired. "I've had two bosses shot while I was talking to them and another four claim that their whole Family wants to turn themselves in en masse."

"Same here," Tsuna confirmed. "We lost Deter and Nubo is disbanding."

"This is insane," the Ninth mumbled. "There's too many for us to control this. I'm sending out warnings to the Allied Families while we speak, but I fear that the mafia as a whole has been infected with this sudden outbreak of...of whatever it is."

"I'm returning to Italy, Ninth," Tsuna blurted. "We can't be spread out like we are right now. We're sitting ducks for a police raid. I'm not going back to prison."

"No, Tsunayoshi," he replied. "Head for Mafia-land. It's protective barriers are better than Headquarters and it can be moved. If needed we can hide there until we get control of the situation. I'll recall the Varia before I head there myself."

"Yes, sir," Tsuna agreed. "I'll be on my way as soon as I get the Family together."

"Get to it," the Ninth ordered before hanging up. Tsuna looked up at his father with wide eyes.

"This is bad," he said simply. "This is very bad."


	78. Chapter 78 Decoy

The three Guardians watched with wide eyes while Tsuna rushed across the parlor, cursing continuously with a cigarette still absently hanging from his mouth. They were even more surprised when he hit the secret panel in the wall to expose a cache of weapons.

"What's wrong, Tenth?!" Gokudera exclaimed first.

"No time," he yelled while he snatched up a thigh-holster and began strapping it on. "Get everyone together. We're leaving. Dad's already left to get Bluefin prepped along with a carrier and I've already got Reborn going after Hibari. Yamamoto, go grab the rest of the Family and start heading that way. Be sure to take your sword. Ryohei, go round up everyone from below and have them meet me out back. Gokudera, I'm putting you in charge of gathering up Cheri, Pink, and Sangia. Bring only them. Tell them to have their escorts report to their home bases. Grab Hana, too, Gokudera. We'll go get Dino and Lanchia as soon as I'm done out back. I'll stop by Club 27 on my way through, too."

"Wha--" They blurted in unison.

"Just go!" Tsuna yelled in panic. "We're pulling out of Japan. There's no time to explain. Grab _everyone_ and just go!" They finally seemed to sense his urgency and started moving. Yamamoto dashed off into the depth of the house after helping Gokudera back into his wheelchair. Ryohei darted for the elevator in his room. Tsuna rushed out into the backyard once he had two spare guns strapped to his legs, knowing that he had to get the kids out of there before the subordinates of the underground facility started showing up. Haru's eyes widened when he came running out openly armed.

"Ha-hi?" She exclaimed.

"No time," he repeated while he tried to get himself to calm down so that she wouldn't panic. "Yamamoto's waiting for you inside. Please take the kids and go with him." She opened her mouth to speak, but he put a finger to her lips in warning. "No time," he said again. "Just please, take Hotaru and the kids and go." Tsuna paused and looked down at where Hotaru began to cry in Haru's arms. Tsuna tossed his cigarette away, having finally realized it was still in his mouth, and gently kissed his forehead.

"It's okay, Hotaru," he attempted to soothe. "Papa's not going to let anything bad happen. I'll be following behind you in a little while." As if to help when the little boy kept crying, Yamamoto darted out the back door and snatched up Lambo and I-Pin before they could even squeal. At Tsuna's encouraging gesture, Haru trailed behind him with Hotaru still wailing in her arms. She shot a worried glance behind her before she disappeared into the depths of the house.

The moment they were gone, Tsuna lit himself a fresh cigarette and steeled himself against what he was about to have to do. He couldn't leave a single person behind, but he also couldn't chance bringing traitors along with him. That left only one option. He clenched his eyes shut against the knowledge and tried to summon a breath of ice to his heart. The hitman inside him answered the call and by the time his subordinates started showing up, he was able to look at them with a bored and smiling facade.

"This is all of them," Ryohei confirmed while he walked up next to him. Tsuna nodded and looked out over the assembly from the raised deck.

"I want to open discussion on something very important," Tsuna lied. "Several of our sister Families have decided to mend their ways and I'd like to know how many of you would be interested in Vongola joining the ranks of those turning themselves in. Don't worry," Tsuna soothed when several people bristled. "I promise I'll be fair in hearing your reasons. If you think I should turn myself in to the police, please, come up here and tell me why. I'd be happy to listen to whatever you have to say. I've been thinking about it and there really is no reason that life has to continue like it has been."

Tsuna wanted to bite his own lying tongue even though he hadn't said a single lie other than his opening statement. He would be fair in hearing their reasons. He would be happy to listen to them. And when he said there was no reason for life to continue how it had been, he meant it. Just not in the way his subordinates probably thought. After listening to their reasons, life wouldn't continue how it'd been because the traitors would be dead.

He managed to keep his smile plastered on his face while no less than eight people hesitantly walked up toward him. He managed to keep his smile plastered on while he listened to their insane reasoning and joyous pleas. He managed to keep his smile plastered on while he asked again if anyone had anything to add. When no one did, the smile finally left his face.

"Forgive me," he whispered sadly while he drew his weapon and fired into the chest of the nearest traitor at point-blank range. The other seven instantly understood the error of their ways and began to run. By the time the first man hit the ground, all eight were dead.

"Boss...?" The rest of the group asked hesitantly.

"Forgive me," Tsuna repeated to the group. "We're pulling out of Japan and I had to ensure that anyone who was compromised was dealt with first. I apologize for scaring any of you. You should all know how hard this is for me, but the situation is pretty bad right now. I need everyone to grab only what you can't wait to retrieve later and report to the carrier waiting at the airport. Someone please put the mansion on lock-down once it's empty and get these bodies stored before the plane takes off. You've got two hours to report before the plane leaves without you."

"Boss...?" They repeated without a single look of comprehension.

"The mafia as a whole is under attack from within," he explained with a sigh. "Numerous Families have had their boss taken out by their own members. Other Families have suddenly decided to turn themselves in. I've got confirmation from the lips of one of the latter that they plan to spill everything they know about their inter-Family dealings. It's some kind of mass insanity that seems to be catching. These eight were compromised. I'm sure they are happier being dead than betraying their Family. Wouldn't you be?"

"I would be," Ryohei said firmly. Tsuna nodded in agreement before once again turning to the gathering of Vongola.

"We're heading to meet up with the Ninth and the rest of the Family. We're short on time, so please hurry," he announced. "Dismissed." While the gathering tried to organize themselves, Tsuna turned to Ryohei. "Let's go," he mumbled. "You go get Dino and Lanchia and I'm going to go have a repeat performance at Club 27. Only bring Lanchia and his boss and Dino with Romario, though. Bluefin is already going to be cramped with everyone already on board, as is the carrier. Tell Dino to have his men scatter and retreat on their own. Same thing goes for anyone else in Lanchia's Family that might be here in Japan."

"Ah," Ryohei agreed.

* * *

Tsuna barely noticed how his plane had been gutted in order to fit everyone. The entertainment facilities and the wet-bar were completely missing from the entrance cabin when he finally stepped inside behind Uhura and Lamprey. Seeing Ryohei and Gokudera inside, he assumed that everyone had already been gathered. Several people started to rush toward him, but he held up a hand in warning before heading toward the cockpit. 

"We can't get clearance to take off, sir," the pilot said the moment he entered. "We've been ordered to cut our engines and prepare to be boarded."

"Shit," Tsuna cursed. "They've already caught up. I was hoping that we moved fast enough. Go ahead and bust your way out if you have to. Just get this plane off the ground."

"Sir," the copilot said in warning. Tsuna looked out the front windows of the plane to see several vehicles pull onto the other end of the runway.

"Damn!" He yelled before instantly controlling himself. "Give me a few minutes. When I signal, push through whatever is in your way. Just get this plane to Mafia-land."

"Yes, sir," the man replied. Tsuna nodded and walked back out into the main cabin.

"We've got company," he told the anxious gathering. "I'm going to go delay them, but expect a rough takeoff."

"What about you?" Gokudera gasped from where Yamamoto had strapped him onto a couch.

"I'll catch up," Tsuna answered softly. "The back cabin is set up for mid-flight transfers. Make sure no one is in there so when I open the top hatch, no one gets hurt."

"I'll take care of it, son," Iemitsu promised. Tsuna nodded and took a moment to kiss his beloved Haru who was hovering worriedly next to him.

"I love you," Tsuna mumbled in her ear before darting out the hatch. He push it closed behind him before anyone could give chase, knowing that he was being incredibly reckless in attempting to do this alone. Yet, he couldn't let any of his Family be hurt for his sake when he could do something to stop it. Tsuna looked at the vehicles as they pulled to a stop around the plane and began disgorging men in assault suits bearing rifles.

He clenched his eyes shut for a moment while he ignored their orders to give himself up. When he opened them again, the Dying Will Flame lit on his head and he started moving. Spreading a flame-shield out before him, he caught all the bullets that might have hit the plane before anyone inside could get hurt. He could faintly hear panicked yells from within before the sound was covered by the first explosion caused by him bodily ramming into one of the vehicles blocking the plane's path.

The vehicle rolled to the side in a partially melted lump of metal and flame, crashing to a stop against one of the hangar walls. Dodging bullets, he managed to get the three other vehicles out of the way without killing anyone. Effortlessly, he hovered in front of the nose of the plane and signaled for the pilot to take off. Then, without hesitation, he dashed back to ground level in order to take the focus of the assault force while the plane began to move. The moment it was completely out of the hangar, Tsuna put up a wall of zero-point ice to block any stray rounds that the armed authorities might choose to send in effort to stop the plane.

He continued to take their focus while simultaneously trying to not kill anyone. It was incredibly difficult with the rain of lead continuously raining in his direction. The whine of the plane's engine from the other side of the ice barrier signaled his Family gaining freedom. With a sigh of relief, he blew through the wall of ice and resealed it behind him. Black-geared men pounded on the other side, trying to break through to pursue, but found themselves trapped within the walls of the hangar.

Tsuna started to give chase to the plane, but the sound of gunfire in the distance made him pause. For the first time since things had started to go wrong, Tsuna hesitated. He could retreat with his Family or go save the carrier full of lower-tiered subordinates. Haru's face flashed through his mind a moment before he made the only decision he could.

He went to save the carrier.

When he arrived across the airfield at the hangar holding the troop carrier, Tsuna paused again to assess the situation before he was seen. The authorities had pulled a semi-truck in front of the hangar to block the path out and his men were in a shootout with the raid squads. Deciding that the first step was to unblock the plane, Tsuna flew several hundred feet in the air before diving. He faintly heard screams and yells of surprise when the semi exploded upon the impact. The fires were mirrored in his eyes while he careful stood out of the flaming wreckage.

"Boss!" Someone yelled, bringing recognition to the awe-struck gathering. Tsuna ignored the words and focused on pushing the two broken halves of the truck out of the way of the plane. He ignored the flames that licked his already tattered clothes and tried to turn his skin into tinder. Had it not been for the protective nature of his own inner Flame, Tsuna would have been dead within moments from the Flames. As it was, the heat stole his breathe and the smoke brought tears to his eyes.

He gasped in relief when the last half of the over sized vehicle finally gave and skidded away. With a glance, he realized that his subordinates had been covering for him while he worked. Several had been cut down with bullet wounds in their chests or heads. Even more continued to fight, while trying to recover those that could still be saved.

"Go!" Tsuna ordered before charging into the midst of their enemies. Guns began pointing his way when he managed to knock out a half dozen men within several seconds. Yet even more seemed to take their place. Sweating with effort, Tsuna poured his Flames out to snatch the bullets he couldn't dodge and dodged the bullets he could. Men began dropping left and right, victims of friendly fire, while Tsuna became a whirlwind of heat and Flame and strikes.

"Boss!" A man yelled from the hatch in warning. Tsuna spared a glance to see that his men had understood his order and retreated into the plane.

"Get out of here!" Tsuna yelled in return after sending a blow into yet another armed man's gut. The group was starting to organize themselves against him, he noticed. No longer were bullets flying in panic. Every shot was fired at him in an angle that would make it impossible to hit a friend. Tsuna backed away and a corner of his mind saw how his man at the plane's hatch was hesitating. "Get the hell out of here, now!"

"What about--!"

"Go, now!" He ordered. "I'll follow." Unfortunately, the conversation with the man distracted him for a single moment. The men he was fighting were well trained. They didn't let the moment slip away without sending a hail of bullets in his direction. Tsuna saw it almost too late to save himself. He barely managed to flare his flame shield in time to catch the ones aimed for his chest and head. Two still managed to get through, however, along the spreading edges of his Flames. Tsuna felt the impact in his leg and shoulder within a heartbeat of each other before the shield spread enough to cover him in entirety.

"That's going to hurt later," he groaned to himself. Adrenaline was the only thing that kept him from succumbing to the pain. Ignoring it, he limped backwards in response when the men started attempting to surround him. From their actions, they had decided he was the greatest threat and were completely ignoring the plane that had finally started moving.

Which was exactly what Tsuna wanted.

He continued to limp backwards in the plane's wake with his flame-shield blocking the hesitant and testing bullets fired in his direction. By now, the armed men were confident since they'd managed to hit him, yet were still being careful due to his strange ability. Tsuna planned to show them one more strange ability the moment he stood in the door of the hangar with the armed men still inside and the plane speeding down the runway behind him. At the first opening, Tsuna dropped his flame for a single instant in order to transition into the Zero-Point state for the third time. He heard a gasp of sudden recognition when the Flames left him for a moment before surging back to life.

"S-Sawada...?" The man who recognized him asked without lowering his weapon. "Sawada Tsuna from Class 2-A?"

""Don't let your guard down, Keishi," another man warned.

"But that's No-Good Tsuna! He--"

"Chubby Kei?" Tsuna asked despite himself.

"Yeah, that's me, Tsuna," Keishi replied without lowering his weapon. "It's Officer Keishi now, though. Why don't you put out those fires and we can go downtown and catch up on old times? You've been forced to do this, right? It's all a big misunderstanding. We can get it cleared up--"

"I'm sorry, Kei," Tsuna interrupted softly. "I'm not the Tsuna you used to know."

"What are you talking about?" Keishi yelled. "Weren't you innocent--"

"Keishi!" Another officer yelled in warning. "You just saw him wipe out most of our team. Those men on the plane were calling him Boss. Don't be fooled."

"You should listen to them, Kei," Tsuna agreed softly. Tsuna shook his head to himself and realized he was wasting time. The wounds in his leg and shoulder were bleeding freely and Tsuna had a feeling that it was the blood-loss making him so content to stand and just talk.

With a grimace to himself, Tsuna lit his free hand with the hottest Flame he could make before touching it to each of the wounds in turn without lowering his guard. Even having mentally prepared himself for it, he grunted in pain when his flesh burned around where he'd been pierced and the blood turned to an ashen crust to seal the wounds tenuously closed.

Tsuna looked at the man on the other side of his flame shield sadly when he was done. Once, they'd been classmates. Keishi used to be one of the people that would tease him about being No-Good, just like everyone else. Yet, Tsuna knew that as a boy, he'd done it only to cover his own hurt at being called 'Chubby Kei'. Looking into the clear, bullet-proof mask of his helmet, he saw pain in the man's eyes once again. That pain was mirrored in Tsuna's eyes like it had been in school.

Things could have been so different between them. They could have shared their pain and become Family together. Instead, they were standing with Kei on the side of the civil servants and Tsuna on the side of mafia servants. It was cruel fate. Tsuna had known his classmates had grown up just like he had. He'd feared the day he might have to stand across from one just like this.

"Give yourself up, Tsuna," the man begged. "You can still get out of this alive."

"I can't, Kei," he replied. He limped back a few steps and noticed that the plane was long gone. "I'm still getting out of here, Kei. Why don't you come with me? I could use a man like you in the Family."

"You know I can't do that," Keishi replied with his eyes growing cold.

"Something told me you'd say that," Tsuna mumbled while he stumbled another few steps backward in preparation. The sound of sirens behind him signaled backup for the assault team and Tsuna realized he was out of time. "Goodbye, Kei. I hope you stay well," he called.

The men tensed at the words, automatically knowing he was going to try something from his words. Yet the wall of ice that sprang up between them was the last thing they could have ever expected. Tsuna paused and braced himself against it for a moment while he panted. He could hear Keishi faintly yelling from the other side, but he turned away sadly and glanced at the vehicles quickly approaching.

"I'm out of shape," he groaned to himself before boosting himself into the air and heading in the direction that the plane had went. By the time he caught up with the carrier, Tsuna was already feeling faint from the combination of exhaustion, blood loss, and the incredibly thin air. It would have been impossible for him to attempt to catch up with the Bluefin despite only the few minutes difference between the two planes.

He wanted to cry in relief when the loading dock at the tail of the plane started to creep open for him. Before it opened more than a few feet, Tsuna dived inside and his Flame faltered before he even landed. The pain from his wounds finally hit him when his Flame no longer stood between him and it. The force of it overwhelmed him while he was still midair and several men jumped forward to catch him when he landed with a rolling crash. Clenching his eyes shut from the agony in his leg and shoulder, he groaned from the pain caused from even the slightest movement. Seeing his condition, the man who had caught him yelled for a medic and within seconds one came rushing forward.

"Tsuna!" Sakura yelled over the wind. While the doctor knelt down next to him, the loading dock finally ground closed. Near silence descended into the massive holding area full of Mafiosos. The only sound that could be heard was Tsuna's labored pants and the whine of the engines. Tsuna gasped when his leg was jarred from Sakura ripping the remains of his pants away from his wounded leg. "What happened, Tsuna?" Sakura moaned, looking at the charred flesh.

"I got shot," Tsuna hissed through clenched teeth. "It was bleeding, so I had to close it."

"I have to treat it," Sakura informed him with a grimace. "It's going to be a few hours before we reach Mafia-land, but we can't leave the bullet--"

"Just do it," Tsuna interrupted with another soft hiss. "I don't need the details."

"It's going to hurt," he warned. "I've already used all my anest--"

"Just do it," he growled. Sakura nodded and gestured for four large and burly men to come forward. At his direction, they pinned Tsuna to the floor of the plane while Sakura dug into his bag for what he'd need.

"Here," Sakura offered, shoving a soft yet firm bar into his mouth. "Bite on that." Taking the advice, Tsuna bit. He understood the need when Sakura started digging into his leg to retrieve the bullet still lodged inside. Agony spiked up his leg and into his body, making him scream around the bar gagging him and lurch in the hands of the men aiding the doctor.

"Bite down!" Sakura yelled over him. "Hold him still!" Within a minute, Sakura pulled the bullet free and began sewing the wound shut. Doing his best to cope with the pain, he sagged in relief when the doctor began wrapping it in gauze.

Then he straddled Tsuna's chest and ripped away the tattered shirt around his shoulder. Once again, Tsuna tried and failed to silence the cry that automatically rose up from the sharp movement. Once again, he lurched despite himself when Sakura began digging in the wound with surgical tongs. Once again tears of relief were in his eyes when Sakura pulled away with the blood-soaked bullet in his care.

With that, the pain finally eased enough that Tsuna gratefully welcomed the darkness and blacked out before Sakura could even place the first stitch.


	79. Chapter 79 Assembly

Author's notes: Look out! Writer on a rampage! I can always tell when I'm rampaging since I don't stop writing until I run out of cigarettes. LOL My fingers went walking on this chapter, too, so it should flow better than the previous ones in certain places. When I say my fingers when walking, I mean it. My brain only connects with them for a few seconds and the parts literally write themselves. IIRC, the last one my fingers went walking on was Xanxus and Tsuna getting smashed...wait, maybe one since then. Sheesh, I need sleep, I'm babble-typing again...

Notes to self: Edit Author's notes later when I have a brain to work with.

* * *

Tsuna woke to the whine of the engines still ringing in his ears. With a groan, he sat up out in the cot someone had tucked him into and tried not to grimace at the spasm in his shoulder and leg from the movement. 

"Here, boss," a black suited man said gently while he walked up with a pair of pants for him. Tsuna forced himself not to blush when the sight made him realize he was naked under the blanket over him. "You're old clothes were too damaged to be saved," the man explained. "Damiano is your size, though. He said he didn't mind giving you his after how you saved us, boss." The man chuckled when Tsuna looked at the pants hesitantly. "Don't worry boss," he continued. "These are spares he brought with him."

Tsuna sighed and accepted them gratefully at the assurance. He ended up leaning on the man's arm while he put them on in effort to keep pressure off his leg. After that, the man supplied him with his freshly cleaned weapons and his other miscellaneous items from his old clothing. The moment Tsuna saw his cigarettes, he cried out in relief and started smoking. Sakura had said he was out of anesthetic, but Tsuna's cigarettes had a pain-killing property that he rarely needed.

"What's our ETA?" Tsuna asked after several deep draws. He tossed the shirt on unbuttoned for warmth without pulling it up onto his shoulder. His shoulder still felt like it was on fire and the thought of even the slight weight of clothing on it made him grimace. Plus, Sakura had bound it thoroughly. He was already covered as much as needed to be considered decent.

"One hour, boss," the man replied. Tsuna nodded and limped out from around the crates that had been set up around his cot to give him privacy. The sight outside made him pause with a groan. More men than he'd expected had been injured. Nearly a dozen lay strewn out on the floor of the plane with bandages wrapped around their wounds. Sakura was calmly going from one to another to check on them while their fellows talked to them encouragingly to distract them. Tsuna walked up to the nearest one in worry.

"How are you doing, um, Cortez?" He asked, silently thanking heavens that he'd tried to memorize the names of all the men at the Japanese Headquarters.

"I'm fine, boss," Cortez replied with a bright smile over being called by name. "It's just a flesh wound. Got myself nicked when I tripped on Gary."

"It's my fault, boss," Gary moaned from beside him. "I was trying to pull Mickey over there free from under Erris and didn't watch where I knelt."

"It was pretty chaotic," Tsuna soothed.

"Well, the Doc is taking good care of us," Cortez said with a wide grin. "He says as soon as we get to Mafia-land, he'll hook us up with painkillers."

"Here," Tsuna offered immediately, holding out his pack of cigarettes. "These will take care of the pain until we get there. They're Sakura's Secret Smokes," he quipped with a sympathetic look at the man. "Even if you don't smoke--"

"If the Doc made 'em," the man interrupted while he took one, "Then they're probably better than a being dosed at the hospital. I swear that man knows everything possible about living healthy."

"That he does," Tsuna agreed with a smile. "When I had him make me some new ones, he started telling me how the smoke from the plant he uses is actually a decongestant. Then he tried to tell me that the wrapping he used is something he engineered so that I get an extra dose of vitamins." The men chuckled at his words while Cortez relaxed from the effects of the smoke.

"Not bad," he mumbled in contentment. "Definitely better than a regular smoke." Tsuna nodded and went to the next man to check how he was doing. After a small chat, he once again offered a cigarette when he ascertained that Sakura's medication had already worn off. It took him over half an hour before he reached the last man, but the time spent was worth it. The labored pants that his men had been hiding were gone and happy chatter had begun to fill the cargo hold. Satisfied, Tsuna limped forward toward the cockpit.

"Have you had any contact with the Bluefin?" Tsuna asked with a grunt while he sat down in one of the cockpit's unused seats.

"Yes, sir," he said with a gesture out the window. Tsuna leaned forward and saw his own plane several hundred feet to the side. "They've been riding escort for the past two hours, sir. We broke communication blackout just once in order to let them know you were okay."

"Thanks," Tsuna replied warmly. "They were probably worried when I didn't show up like planned."

"Sir," the copilot piped up. "We're getting authentication requests from Mafia-land's lookout tower."

"Hand it here," Tsuna requested, reaching out for the man's headset.

"...minutes to respond before--" The woman said pleasantly over the headset. Tsuna cut her off.

"Authentication code Victor-Zero-Five-Golf-Zero-One-Alpha, Familia personnel code Two-Seven," he rambled off easily. "Two friendlies requesting to land. Please forward permission to Bluefin on channel Eight-Zero-Romeo, temporary blackout break on authentication Zero-Zero-X Ray. Requesting four med teams on arrival, authentication Nine-Alpha-Nine."

"Authentication approved," the woman replied over the headset. "The door is open and a fire is waiting, Vongola the Tenth." Tsuna sighed in relief, knowing from his studies that 'a fire is waiting' meant that the Ninth had already arrived. After a moment, he handed the headset back to the copilot so he could hear his landing instructions.

Tsuna stood and limped back into the cargo hold to warn everyone to hang on. When the plane stuttered to a landing on the short runway and began breaking immediately, Tsuna found himself caught by no less than three of his men before he fell. He looked up at them and was surprised to see expressions of worried caring in all their eyes.

"Are you okay, boss?" The one behind him asked carefully.

"I'm fine," Tsuna replied warmly while he tilted his head back to look at the man towering over him. "Just lost my balance for a second."

"Please be careful, boss," the man admonished.

"I will," Tsuna promised before regaining his footing and once again limping forward to aid his subordinates. The plane finally rolled to a stop and this time, Tsuna managed to keep himself on his feet at the sudden lurch. He sent a wide smile back at the three men hovering over him who had all jerked forward again to catch him in case he fell. "Go ahead and help the others," he ordered with another warm smile. "I'm really okay."

With sheepish blushes, the three men went forward and started helping the injured disembark. Carefully, Tsuna helped another person aid a man with a head wound out the lowered ramp at the back of the plane. As soon as his feet his the ground, he handed the man off to one of the waiting medical teams before limping over to where Bluefin had finally came to a stop nearby. Yamamoto jumped out of the hatch of the plane before the stairs were even connected. Tsuna wanted to chuckle at the man's smooth roll upon landing from the large fall before darting forward to where Tsuna was slowly approaching.

"Are you--"

"I'm fine," Tsuna called with a slight grimace from a spasm in his leg. He reached into his pocket and lit another cigarette in response to the twinge of pain.

"You're limping," Yamamoto growled. "And you're smoking again. And your chest is--"

"I'm fine," Tsuna repeated. "I just ran into some trouble when I went to help the carrier escape. Sakura's already stitched it up on the plane." Yamamoto grumbled at his words unhappily, but kept mostly quiet since there really wasn't anything he could do about it. "You know the authentication codes, right?" Tsuna asked in effort to distract the man. When he nodded, Tsuna suggested, "Why don't you go get us all registered. I'm going to head to the penthouse of the hotel and see the Ninth. I'll take Gokudera and Ryohei can help dad sort out the rest of the Family."

Yamamoto nodded and darted off while Tsuna closed the last of the distance between him and Bluefin. Ryohei was carrying a very disgruntled Gokudera down the steps with Iemitsu following with his chair close behind. Right on his heels was Haru and Hotaru and the rest of his Family. Pausing only long enough to toss out a stream of orders and give Haru a reassuring kiss on the cheek, Tsuna grabbed Gokudera's wheelchair and started pushing him while Dino, Romario, Lanchia, and Lanchia's boss followed.

"Tenth, you don't have to--" Gokudera squeaked when he found himself being pushed like an invalid.

"Yes, I do," Tsuna interrupted with a quirky smile. "My leg hurts like hell and I don't want the rest of the Family to see. It's bad enough I left my shirt open and they saw my shoulder. If I push you, I can lean on your chair without anyone noticing that I got hit in the leg, too."

"Alright, Tenth," Gokudera agreed. "How bad is it?"

"Bad enough that I can't wait to get somewhere I can sit down and put my leg up," Tsuna groaned. Gokudera murmured in sympathy, but Tsuna ignored him while he focused on getting closer to the hotel. He hoped like hell that the Ninth was there instead of in council at the castle fortress.

Once he reached the hotel, he realized exactly how bad things were. Everyone in sight was openly armed to the teeth. Not that Tsuna was any different. He still had the Glock strapped to his back and his uninjured leg and his third one had been moved to a holster on his hip. Including his Gloves and Flames, he was armed with a hundred times more firepower than even the man holding a missile launcher in one hand and a Gatling gun in the other.

"Watch where you're going, shrimp!" A man yelled when he accidentally rolled Gokudera over his foot. Tsuna ignored him in his focus to get to the elevators. He paused however, when he found an assault rifle pointed in his face. "You better fucking apologize," he growled.

"Whoa!" Dino gasped when Tsuna's face turned red in anger. Dino grabbed the tip of the weapon and pointed it into the air before anything regrettable would happen. "Are you sure you want to be pointing that at him?" Dino asked.

"Cavallone," the man replied in recognition. "Stay out of this. Someone needs to--"

"You do know that you were pointing a weapon at Vongola the Tenth, correct?" Gokudera inquired lazily. "He has every right to kill you for the insult." The man's eyes widened in shock and he stared at Tsuna with a pale face.

"I-I-I--" he stuttered, obviously having not known.

"Calm down," Tsuna ordered. The man's mouth snapped shut in response while word spread through the gathering that Vongola the Tenth was there. "I know you're all feeling a bit shaken," he announced with a raised voice, bringing instant silence. "Please remember that not all the people currently on the island are combatants. I'm not going to ask you to disarm, but I would appreciate it if you limited yourself unless you receive orders from your boss. Now is _not _the time to be going at each other's throats." He sighed and looked out at the openly apprehensive crowd.

"Traitors will be dealt with accordingly," he continued, "So there is no need for you to take matters in your own hands. Be patient. Wait for word from your boss. And most of all, calm the hell down!" He smiled widely at them and got a few faltering smiles in return. The man holding the Gatling gun blushed sheepishly when Tsuna raised a laughing eyebrow at him, having been the one most obviously without calm. "I stake my name as Vongola the Tenth that this will all be taken care of in due time and everyone will be back home laughing before long. Until then, remember that you're Mafiosos. When have you ever heard of a panicked hitman?"

"Well said, Tsuna," Reborn praised before jumping onto his uninjured shoulder. The gathering sighed openly in relief upon seeing the Mafia's top hitman. Slowly, they began breaking up to go to their assigned areas to disarm and relax. Once the focus was away from Tsuna's group, Reborn leaned over into his ear. "The Ninth is waiting in the penthouse, Tsuna," he said quietly. "The rest of the bosses that are already here are up there, too."

With a nod, Tsuna once again made his way toward the elevator with the party of bosses and right hands behind him. When he finally exited onto the penthouse entry hall, Tsuna sighed in relief and let Gokudera take back over his own mobilization. The Ninth gasped when he saw Tsuna's bandaged shoulder and Tsuna gasped when he saw the Ninth in a wheelchair much like Gokudera's.

"What happened?" They asked each other in unison.

"Old age, Tsunayoshi," the Ninth answered first with a chuckle.

"Cops with good aim, Ninth," Tsuna answered in reply. "They were tipped off and we had a few issues at take-off. It's going to be tricky to clean it up later, but I'm not too worried about it right now. The only bad thing is I lost Derrik, Windorf, Erris, and Chef Yanihara. The might have been more, those were just the ones I recognized. At least another dozen were injured."

"Well," the Ninth said with a gesture to the gathered bosses behind him, "As you can see, we're discussing the problem right now. Find yourself a seat and get your leg up." Tsuna smiled, knowing that the Ninth had instantly seen through his attempt to hide his limp. Quietly, he motioned for the boss to move out of the nearest chair and he took it without qualms. He had to manually raise his leg to the footstool, but managed while the other bosses waited for him to get comfortable. Gokudera placed himself next to him and they both accepted drinks. Tsuna took a moment to light himself another cigarette to deaden the pain before turning to the patiently waiting assembly with a raised eyebrow.

"Alright," the Ninth sighed, gaining instant focus from the group. "From what we've gathered so far, Deter, Aldridge, Nott, Radcliff, Ricci, Moreau, and Pell have all been gunned down before the retreat order went through. Wong, Celeroso, Pendleton, and Warwick have all decided to turn themselves in. You said Nubo, too, correct?"

"Yes, Ninth," Tsuna confirmed. "He said they were liquidating everything and turning it over to charity. Then he said they were all turning themselves in and going to confess everything about everyone. I assume they confessed their dealings with me, which would explain my welcoming committee."

"Does anyone have any clue what's going on?" The Ninth asked. "Even a hint might help us get a better handle on the situation."

"Ninth," a young man piped up nervously. Tsuna raised an eyebrow at the man, curious how someone's kid had joined the assembly. He had to be a year or two younger than Tsuna himself.

"Go ahead, Warwick the Sixteenth," the Ninth encouraged. Tsuna tried not to choke on his drink at the words.

"My father isn't in his right mind, Ninth," he said hesitantly. "When I got the retreat order, I came with all the men that weren't caught up with his crazy idea because I was hoping you could help him. Two days ago he was planning a strike on one of our rivals over a bad drug deal. Then, yesterday, he started openly questioning his policies. Earlier today, before the order came through, he called up a meeting and over seventy percent of the Family agreed that they all had to turn themselves in. A few of his men who were worried about his sudden change came and got me and we went into hiding until the call came through. F-Father isn't one to suddenly decide to pity the innocent and be guilty over selling drugs, you see. Him wanting to turn himself in isn't...it just isn't him!"

"Thank you for telling us, Warwick," the Ninth replied warmly while the boy sat back in his chair with a small blush. "Anyone have anything else to add? Anything at all?"

"I do, Ninth," a man said suddenly. "I was Nott's Right Hand. He was shot down by one our compatriots right in front of me."

"I'm sorry for your loss," the Ninth mumbled predictably. "What would you like to tell us?"

"Nott wasn't the kind of guy to like bloodshed. He started openly questioning his policies, too, but I didn't see anything odd about it before now. He always questioned them."

"I see," the Ninth replied.

"Radcliff was questioning them as well," Dino piped up. "I talked to him yesterday about some way to get a shipment through the dealer's arms embargo. I remember him ask at the end of our conversation if we really needed our weapons resupplied. When I asked him why, though, he just shook his head and went back to coming up with ways to get past the increased patrols."

"So we have one link between the incidents," the Ninth said firmly. "They all questioned their actions at least once."

"But why are some of them being gunned down while others are turning themselves in?" Tsuna asked.

"I've got a theory," Gokudera interjected. "Actually, Ryohei was the one that suggested it."

"I've got nothing, so go ahead," Tsuna permitted.

"Brainwashing," he said simply. A few people in the group chuckled, but Tsuna took him seriously along with the Ninth.

"It kind of fits," Tsuna mumbled. "Maybe those that couldn't be brainwashed were shot down by their brainwashed comrades. But Cress turned traitor and he never had any unexplained disappearances. It's not like someone could be brainwashed in a few minutes."

"That's the part we couldn't figure out," Gokudera confirmed. "But we did notice that whatever it is started with the men in the lower ranks and has worked it's way up. First it was just normal dealings that the police got tipped off to. It happens all the time so we just shrugged it off. But, thinking back, there's been an increasing amount of three-strikes in the past few months. From what I can tell, no one noticed how people were constantly turning traitor until the larger shipments started being intercepted and whole Families were being affected by the turncoat's actions. Now the sudden burst of honesty is reaching up to people's right hands and the bosses themselves. It's like a plague that started with with the peasants and worked its way up to the monarchy."

"It gives us somewhere to start," the Ninth agreed. "An autopsy of some of the traitors might lead us somewhere. If someone did manage to figure out a way to brainwash our men, it's reasonable to assume that atypical methods were used and might have left a trace."

"Charity," Tsuna suddenly blurted. He sat up with his cigarette hanging out of his mouth absently and looked at the Ninth out of sudden intuition. "Didn't all the ones that were turning themselves in say they were giving everything to charity first?"

"Indeed," the Ninth confirmed without comprehending where Tsuna was going with the question.

"That's no good," Tsuna mumbled. "Those assets would be frozen and taken away from the charity the moment they turned themselves in. Nubo would have known that, so why was he still trying to liquidate everything?"

"I see," the Ninth agreed with hard eyes. "Let's have someone look into the recipient charities and see if any dots get--" The Ninth paused at a sudden gesture from Tsuna while he put out his cigarette.

"Sorry, Ninth," Tsuna apologized with a blush. "We have a little visitor in the room and he doesn't need to hear this stuff."

"Tsunayoshi?" The Ninth inquired while everyone started reaching for their weapons.

"Put those down," Tsuna growled. "It's not a spy." Raising his voice, he called, "Come out, Hotaru. I know you're there." Everyone's heads snapped to the sound of a giggle coming from an air vent. "Come on out," Tsuna repeated with a smile. "You don't want me to have to get up and walk on my ouchie, do you?"

"Tsunayoshi, is that--?"

"Ah," Tsuna confirmed while the little boy giggled again. "We saved him. I didn't get to tell you about it before because things got a bit hectic. Dad was probably too focused on my arrest to mention it since, well, Hotaru is a little bit of an issue to himself." Tsuna sighed and forced himself to stand up while he called once more, "I'm coming to get you, Hotaru."

At the cue of a few amused bosses, Tsuna made him way over to the vent he was hiding in. With a loud 'boo', Tsuna popped it open and reached in for the giggling boy. He wasn't ready to give up, however. Laughingly, he dispersed the Flames on the part of his body that Tsuna was holding and darted into the room. He paused in his laughing dash, mid-air, while he looked around and suddenly noticed all the people that were with his Papa. Suddenly fearful, he drifted toward the floor and Tsuna could see sparks flashing in his eyes.

"It's okay, Hotaru," Tsuna soothed with a grunt while he limped after the boy. "These are my friends."

"Papa's friends?" He repeated in curiosity. Tsuna nodded and held out his arms for the little boy when his leg decided it didn't want to let him kneel down. "Papa's got a big ouchie," Hotaru said before hovering up into Tsuna's arms. "Can Hotaru share his yellow with Papa?"

"No, Hotaru," Tsuna answered with another grimace of pain. "You need to save your yellow until it's all better. My ouchies will heal on their own in time."

"Hotaru's yellow is all better!" He exclaimed. "Hotaru came to tell Papa!" Tsuna found his seat with a groan and looked at his son while ignoring the curious looks from the assembly around them.

"Make yourself heavy so I can check," he ordered gently. Tsuna nodded in satisfaction when Hotaru took on a look of concentration and he began to gain weight in his lap.

"Hotaru's heavy now!" He grinned when he was finished. Tsuna sighed and touched his forehead with a Delving Flame to ensure his words were accurate. He sighed again in relief when he realized it was.

"Okay, Hotaru," Tsuna said, ruffling the little boy's head. "You can share your yellow again, but don't ever share as much as you did last time, okay? If the yellow doesn't work immediately, you stop using it."

"Yes, Papa," he replied with a giggle. "Can Hotaru share with Papa now?"

"No," Tsuna repeated. "If you're going to share with anyone, I'd be very happy if you shared a little with Gokudera and..." He looked up at the Ninth for a moment, trying to think of what to call him. "And Grandpa Tim," he decided with a quirky smile. The Ninth jerked in surprise, but laughed in agreement after a moment.

"Grandpa Tim?" Hotaru asked curiously.

"That would be me, little one," the Ninth called softly. Hotaru wiggled out of Tsuna's lap and walked toward him.

"You have big fire like Papa," he said with wide eyes. The Ninth looked up at Tsuna in askance, but Tsuna shrugged. He had no clue how the little boy so easily saw everyone's Flames. Even Tsuna required a Delving Flame to know for sure. "But Papa's right," he said after a moment. "Grandpa Tim needs more yellow."

"Go ahead, Hotaru," Tsuna permitted. "Just a little bit, though. I don't want you to go to sleep again like before."

"Can Hotaru use green, too?" He asked while he jumped up into the Ninth's lap fearlessly.

"Why does he need green?" Tsuna asked in worry.

"He's got all those bad things in his head like Mommy did," he said innocently. "Hotaru's green made them go away while Mommy was sleeping."

"In his--" Tsuna looked at the Ninth in shock, completely understanding the little boy's words. "Hotaru," Tsuna said calmly. "Does anyone else in here have those bad things?"

"Nope," Hotaru answered innocently. "Just Goku-sensei and Grandpa Tim."

"Goku-sensei...? Gokudera has the bad things?" Tsuna tried not to panic at the words while he stared at his pale Right Hand. "Alright," Tsuna said after a moment. "Get rid of the bad things in Grandpa Tim and share some of your yellow."

"Okay, Papa," he answered. Everyone in the room gasped when the little boy in the Ninth's lap suddenly had two handfuls of Flame; one green, one yellow.

"It's okay, Ninth," Tsuna soothed. "I know it's hard to ask you to trust me right now, but Hotaru won't hurt you."

"It's alright, Tsunayoshi," the Ninth replied with a bright smile. "I kind of followed the conversation. This is better than the alternative." Then, before anyone could object, Hotaru giggled and pressed the hands onto the Ninth's chest. The man gasped in surprise before letting out a large laugh and began squirming under Hotaru's hands.

"Sorry," he panted when everyone jerked forward, "It tickles."

"Hotaru shared, Papa," he said after he cut it off after only a few seconds. "Hotaru got rid of the bad things in his head with the green and Hotaru got rid of the ouchies with the yellow."

"Indeed," the Ninth replied, wiping the tears from his laughing fit away. The man stood out of his chair with ease, bringing a gasp of amazement from the gathering. "This is one special child you have, Tsunayoshi," he praised.

"Hotaru can share with Goku-sensei now?" Hotaru asked.

"Only the yellow," Tsuna answered with a grimace. He turned to his pale Right Hand with a pain-filled look while the Ninth set Hotaru down and headed for the phone. "I'm sorry, Gokudera," he whispered, "But we don't know if those bad things, whatever they are, stay on the bodies of the dead. We need to get your head checked out before I can let Hotaru get rid of them. It might be our only--"

"It's okay, Tenth," Gokudera said with a slight shudder. "I don't feel strange, but I'll believe him if Hotaru says there's something in my head. And I trust that you'll get rid of them before they make me psycho like everyone else. It's up to you to figure out how they got there, though. I don't remember anything that would tell me."

Tsuna nodded while Hotaru snuck up behind him playfully and pressed the yellow flame through the back of his chair. He gasped at the sensation of his body healing at an incredible rate and the shattered bone in his back reforming around new nerves. In a few seconds, it was over, however.

"All better, Goku-sensei?" Hotaru asked, coming around to look at him. Gokudera nodded with tears in his eyes.

"I can feel them again, Tenth," he whispered in simple joy. To prove it, he tried to make his leg move. It lurched in place for a moment before settling back down.

"Thank goodness," Tsuna replied softly. The smile left Gokudera's face however.

"I can't stand, Tenth," he groaned.

"Hotaru only shared a little yellow like Papa said," the little boy offered unhappily. "Hotaru made it better, but if Hotaru uses more to make Goku-sensei strong like Grandpa Tim, Hotaru will have to sleep again."

"It's okay, Hotaru," Gokudera soothed with a gentle hand on the little boy's head. "I _can _walk, I just need to practice so that I can do it normally again."

"Don't wobble!" Hotaru advised, making both Tsuna and Gokudera laugh tearfully.

"You're the one that wobbled if I remember right," Gokudera said with a sad grin. "But right now, I can't practice. I've got to go do something for the Tenth, okay?"

"Hotaru wants to learn more when Goku-sensei comes back!" He exclaimed.

"Alright," Gokudera promised. "How about I teach you piano? You haven't learned music yet." Hotaru clapped excitedly at the suggestion in approval before jumping over into Tsuna's lap. "Tenth," Gokudera prompted.

"I won't be far behind," he promised. Then, before he could change his mind, the Ninth gestured for two men to escort Tsuna's Right Hand down for tests and observation. "D-Don't hurt him," Tsuna called after them in worry.

"It's alright, Tsunayoshi," the Ninth reassured. "I sent word that he's a guest and not a traitor. He's doing this of his own free will to help us. They won't hurt him."

For some reason, the words didn't make him feel any better.


	80. Chapter 80 Dinner

"Was there anyone else on the plane with you that had the bad thing in their head, Hotaru?" Tsuna asked into the silent room.

"No, Papa," he answered innocently. Tsuna let out a deep breathe in relief that was mirrored by the Ninth.

"Okay, Hotaru," he said after a moment. "Give me a hug then you've got to go back to Haru. I've still got some work to do."

"Will Papa eat dinner with Hotaru?" He asked without moving.

"If you give me a hug and go back to your mother," Tsuna promised. Hotaru squealed in delight and wrapped his arms around Tsuna's neck before becoming weightless in his haste to follow Tsuna's request. Tsuna tried not to groan when he openly turned into pure Flame and darted _under _the door instead of opening it to pass through.

"What is he, Tsunayoshi?" The Ninth inquired with wide eyes after watching his antics.

"It's a long story, Ninth," Tsuna replied while he lit another cigarette. "Like I told you before I left Italy, my son's Flame lived on in Haru after the attack. Like we planned, we got the tools we needed in Japan and gave him a new body. All that really matters, though, is that he is definately my son although his circumstances are a bit extreme."

"That was your son?" Lanchia asked curiously.

"Ah," Tsuna confirmed. "He might look like he's five, but he's only a few weeks old. He's incredibly smart and incredibly talented. Maybe it's because he's pure Flame or maybe it's because he lost his body before he was born. Who knows? What I can tell you is that because he doesn't have a body, he's deeply in tune with his own Flame. He can separate it into it's individual attributes and use them to either create himself a flesh-and-blood body or he can pass his Flame into others like he just did with the Ninth and Gokudera."

"Amazing," Dino said in awe.

"Heh," Tsuna mumbled unhappily around his cigarette. "You say that now, but you should have seen his face when he took his first bite of food and it turned into ash. He's still a casualty of our way of life and I'm just lucky I didn't loose him all together."

"Tsuna," Dino moaned in sympathy.

"Che," he spat. "Let's get this over with so I can go check on Gokudera." The Ninth nodded to agree with the change of topic but not before sending a matching, unwanted look of compassion to Tsuna. Looking away, Tsuna purposely ignored those looks. He'd learned enough of the harsh realities of the world in the past month than most of them did in their whole lives. He didn't want their sympathy. He wanted things to calm down so that he could enjoy the reason why he went through all this hell.

"Well, we know it's some kind of brainwashing now, thanks to little Hotaru's intevention," the Ninth began. "Like Tsunayoshi's Right Hand, I feel no different now than I did a few days ago."

"Which means someone was probably going to gun you down pretty soon, but all the traitors in our Family are already dead," Tsuna agreed.

"Those that we know about," Dino warned. "Whatever is causing this is still probably spreading. It might take time to work and it's possible that the Ninth hadn't hit the questioning phase of it yet."

"I'll admit I was," the Ninth announced softly. He braced himself on the back of his wheelchair and looked at each of the assembly in turn. "With everything going on, I was asking myself if all this was worth the hell we always end up paying. However, I came to the determination that due to the hell we do pay, an even greater hell is forestalled. It was a hard, internal battle that I didn't want to share previously, but I see no reason to stay silent on it anymore. Even though little Hotaru said the bad things were inside me, I can assure you that I fought against them and won before I ever called for the retreat."

"No one ever doubted you, Ninth," Tsuna replied. He tilted his head back and exhaled deeply while he thought. "The question, though, isn't whether you won or not. It's how they got into you in the first place."

"Too true," the Ninth agreed quietly. "We need to put some information specialists on compiling all common factors between the known infected. If we only include those that turned traitor and the bosses that are turning themselves in, there should be a common factor somewhere."

"That won't neccessarily give us any answers. Who knows how long it takes for the infected to be controlled?" A woman called from the back of the room. Those standing turned to look at the woman who had been seated calmly and quietly on a barstool next to the balcony. She ignored their curious looks while she continued, "It could have been like a sleeper bomb just waiting to be remotely triggered. You might be forced to look through years worth of information to figure out the common link."

"Too true, Kuneri the Eighth," the Ninth agreed. Tsuna jerked a bit at the name and looked at the woman, who he now knew was Sangia's sister, while the Ninth continued, "But let us place our hopes in our specialists. All things have a pattern in this world and they are very good at finding those. As someone once told me, 'Even in Chaos there is Order'."

"Order is repetition of units, chaos is multiplicity without rhythm," she quoted in return.

"M.C. Escher," the Ninth identified warmly.

"If you two are done playing philosophers," Tsuna grumbled, "I'd really like to get down to my Right Hand." Tsuna flushed at a warning look from the Ninth and amended respectfully, "If you would permit, Ninth."

"I don't see any reason not to adjourn for now," he agreed. "We've got enough to get started on at any rate." He waved a hand lazily in dismissal and Tsuna took it. He grunted in pain when he put pressure on his leg, but ignored it in his haste to beat the mob out the door. Within a minute he was dashing across the lobby while trying to ignore the increasing agony in his leg from his rushed movement. Within five more minutes, he was walking into the island's medical facility to find Yamamoto already waiting.

"About time," the swordsman mumbled. With a gesture, he escorted Tsuna toward where Gokudera was being held.

"You try telling a bunch of Mafia bosses that you would rather be with your Right Hand instead of discussing a possible threat to the entire world as we know it," Tsuna growled in return. "I got out of there as soon as I could. The Ninth is probably going to have my ass later for being so rude."

"Well, Gokudera called me on his way over here and told me what happened," Yamamoto said with a sigh. "So far they've only done normal routine scans of his head and body, but I'm scared they might try to do something more dangerous. They haven't found a single abnormality in him yet other than an increased level of electrolytes and that could easily be from a sports drink or Hotaru's healing. That alone isn't enough to explain the 'bad things' Hotaru mentioned."

Tsuna nodded in agreement while he turned and barged into where the doctors were scanning Gokudera's head. The three men jumped a bit at his entrance, but calmed immediately when they recognized Yamamoto who had already been watching previously. Tsuna stood at the back of the room and waited for them to complete their current run before opening his mouth to ask them their status.

He was interrupted by the entrance of another person who wasn't as patient as he.

"What's his status?" Sangia snapped without even looking at anyone but the three doctors. "Someone give me his charts and a list of your current findings."

"Who are you?" A doctor bristled. "We can't just--"

"Give them to her," Tsuna ordered with an amused smile. She gasped and finally noticed him in the room. Tsuna's smile got wider despite the current situation when she turned red in embarrassment.

"And who--"

"I'm Vongola the Tenth and that's my Right Hand you're doing tests on," Tsuna growled immediately with narrowed eyes. "I suggest you do what I ask unless you want your test subject healed in less than a minute and you go back to hoping that the infection sticks around on the dead."

"Y-Yes, sir," the doctor replied hesitantly. The man handed Sangia the charts and she took them gratefully.

"See anything?" Yamamoto asked curiously. She shook her head in disappointment before handing the chart back.

"Could I--" She asked quietly. "Could I stay here and help try to figure out what's wrong with Hayato?"

"I'm sure he would appreciate that," Tsuna agreed. "And the more eyes looking, the better. I'll give you guys until after dinner to see what you can find before I'm bringing Hotaru back to heal him. Yamamoto, I'm leaving you here to make sure Gokudera doesn't agree to anything evasive. Help the doctors find what they can, but don't let him give too much. If the doctors go against his or your wishes, someone just give me a call and I will _personally _see to it that the guilty party is punished." Tsuna open glared at the doctors again. "Understood?"

"Let me walk you out," Yamamoto offered once the doctors began nodding hastily in agreement. Tsuna nodded himself in acceptance of the offer. The reason why was simple. The moment that the door to the scanner room was closed, Tsuna nearly collapsed in the hallway. "I knew it," Yamamoto growled after catching him. "You pushed yourself too hard again."

"I-I'm fine," Tsuna gasped around the agony in his leg. He'd been too intent on checking on Gokudera to feel it between the Ninth's hotel room and the hospital. Now that he knew Gokudera was indeed being treated fairly, he felt it all. He tried to brace himself against a wall and control the spasming sensation running up his thigh, but Yamamoto had to catch him again when another wave of dizziness washed over him.

"How much blood did you loose earlier?" Yamamoto asked worriedly.

"I don't know," Tsuna mumbled. "A lot...?"

"A lot," Yamamoto repeated in exasperation. Tsuna found himself swept off his feet and bodily carried in the direction of the emergency room. For once, Tsuna didn't argue. At least if he gave in and let a doctor look him over, he could get something stronger than a cigarette for his pain.

"There you are!" Sakura called upon seeing them. "I was worried when I noticed you weren't with the other injured!"

"I had to work," Tsuna replied sheepishly. "I was managing around the pain so..."

"Baka-Tsuna!" He yelled. "You completely exhausted yourself earlier plus you lost a lot of blood!" Tsuna turned pale when Yamamoto set him down on a bed and Sakura immediately called for a saline drip and blood for a transfusion. Both of those meant needles.

Tsuna hated needles.

"Oh, no you don't!" Sakura snapped when he noticed Tsuna trying to slip away. At the words, Tsuna tried to break out in a run, but Yamamoto expertly lifted him completely off the ground again with a chuckle and put him back on the hospital bed. "If you're going to be difficult, I'm not taking responsibility for what I'll have to do," the doctor said. Ignoring the warning, Tsuna continued to try to get away from the laughing swordsman blocking his path.

"Let me go, Yamamoto!" Tsuna pleaded. "You know I don't like needles!"

"Tough luck, Tsuna," Yamamoto chuckled. "You're going to let Sakura take care of you whether you like it or not." Tsuna growled and once again tried to dart past. Once again, Yamamoto snatched him up before he got free. "See," Yamamoto said with a smile. "You can't even get past me. Normally I wouldn't stand a chance. You need to let Sakura do what he--"

"No, no, no!" Tsuna replied stubbornly.

"That's it," Sakura growled when Tsuna was still being difficult after the blood and IVs had been delivered. While Tsuna was focused on trying to slip past his determined Rain Guardian, Sakura sneaked up behind him with a spray bottle. Tsuna turned in surprise at a tap on his shoulder and found himself with a face full of sleeping drugs. "There we go," Sakura chuckled, catching the suddenly unconcious Vongola heir.

"What is that stuff?" Yamamoto asked in amazement.

"Just something I whipped up after Tsuna refused to let me take blood for his check-ups in the prison," Sakura replied with a wide smile. "Anyone else would be in a coma with the dose I just hit him with, but Tsuna should be up in a few hours. Plenty of time for me to fix him up right."

"I'll leave you to it, then," the swordsman agreed with a wide grin. "I'll be with Gokudera if you need me." Sakura nodded absently, already focused on setting up the IVs and the transfusion.

* * *

Tsuna's eyes snapped open and he sat up with a groan. Sakura chuckled openly at the look of disgruntlement on his face and Tsuna shot him a glare that would have fried lesser men in their shoes. 

"You didn't have to knock me out," he growled.

"You didn't have to act like a child," Sakura retorted. "What is it about needles that make you act like a two year old being told he has to eat his vegetables?"

"They give me flashbacks," Tsuna answered softly. Sakura, having not been around for his torture, just looked at him in open curiousity, so he shook his head and shrugged. "Doesn't matter. You're done, right?"

"Yup," Sakura confirmed. "You shouldn't get dizzy anymore. I gave you something for the pain, too, but it'll wear off soon if I know you."

"How long as I out?" Tsuna asked when he couldn't find a clock.

"A few hours," Sakura answered. "Gokudera's already been released and is probably in bed by now. They couldn't find whatever Hotaru claimed to see and Haru brought him over an hour ago to fix him up."

"Gokudera--" Tsuna's eyes widened in realization. "It's after dinner?!"

"Yes," Sakura confirmed in confusion.

"You idiot!" Tsuna growled on his way out the door. "I promised Hotaru I'd have dinner with him!"

"Here," Sakura called. Tsuna turned and caught the cane thrown at him before it hit him in the face. "I'm going to have to fix your leg again unless you keep pressure off of it," he explained. Tsuna nodded and gratefully used it to increase his pace back toward the hotel.

Once in the lobby, he realized he had no clue which room had been assigned to him and Haru. A quick check with the front desk sent him up to the sixth floor. Feeling suddenly hesitant, he knocked instead of barging in. From the unhappy look on Haru's face when she answered, it was a good thing he did.

"Please don't be mad," he begged immediately.

"Hotaru was upset when you didn't come," she scolded.

"I wanted to come! It's not my fault that--"

"It's never your fault, Tsuna," she yelled suddenly. He came to an abrupt halt at not only her raised voice, but the tears in her eyes. "But you made a promise to him and you broke it!"

"Haru, I--"

"Enough, Tsu-kun," she snapped. His eyes widened in shock at her words. "I'm going to bed." He stared at the door that was shut in his face in utter disbelief. When he heard the lock click, he broke out of his daze and immediately started banging on the door.

"Haru, let me in," he called. "I really didn't mean to--"

"Go away, Tsuna," he heard her say softly from the other side. His hand paused in the middle of another strike at her words, trying to understand what had just happened. Tears welled up in his eyes when it hit him that she'd just kicked him out.

"Haru," he sobbed, leaning against the door. "I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to break my promise." He stayed crying against her door when only silence was his answer until someone touched his shoulder. Looking up, he continued to cry when he saw pity in his father's eyes.

"Come on, son," he whispered. "You can talk to her in the morning when she's not so mad." Tsuna nodded in agreement and wiped his tears away with his sleeve. She would understand once she gave him a chance to explain. Trying to do it through a door wasn't the right way to deal with it. Especially considering how many people were sticking their heads out their doors in curiousity.

"Come on," his father repeated before guiding him toward the elevator. "I'm sure the Ninth wouldn't mind you using the couch in the penthouse." Fortunately the man was still awake when Iemitsu knocked on his door. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw his heir and Outside Advisor at his door so late.

"The moon is waning," Iemitsu explained with another sympathetic look in Tsuna's direction.

"You're welcome to stay here, Tsunayoshi," the Ninth offered in understanding. Tsuna nodded and followed him inside. The older man went over to the wetbar and poured himself a small glass of scotch before joining Tsuna in the sitting area. "I can't tell you how many times my late wife kicked me out over the years," he said in reminescence. "But the full moon was always worth dealing with her during those times."

"She didn't even let me explain," Tsuna grumbled while he lit himself a cigarette. "Sakura knocked me out when I didn't let him stab me with needles and by the time I woke up, it was already too late. I missed dinner and I promised Hotaru I'd be there."

"Never make promises, son," Iemitsu advised. "You never know what might happen. Not making any is better than breaking them without meaning to."

"That might work with you, dad," Tsuna said softly. "But I didn't make the same choices you did. Mom could care less if you made promises. Haru needs them from me, though."

"Things will look better in the morning, Tsunayoshi," the Ninth said firmly. "And on that note, I'm off to bed. I have a stack of reports I need to go through first thing in the morning." Tsuna nodded while he went off to his room and his father said his farewells before leaving for his own room below.

Sitting back in his chair, Tsuna continued to smoke and think without intending to sleep just yet. He'd been our for several hours already, after all. Rather than force himself to do something his body didn't want, he let his mind wander. Haru would forgive him. He was certain of that. Yet it was his fault that she was mad at him. Even though he'd claimed otherwise, once he sat down and thought about it, it really was his fault. He'd allowed himself to get distracted and shot in the first place. It wasn't Sakura's fault that he needed to be treated. It wasn't Sakura's fault that he hadn't been willing to just take the treatment.

It was his fault.

Or was it?

If he had never joined the Mafia, he'd be living happily at home. His son's body would have never been destroyed. He would never had been tortured and subsequently learned to fear needles. He would never have been shot in the first place.

It was the Mafia's fault that he'd been shot.

Guns and weapons and other devices of causing pain and bloodshed. How often were they used on innocent people like Haru and his son? Even on those that weren't innocent, was that really the only way to deal with things? Was it so much that the Ninth and the others of the Family were forced to use fear and pain? Or was it because they refused to believe there was another way?

If it weren't for Vongola, he could have been living a normal life. Would living as No-Good Tsuna have been that bad? He'd been happy watching Kyoko from afar. He'd been comfortable living with his mother. Back then, he would have never had to maim and kill people. It was all because of Vongola that he'd been forced to cause so much bloodshed and agony.

More than just Vongola, it was the Ninth's fault. The Ninth was the one that had taken him away from his happy and normal life. The Ninth was the one that sent him and others to do terrible things. The Ninth was the one that refused to find alternative means to protect the Family. The Ninth was the reason that his beloved Haru and his son had become targets for enemies because without the Ninth, Tsuna wouldn't have had enemies.

As long as the Ninth was around, that would never change. The people he cared about would always be jerked around like they were on a leash. Tsuna would always have bloodstained hands. If the Ninth hadn't been there, neither would Vongola have been. If the Ninth wasn't around, Tsuna would have a normal life. If the Ninth wasn't around, he wouldn't have to maim and kill. If the Ninth wasn't around, the world would be just that much less full of bloodshed and agony.

If the Ninth wasn't around...

Tsuna stood and his cigarette fell to the ground as it guttered out. Only one thought was on his mind and he was determined that it was the only thing he needed to do to protect the people he cared about. It was the only thing he could do to end _everything_.

He had to kill the Ninth.

He quietly walked to the Ninth's bedroom door in the darkness. He pushed it open and looked at the sleeping man inside while he drew his Glock. It would be quick and fast. The old man would be gone and Tsuna would no longer be bound to him. Tsuna could end the bloodshed once the Ninth was gone. So focused with his murderous intent, he barely noticed when someone came to stand between him and the sleeping man. The person fell to the ground with a bullet in their side, but the sound of gunfire woke the Ninth. He sat up in his bed and stared at the shadowed form of Tsuna in the darkness.

"What's the meaning of this, Tsunayoshi?" The Ninth gasped.

"It's required," Tsuna answered.

"Is it?" The Ninth asked calmly. "Is what you're doing any different from what I do on a daily basis?"

"You're right," Tsuna replied in sudden inspiration. "I have to die, too, or no one will be safe."

"Wait, Tsunayoshi!" The Ninth said in sudden panic when Tsuna raised his weapon to aim at his chest. "This isn't you! You're being controlled!"

"I'm not being controlled," Tsuna objected. "I thought about it and this is the only way to end the bloodshed. If we're both gone, everyone can live normal lives."

"You are being controlled," the man on the floor gasped. Tsuna looked down and his hands began shaking.

"Dad...?" He mumbled in recognition.

"You wouldn't shoot your old man unless you were being controlled, would you?" He gasped while he stood again. He clutched his side where Tsuna had hit him and stumbled forward.

"I-I have to..." Tsuna mumbled without comprehending. He had to kill the Ninth. It was the only way. He had to--

"It's okay, Tsunayoshi," the Ninth soothed while he slipped out of his bed. Tsuna stumbled back from the old man and his father. "It's okay," he repeated. "Just put the gun down and we can talk about it. If you think the bloodshed has to end, lets work together to make it happen. I'll help try to end it, Tsunayoshi."

Tsuna grabbed his head with a groan when the words sent a spasm through his brain. His words ran counter to everything he was thinking. The Ninth claimed to want to end the bloodshed, but his thoughts said that the Ninth was the cause of it. The Ninth was the reason for everything. Yet his eyes didn't say he was lying. He wanted to work with Tsuna to stop the bloodshed.

A sudden thought broke through the tumult, however, and he lowered his hands from his head with new determination.

"Our hands are too stained," he muttered, bringing the weapon back up. "Dad's hands are just as red. I'll get rid of the stains and--"

"Now, Tsuna," Iemitsu warned worriedly. "You don't mean that."

"I-I h-have t-to," he stuttered, pointing the weapon at his father. His hands started shaking again and his head felt like it was on fire. Tears started streaming out of his eyes. He didn't want to do this.

But he had to.

He didn't want to.

He had to.

He didn't want to.

"Help," he whispered while his hands continued to shake in hesitation and tears continued to pour down his face. His father took his words as cue to step forward again and slowly took the gun out of his limp hands. While Tsuna continued to shake, he reached down and pulled both of the weapons strapped to his hip and thigh away. After handing them to the Ninth, he finally held his shaking son while the Ninth went to get help.

"It'll be okay, Tsuna," Iemitsu whispered.


	81. Chapter 81 Zap!

Gokudera was worried. Yamamoto didn't know where the Tenth was. Ryohei didn't know where he was. Haru said the last time she'd seen him had been when she kicked him out the previous night and Hotaru was hiding in his 'room'. Gokudera had been unable to get in contact with the Ninth or Iemitsu, as well. Everyone was still out looking in hopes that he was just sulking somewhere but Gokudera had been summoned via Basil that another meeting had been called by the Ninth.

But the Tenth wasn't waiting there either.

He sighed in relief when the Ninth finally entered. His relief was short-lived when he saw Iemitsu leaning on Basil in order to walk.

"What happened? Was there another attack?!" He yelped. His effort to stand with his words was futile and he ended up leaning forward in his wheelchair instead.

"All in due time," the Ninth replied calmly. He waited until Iemitsu was seated with Basil standing beside him before turning to the curiously waiting gathering. He sighed in resignation. "There was indeed another attack last night," he confirmed. "The t-traitor in question is being held by the Vendiche until we can get this mess sorted out. Honestly, I didn't want to turn the person over, but I was forced to after he tried to kill me in my sleep."

"Since it's been determined that it is some form of brainwashing," Iemitsu added sadly, "He won't be killed, but the Vendiche refuse to let him go until they can confirm he's returned to normal. They wanted to put him in a high-security facility, but we managed to talk them out of it."

"Indeed," the Ninth agreed unhappily. "That's what delayed our arrival. It is all the more imperative that we find out what's going on, however. He went through testing all morning under the Vendiche's supervision and nothing was found to explain the sudden change. When we finally..." He paused, looking at Iemitsu with eyes full of remorse. "When we finally were forced to put him into stasis for his own safety, he was still showing signs of metal stress."

"Who was it?" Dino asked curiously.

"We'd rather not say," Iemitsu said quietly. "All you need to know is that he's been dealt with accordingly."

"That's no good," Kuneri the Eight objected. "How are we supposed to add his profile to the list to find common denominators among all those effected unless you tell us who--"

"Ninth," Gokudera interjected without looking up. "With all due respect, where is the Tenth?"

"Gokudera..." Iemitsu moaned.

"Please don't take me for a fool," Gokudera warned. "The Tenth has been missing and we've all been worried sick. And now you tell me that someone attacked last night and has been handed over to the Vendiche. I'm begging you to tell me there's not a connection."

"I can't do that," the Ninth said in resignation. "I was hoping you wouldn't see the link until we got this all sorted out. Iemitsu was right in saying I couldn't underestimate Tsunayoshi's chosen Right Hand."

"Where is he?" Gokudera asked quietly. "Where's my boss, Ninth?"

"We'll take you to see him after the meeting, Gokudera," Iemitsu promised. "For now, lets all try--"

"You can't be serious," Gokudera interrupted. "The Tenth would never betray--"

"He shot his own father," the Ninth interjected. Gokudera's head snapped up with wide eyes and looked over at Iemitsu. When the man nodded with a grimace, Gokudera sat back in his chair completely flabbergasted.

"H-He...N-No that's not..." he mumbled. "He couldn't have!"

"Yet he did," Iemitsu stated calmly. "Admittedly, I don't think he recognized me until afterward. It was only due to the Ninth's intuition that he found the right words to make Tsuna hesitate. When he realized he'd shot me, he nearly had a meltdown. Even so, he had still felt the urge to kill us and himself. This morning in the middle of testing, he relapsed again and tried to slit his own wrists! It took three Vendiche to stop him, Gokudera, and he injured two of them. After that, he seemed to regain some sanity again and asked the Ninth to...to..."

"To freeze him," the Ninth finished sadly when Iemitsu didn't choose to say the words. "He's trusting all of us to fix him, so he volunteered to be frozen in the meantime. He doesn't want to kill anyone but merely imprisoning him isn't enough. His strength is undeniable and he can't trust himself not to hurt anyone or himself. After a discussion, stasis was deemed the only method of holding him."

"Tenth...frozen..." Gokudera repeated when he was unable to get the two words to connect in his head. When they did, he moaned and placed his head in his hands.

"The fastest way to free him is to find out what's causing his mental chaos," the Ninth said in effort to bring focus to the group. Many of the people in the room just stared at him in a blank shock, too shaken by the news of Tsuna to think properly. "We need to figure out--"

"No, Ninth," Gokudera corrected gently. "The fastest way to free him is to let Hotaru work...some...magic... Why are you shaking your head, Iemitsu?"

"Tsuna said he didn't want his son seeing him like that," Iemitsu said mournfully, still shaking his head sadly. "He's able to partially fight whatever is messing with his mind, but he's too afraid to let the boy around him since he didn't completely win. Between that and the chance of being hit with it again, whatever it is, Tsuna doesn't want to be a liability."

"Which means you need to stop worrying about what's already past and focus!" The Ninth exclaimed with a firm hand hitting the table next to him. "Tsunayoshi isn't the only casualty in this whole thing. We need to figure out the common factor!"

"Forgive me, Ninth," Gokudera mumbled. "It's just that Hotaru didn't say the Tenth had anything in his head yesterday and now I'm suddenly being told he was infected. It's--" He paused when his own words hit him. Iemitsu sat up in his chair and the Ninth jerked to a halt.

"He was infected yesterday after the meeting," Iemitsu gasped. He turned to Basil with orders to find out everywhere that Tsuna went after leaving the meeting, only to find Basil already on the phone making calls.

"Don't bother," Gokudera snapped. "Have him call Dr. Sakura. The Tenth was with him for almost all of yesterday afternoon." Iemitsu nodded and Basil started dialing for the hospital.

"I'll start looking over the files to see if anyone else had any hospital visits before they turned," Dino offered. The Ninth nodded in permission and not only he, but several other people pulled out their phones and started dialing for their information divisions. Gokudera was no different in dialing for Cadenza and putting her to work on focusing in on that as a common factor.

"Sakura-dono claims that Sawada-dono only had a normal saline drip and a blood transfusion, Master," Basil offered. "He has vowed to track down the units used and inspect them thoroughly."

"I'm going to go down there and help," Gokudera said. He waited for the Ninth's nod of agreement before leaving, intent on getting to the bottom of the problem.

He _would _save the Tenth.

"Was he at the meeting?" Yamamoto asked the moment he entered the lobby. Gokudera snarled in reply, making Yamamoto pause in surprise.

"The Vendiche are guarding where they have him in stasis," he explained with a growl while he continued to wheel himself out the doors. "The Ninth says the only way to get him returned is to find out how the brainwashing is working."

"Wait," Yamamoto gasped while he dashed behind him to keep up. "Vendiche? Stasis?" Gokudera growled again despite himself while he continued to speedily wheel himself down the sidewalk toward the hospital.

"Did you find him?" Ryohei yelled before joining the two others in dashing for the hospital.

"He got hit with whatever is brainwashing people," Gokudera yelled in irritation. "The Ninth fucking froze him and the only way to get his release is to find out how this shit is spreading."

"Extreme," Ryohei mumbled.

"Go keep an eye on the Family, Lawn-head," Gokudera suggested. "If the Tenth got hit, who knows who else did. Don't trust anyone."

"Gotcha!" Ryohei agreed before darting back in the direction he'd came from.

"My sources have started compiling a list of charities that were donated to," Yamamoto offered. "They said they've already found a few links, but they haven't found any major connection yet. They all seem like clean organizations from the outside."

"Tell them to keep working on it," Gokudera ordered.

"Where are we going?" He said, slightly breathless from running after Gokudera.

"We're going to the hospital," the dynamite specialist replied. "The Tenth wasn't infected before the meeting yesterday, so whatever happened had to have happened there. Sakura's already looking over the stuff he used on the Tenth yesterday, but we're going to go help."

"I'll go help Sakura," Yamamoto offered. "You go find Sangia. She took charge over the samples they took from you yesterday. Maybe she found something."

"Fine," Gokudera agreed. He paused at the doors to the hospital and looked up at the swordsman beside him. "We've got to save the Tenth," he stated softly.

"Ah," Yamamoto confirmed, looking down into the silver-haired man's suddenly vulnerable eyes. "Don't worry. We'll find a way like we always do."

* * *

"Found it!" Sangia shrieked, making numerous heads snap her direction. She didn't notice, too intent on whatever was under her microscope. "This is...This is incredible! This complete confirms the Theory of--" 

"What the hell is it?!" Gokudera yelled. She jerked up in surprise and looked around to see all the people staring in her direction.

"It's a type of...of bioengineered nanobot, I guess you could say," she said with a small blush. Several doctors shoved her aside in order to see for themselves. "I wasn't sure at first because they were hiding as the electrolytes of the blood sample," she continued. "But when I magnified to the molecular level, I found them."

"There's nothing here," a doctor growled, looking up. "It's normal."

"They're there!" Sangia objected belligerently. "Don't think of square little machines when I say nanobot! It was something bio-engineered! Look at how it's acting! Electrolytes aren't supposed to do what those are doing! They've been programmed somehow, just _like a nanobot_!"

"You said it's in the electrolytes, right?" Gokudera interjected when the doctors bent down to take a second look.

"Yes," she replied blankly.

"Shit," Gokudera cursed. "Doesn't the saline drips that the doctors use on patients have an electrolyte booster in it?"

"I don't know about normal ones," Sangia said after a moment. "But I know the ones in Mafia-based facilities do."

Gokudera cursed and started heading for the door. Sangia chased after him, leaving the doctors to prove her theory on their own. Gokudera trusted her word and it fit the bill. That's all he needed. Without pausing, he rushed into the middle of the ER Ward and started yanking out people's IV's. After a moment, Sangia gasped in understanding and helped. The patients yelped at the rough treatment, but a single warning look from Gokudera silenced them.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Sakura yelled furiously, storming in after Gokudera only managed to get to half of them. "Security called me and told me a Vongola was in here--"

"Shut up, flower-pot!" Gokudera snapped. "Get these people off these IVs unless you want them turning into fruit-cakes!"

"Wha--?"

"There's fucking nanobots in the saline drips!" Gokudera yelled, yanking out yet another needle from a wide-eyed patient. Gokudera paused and turned to the doctor with wide eyes. "Sangia found them in an electrolyte sample. Since the only new ones that the Tenth got before he went all psycho was from the saline drip _you _gave him..."

"Then it's possible that the saline solution itself is the cause," Sakura finished with wide eyes. "It's normal procedure whenever someone comes in injured to give them one. But how--?"

"No fucking time, damnit," Gokudera yelled. "You need to cut off every IV in the building!"

"B-But--"

"Just go do it!" Gokudera ordered. By now, the other patients in the room had caught on to what was going on and were willfully and painfully pulling out their own IVs. Nurses started flying all over the place in order to seal the needle's entry points before people started bleeding all over the place. Sakura ran over to an intercom in the wall and started yelling frantically.

Satisfied, Gokudera started wheeling himself back to where Sangia had made her discovery with one of the unused bags of solution in his hands. Seeing him leaving, Sangia followed and found herself in charge of examining the contents of Gokudera's burden. They paused outside the lab, not yet wanting to share their hypothesis with anyone else.

"I need a way to counteract those and fast," Gokudera informed her gently. "You were the one to find them and I don't have time for the doctors to believe you. Please, just give me some way to keep everyone in this hospital from going nuts. We've got to figure out how these work."

I-I have a theory," Sangia offered.

"I'm willing to take anything at this point," Gokudera said earnestly.

"Well, if you combine the nanobots with the way people are being brainwashed," she began hesitantly. "Then it's likely that they're using the bloodstream to make their way to the brain where they can attach themselves. Electrolytes have the capacity to conduct electricity, so it's possible that they're somehow interfering with the thought processes that way."

"I don't follow," Gokudera muttered in confusion.

"Thoughts are just electrical impulses in our brains," Sangia explained in exasperation. "If these nanobot-electrolytes which can conduct electricity actually attach to a person's brain, it's possible to send new impulses. All it takes is one thought to trigger a thought process. If one...we'll call them nano-electros," she paused until he nodded in acceptance. "If one nano-electro attached itself to the brain and triggered a thought and another nano-electro triggered another one, a person could be brainwashed using their own thoughts. All it would take is somehow programming these to trigger certain thoughts right after each other to create a new thought process."

"Still don't get it," Gokudera growled.

"Say they were programmed to make you dislike ice cream," she replied. "You like ice cream, but you hate...um...bicycles. If the thought that you hate bicycles was triggered and then the thought that you like ice cream it would be fine. Strange, but fine. Now say that you sometimes think that eating ice cream on a bike takes away the enjoyment of ice cream. Trigger that along with the reason why...say because you drip your ice cream on your shirt."

"Okay..." Gokudera mumbled.

"So, if triggered correctly, you might get a thought process like this. 'I like ice cream but I dislike eating it on a bicycle. It's messy when I'm on a bicycle. Because I'm on a bicycle and it's messy, I don't like ice cream. Ice cream isn't something I like.' Do you see? It used your own thoughts, but made your thought process lead to the conclusion it wanted."

"I kind of see," he replied in contemplation. "So if Mafiosos were being told to end the bloodshed, they'd do it in their own way from whatever their thoughts tell them to do. Most of us would just take out our problem and be done with it, which explains all the murders."

"I have a feeling that there are different types, though," Sangia offered. "Some that are sleepers that get triggered from the outside and some that just increase a person's desire to turn themselves in. If I'm right, I think Tsuna had his triggered with orders to kill the Ninth. It's the only reason I can think of as to why we didn't have any warning about his change."

"Arg," Gokudera groaned while he rubbed his head furiously. "This is all what-ifs! We need to know for sure and this doesn't tell me how to get rid of them!"

"Oh!" Sangia squeaked. "I'm sorry, I was getting to that but I got side-tracked. By my theory, the nano-electros are attaching themselves to the brain. A good jolt of electricity would probably fry whatever they have for circuitry and destroy them. It has to be a really good jolt, but you have to be careful that it's not enough to cause brain damage."

"Green!" Gokudera gasped in sudden inspiration. "That's why Hotaru used green Thunder Flame to get rid of them!"

"Probably," Sangia agreed.

"Alright," he said, putting his thoughts in order. "You get to work on proving your theory correct. I'm going to go inform the Ninth about all this and then get Yamamoto and Ryohei to go start zapping everyone with stun guns."

"That should be enough electricity," Sangia offered warmly. Gokudera smiled widely, realizing that they could save the Tenth with the same method.

"I swear if I could stand, I'd kiss you right now! Thank you! With this we can save--" Gokudera's eyes widened when he found himself lip-locked with the woman of his dreams. He reached up out of surprise and cupped her cheek while he returned the kiss out of partial desperation. The warmth from her lips went down his spine and into his legs, reminding him that he could feel them again.

"Sorry," she said breathily when she finally broke off the kiss. She didn't pull away far, however. Just enough that she could look into his eyes and he could still feel her breath on his lips. "When you said you wanted to kiss me right now, I wanted proof of whether it was true."

"And your conclusion?" Gokudera panted.

"Might need a few more tests," she replied playfully. Gokudera's face turned flush and found his words suddenly get caught in his throat. Unable to speak, he just nodded slowly in agreement. She leaned forward to his ear and he had to suppress a shudder at how good her breath felt against it. "I know you have to go for Tsuna right now, but I'll be waiting when you come back, okay?"

Gokudera nodded furiously to tell her he understood and she stood back up with a blush. Before he could manage to speak again, she had already disappeared into the lab.

* * *

"Listen up, you scum," Xanxus announced to the gathering. "We've got orders." 

"Orders for the prince?" Belephegor asked with a sing song voice. Xanxus stared at him with hard eyes until he slid off of the tree he'd been dangling in and joined the rest of the surly group.

"Listen the fuck up and do what you're told," Xanxus growled.

"Yes, Boss," Levi said immediately. Xanxus waited until the rest of the group gave their grumbling agreement before turning to the person next to him.

"All yours," Xanxus offered with a cruel smile.

"Yes, then, um," Yamamoto replied. He started handing out stun guns to the group while he explained, "It's pretty easy. Just like a race, we're going to see who can hit the most people with a single zap before we start getting traitors popping up. Each of you have been assigned a Family to take care of. Only a single zap per person," he warned, seeing the considering gleam of pleasure in Belephegor's eyes. "And no longer than two seconds. Noncombatants of the Families will be taken care of separately."

"HEEEY!" Squalo interrupted when Yamamoto tossed him his Taser along with his Family assignments. "Why the hell are we having to fucking do this?!"

"Shut up," Xanxus yelled with a smack to the back of the man's head. "Orders from the old man. Just fucking do it."

"Oh!" Lussuria exclaimed. "And what about you, boss?"

"I've been assigned to fucking shock the hell out of Vongola itself, you cocky shit," Xanxus replied with a wide and cruel smile. "Then I get to go see the brat on ice."

"So the rumors were true, boss? Sawada was frozen?" Marmon asked in curiosity. "Serves him right for never paying for-- Kyahh!" Marmon dodged a blast from Xanxus' X-Gun before staring at the man with wide eyes from under the shadows of his hood.

"Watch your fucking mouth," Xanxus growled in warning before holstering his weapon back onto his hip. "Keep your flapping tongues off of his sorry ass and call him the Tenth with respect, shit-for-brains. He's taking over after the old man, so get used to it."

"I-If you say so, Boss," Levi agreed despite his confusion before turning down the Taser Yamamoto absently tried to hand him.

"Well," Yamamoto interjected. "Be sure to give the members of your own teams a good jolt then head to your assigned areas. The bosses should already be waiting with their men."

"You fucking heard him, scum," Xanxus yelled when everyone hesitated. "Get your asses in gear and fucking move out!"

In a flash, they were gone.

"Here, brat," Xanxus offered cruelly, coming up behind Yamamoto with a Taser. "You first."

"Oh, I've already be cleared by Hotaaaaa--" Yamamoto screeched automatically from the electric shock Xanxus sent into the back of his neck and through his system. After two seconds, he pulled it away with a laugh while Yamamoto's knees buckled.

"Better safe than sorry, brat," Xanxus cackled.

"In that case," Yamamoto replied darkly.

"What are you going to do with that?" Xanxus asked in amusement at the spare stun gun Yamamoto had snatched out of his box.

"You said better safe than sorry," he gasped while he got to his feet. "The same goes for you." Xanxus barked a laugh at his words, but got instantly serious when Yamamoto darted forward.

"Quit playing fucking games," he growled.

"Who's playing?" Yamamoto replied with a small twitch from an electrical aftershock. He darted forward again while Xanxus started to wonder where the Vongola's youngest members grew their balls.

Because they had some pretty fucking big ones.


	82. Chapter 82 Stasis

Like a camera set to take pictures once a minute, Tsuna could still see. He could still think. It was fragmented, yet the ice that bound him didn't bring his mind to a complete stop. He was asleep yet still awake. The very fact drove him oddly insane while minutes crept by one by twos by ones again. It had been said that Xanxus' rage had grown during the years he was in stasis and Tsuna felt first-hand how it was possible.

He'd unintentionally been frozen with his eyes open. He could see Vendiche pacing back and forth on their patrols through the castle dungeon at the center of the island where he was held. They jerked and lurched in their movements like they were merely pictures taken on a time-delay. They were there, then they were gone. They moved three steps then they were back where they first started. The sight made his already raw and burning mind go just that much more insane. He wanted to yell and scream at them to just turn out the lights so that he didn't have to see anymore. So that the part of his mind still stimulated by his surroundings outside his prison could sleep like the rest of him.

His body was almost completely numb. Almost wasn't all, however. So infrequently that he wasn't sure if it was real, a lance of burning agony made him wish he could die. If it had been possible, he would have wept from it. The ice that surrounded him made his body sleep, but that sleep was more painful than reality. He was cold. So incredibly, painfully cold. His nerves which should be beyond feeling kept being reawakened by the heat of his Inner Flame.

The Ninth had frozen his body, but not his Flame. Freezing his Flame would have meant instant death, so in order to seal it's power away without harming his Inner Flame the Ninth had only encased him without reaching for his core. Only his flesh and blood created a barrier between it and his ice, however. Yet, due to that, he couldn't gain a perfectly oblivious slumber. His Flame kept trying to waken him. It kept trying to protect his body despite his mind crying for it to be silent.

It made him feel as if his very essence was being drained and eaten. The ice that encased his body came so very near his core being. While the Flames within him lurched madly around in an attempt to escape, the ice stole every flicker and lick of Flame that came close. Yet Tsuna's Flame was never eaten in it's entirety. His soul and his life was it's tinder. Until that was gone, it would forever replenish itself. It was a maddening cycle that Tsuna could do nothing to end.

_He. Had. To. Kill. The. Ninth._

His mind slowly rambled. The single thought took almost a half dozen minutes to complete. Although, for him, time flowed at a strange and mysterious rate. He wasn't sure if minutes had passed since he'd been overwhelmed by the Ninth's Zero-Point Ice or if days had passed. Flickers of nightmares and memories interspersed with his semi-waking thoughts, pushing him closer and closer to the brink of true insanity.

_He had to kill the Ninth._

"Why did you kill him, Tsuna?" Kyoko cried.

_He had to kill himself._

"Papa!" Hotaru exclaimed with a bright smile.

_He was fighting an enemy. It's face was hidden by Black Flames. The enemy laughed and pointed at his hands. Tsuna looked down to find his own hands covered in blood. The enemy pointed off the side of the building. Hordes of people fought and slew and maimed one another below until the streets ran red with blood and the walls of the storefronts were washed in crimson. He looked down at his hands again to find one lit in orange and the other turned black and decayed._

He had to protect his Family.

_"Amazing, Tenth!" Gokudera praised._

He had to protect his Family by killing the Ninth.

_He didn't want to kill the Ninth._

"You're not the only one that's allowed to take one for the team, Tsuna," Yamamoto informed him while holding a bloodstained sword.

_He had to protect his Family by killing himself._

Could stained hands protect anything?

_Gola Mosca rose from the depths of the lake. It's chest flew open and a body fell out. He looked down at himself floating on the top of the water before he slowly sank below the depths. A new body replaced his. His beloved. Then his son. Then Gokudera. Endlessly, the stream continued until the lake turned red with the blood of the dead and the bodies stopped sinking into the corpse-laden waters._

"Has anyone seen Jack?" Mr. Purdy asked.

_He had to end the bloodshed._

Was ending bloodshed by bloodshed the only solution?

_"Do you really think you can take over as a mafia boss if you're cracking over a fucking finger?" Xanxus scorned._

He couldn't be weak.

_He was only human._

He was falling, endlessly falling. With a sickening crunch he landed at the feet of his Family amid a celebration. He stood in amazement that he was still in one piece, until he looked down at his body. It was cracked and crumbling like that of a boiled egg-shell. While he looked on in horror, his forearm crumbled apart to reveal emptiness where blood, muscle, and bone should have been. The sound of his Family laughing in joy rang in his crumbling ears until he was nothing more than a pile of broken shards.

_"What does the dragon need to be happy in return?" Haru asked with a secretive smile._

He had to do what was required for the Family

_"Humans are such fragile beings," a voice whispered._

He had to kill the Ninth no matter how much it hurt.

_"You need not think of such things, child of Flame," the voice continued._

He had to...

_"I see many that hold you dear, little one," the voice came again. "Worry not, for they have hearts of forgiveness and minds determined."_

Who...

_"You shall meet me one day," the voice promised. "For now, sleep. Sleep and dream of pleasant things. The time of your cold slumber is not far from ended, but take what time you can and sleep."_

I can't...

_"Sleep," the voice soothed._ Tsuna felt his Flame die down to a normal flicker instead of it's previous pyre of self-defensive panic. Darkness crept over his open eyes, blocking out the flickering images his mind had slowly been forced to receive. Unquestioning of the gift, Tsuna's mind quieted in response.

Thank...you...

He finally slept.

* * *

"H-Hotaru?" Gokudera asked in surprise. The little boy smiled widely at him despite the curiously watching stares from the rest of the people in the room. "Hotaru, you can't be here right now. Where's your mother?" 

"Mommy is in her sleeping room," Hotaru replied brightly. He hovered up into Gokudera's lap while the man bit his tongue in effort not to yell at the kid.

"Hotaru, why are you here? Didn't I tell you that I have to work right now?" Gokudera admonished through clenched teeth. "I'm working so that the Tenth can come home. If you--"

"Hotaru came to tell Goku-sensei something," Hotaru pouted unhappily. "Goku-sensei will be happy when Hotaru tells him."

"Don't be such a spoil-sport," Irene Havlock called from where she was going over the Doctor's analysis of the nanobots. "Just let the kid talk."

"It's fine," the Ninth added. "We're all just going over reports right now so that we can figure out the source of this mess."

"Fine," Gokudera grumbled to himself. "What did you want to tell me, Hotaru?"

"Papa had a visitor!" He said with a giggle. "Papa's happy now!"

"Visitor?" Gokudera repeated in confusion. "What do you mean, Hotaru?"

"Hotaru promised not to tell," He answered hesitantly. "But Hotaru doesn't think he'd get in trouble for telling Goku-sensei! Goku-sensei loves Papa like Hotaru!" He jumped up and smiled widely in Gokudera's face while the silver-haired man looked at the boy with wide and confused eyes. "Secret, okay?"

"O-Okay," Gokudera agreed.

The little boy went to whisper into Gokudera's ear, but paused and looked at all the openly watching people around them. His face scrunched up while he tried to think of a way to tell Gokudera without anyone hearing. After a moment, his face lit up and he smiled again. He stuck out his tongue at all the nosy people before sticking out a finger lit in red Flame. Before Gokudera could react to the sudden fire, the little boy touched it to his head.

"Can you hear me, Goku-sensei?" He heard Hotaru ask in his head. In surprise, he mumbled an affirmative. "Papa had a visitor," Hotaru repeated in his head. "He was sad and crying so Grandpa Fire came to visit. Grandpa Fire talked to Papa and now Papa's happy. Grandpa Fire stopped the bad stuff from eating Papa and helped Papa go to sleep!"

"Grand--" Gokudera started to repeat aloud. Hotaru gasped and covered his mouth with two little hands, breaking the link he'd made with the red Flame.

"Goku-sensei promised!" Hotaru scolded. "It's Hotaru and Goku-sensei's secret!"

"Alright," Gokudera mumbled from beneath his hands. Hotaru lifted them up with another wide grin before darting off in a wave of heat and Flame before Gokudera could question him.

"What was all that about?" Lanchia asked in curiosity once he was gone. That curiosity was mirrored in every face in the room.

"Who knows?" Gokudera shrugged. "From what I'm told, kids like to make secrets to make themselves feel special. He's probably doing it to distract himself from the Tenth." Gokudera sighed to himself, trying not to think about how strange it was for the little boy to call the Ninth 'Grandpa Fire'. The Ninth had visited the Tenth during his mental chaos. The Ninth had frozen him on his wishes, stopping the 'bad things' from controlling his thoughts. The Ninth helped the Tenth 'go to sleep.' It all fit, but it was strange that Hotaru would think it was a good thing and that it made the Tenth happy.

He shook his head to himself and went back to the report in his hands, completely putting the conversation with the child out of his head. He had other things to worry about. Namely the report on the Nano-Bio-Techno Whatsits Theory that Sangia had given him. It made his head spin in multiple directions which was normally difficult to do to him. All he needed to know was that there were nanobots in the Mafia's supply of medical IV solution and that those nanobots were the reason people were turning themselves in or becoming suicidally murderous. Yet she'd included every scrap of information on the Theoretical Study of such things. Foremost seemed to be by a scientist named Sinsanko.

_...Initially the idea was conceived for an autonomous system of self-biological reconstruction on the occasion of cellular damage. Upon testing, nanobots proved unreliable as a method of continuous bodily surveillance due to the self defense mechanisms which invariably remove the foreign agent during it's normal functions. It was concluded that without removing the body's immune system, nanobots would never be a viable means of continued autonomous cellular surveillance and repair. The scientists of the study ended the study two days later against the will of Dr. Sinsanko, deeming that removing a person's immune system would completely overshadow any benefits that nanobots could bring._

_Dr. Sinsanko created a new hypothesis that a bio-engineered substance could hide the foreign presence of nanobots from a body's own detection system. His Theory on Nano-technological Autonomous Bioengineering was that a living computer system could be used to overcome the shortcomings of using nanobots in their pure state. His team of scientists disagreed and turned their minds to more conceivable studies. Dr. Sinsanko's funding was pulled and three days later he was barred from his lab after an incident involving the reprogramming of the surplus supply of nanobots. His partner, Dr. Shamal, was found innocent of conspiracy and was assigned as the replacement team leader for the following four years..._

Gokudera paused and re-read the last line again.

"Ninth," Gokudera called. "May I be permitted to bring Shamal here for questioning?"

"Hmm?" The Ninth mumbled, looking up from his file.

"I'm not really getting all this," Gokudera explained. "Sangia was a little too enthusiastic in her report, but it says here that Shamal was part of the initial study for nanobots being used inside the human body. I was thinking that maybe he could explain some of this to me."

"I wish that were possible," the Ninth replied before leaning back in his chair. "Trident Shamal never answered the summons for retreat. I assumed he got distracted by a woman."

"That's not right," Gokudera mumbled with narrowed eyes. "Shamal wouldn't ignore something this big, no matter how good a woman he found."

"Do you suppose something happened to him?" The Ninth asked. Gokudera shrugged in reply.

"The last time I saw him was after he countered the attack on the Tenth in the hospital," Gokudera offered. "I assumed he was the one that called Sakura in so that he could return to flirting."

"You don't think he turned traitor, do you?" Iemitsu asked worriedly.

"Not him," Gokudera growled. "His trident mosquitoes would have removed the nano-electros from his body, I think. Assuming he even got hit with any."

"Oi," Reborn called, jumping up onto the table beside him. "Let me see that report." Gokudera handed it over, grateful that someone other than he had to read it. Reborn scanned it speedily with a frown before looking up at the Ninth. "It does say here that Shamal was one of Sinsanko's team in the initial study. If Shamal did notice the presence of nanobots in his own body, it's conceivable that he went to talk to his old partner about it."

"So, are you saying that he's been captured?" Dino asked, picking up on the conversation.

"Ah," Reborn confirmed. "Assuming that the initial creator who came up with the idea behind the nano-electros is the culprit, Shamal might have walked right into his clutches."

"Shit," Gokudera spat. "He better be in one piece."

"Shamal is a flirt," Iemitsu said with a smile, "but he's also an excellent hitman. I wouldn't count on him getting caught that easily."

"Either way," the Ninth interjected unhappily. "We've got another piece of the puzzle. Trident Shamal will have to wait on rescue if he is indeed captured." He sighed before tossing down his file. "Let's put together what we know so far," the Ninth announced, bringing instant attention.

"The Mafia's supply of saline solution commonly used in our medical facilities has been infected with nanobots pretending to be electrolytes," Iemitsu offered.

"Dr. Sinsanko was the initial theorist behind the idea for such a thing and is therefore our prime suspect," Reborn added firmly.

"We finally tracked down the core facility for the splinter cell," Gokudera announced. "It was based within the factory where the saline solution was processed. The facility has been shut down and the traitors are being questioned. We still haven't determined if they were working under their own free will or not. So far, none of them have named a leader as the source of all this."

"The stun guns have proved effective in knocking the nano-electros off of the victim's brains, but they keep reattaching themselves," Dino piped up. "Those that have been identified as infected have been put under watch by their comrades and get a fresh shock every few hours before they can be brainwash by them again. Everyone else is getting at least one shock daily for safety measures. The doctors are still working on a more permanent solution."

"Alright," the Ninth mumbled. "As soon as they find a cure to remove them altogether, we'll free Tsunayoshi. I know they are already working hard, but please remind them of the urgency."

"Yes, Ninth," Dino agreed.

"Father returned to normal after being shocked," Warwick the Sixteenth added joyously. "It took a lot of the Family to raid the prison, but he's due to arrive this afternoon. Presto sent me word that Father does occassionally have relapses, but a fresh shock seems to be working like Cavallone said."

"Good to know," the Ninth replied warmly.

"We're still trying to find the link between the charities, Ninth," Lanchia added on behalf of his boss. "So far, we've narrowed down four possible organizations that have been leeching funds from all of the recipient charities. We're trying to narrow it down farther to find where all the money was intended to be laundered to."

"Yamamoto said that the Trust for Indecently Exposed Vagrants could be knocked off of the list," Gokudera offered. "Apparently it's a low-budget organization for buying clothes for the homeless. They've been leeching money to make a film about what they see during their work and the funds they took isn't even a percentage of what we're looking for. It's a large amount, but it's not enough to account for the complete funds from five Mafia Families."

"Four," Warwick the Sixteenth corrected. "Once we heard what Father was wanting to do, I made him think he wired all the money to charity with some of the uninfected Family's help. It's really all in a private account at Don Giotto Bank."

"Not bad, kid," Irene chuckled.

"I had to protect the Family's assets," he mumbled sheepishly with a blush.

"Your Father trained you well," Kuneri the Eighth praised. "But on to other things. We've sent out what information we have to the rival Families on your behalf, Ninth. Gesso, Todd, Gospella and Juno have all responded and have set to working their side of the Mafia. They claim to have already caught onto the brainwashing, but hadn't been able to identify the cause until we sent them our data. In return for the information, they promised to fund rebuilding a new Mafia Row after all this is done."

"Good, good," the Ninth replied, openly pleased. "Even rivals can be civil to one another."

"I left out all the cursing and bitching they gave, Ninth," Kuneri amended, making the Ninth sigh.

"Well, at least they accepted it," he mumbled before once again turning to his reports. Gokudera returned to his, sensing that the meeting was over without coming to any new conclusions. He only hoped that Yamamoto was having better luck getting the doctors motivated to find a cure.

* * *

Xanxus walked up and laid a hand on the cold ice surrounding Tsuna. He stood in the center, trapped in the middle of clutching his temples. His face held an expression of agony, frozen with his mouth open in a scream that he couldn't sound and his eyes were mere pinpoints where they were frozen open. 

What the hell happened to you, kid, Xanxus wanted to ask. He refrained, knowing that he'd get no answers.

How long had Xanxus waited for a situation very like this one? How long had he wished that their positions could be reversed? How long had he wanted someone to feel and know the pain he'd went through? Yet, the brat was Family now. It irritated him that he could take no joy from Tsuna's pain. It angered him that the day he'd waited for had finally come, but it had come too late. He found no satisfaction in seeing the kid trapped below the ice before him.

The knowledge enraged him.

He wanted to throw something, punch something, hurt something, destroy something! But nothing was forthcoming. The only things around him were patrolling Vendiche in the castle's underground dungeon and the filled lump of ice before him. Neither were things he could take his anger out on. He wouldn't go back under the ice again. Not after having barely survived the first time.

"Are you going fucking insane yet, brat?" Xanxus asked the silent prisoner. Then he let out a small, sad chuckle in realization. "That's right. You were already nuts when you volunteered for this. Bet you didn't think about the consequences again. You just charged into it so that you could get it over with. You fucking idiot. That might be alright when you have to do a hit, but you must have shit for brains to think you can do that all the damn time. Why is it that you have such a big ass Flame, but you don't use it right? You stopped fucking using your hyper-intuition, you little shit. I bet it would have fucking told you not to do this. You're a fucking fool!"

Silence replied.

"A fucking fool," Xanxus repeated softly while he seethed.

"Ah," a voice behind him said. "He's a fool."

"What are you doing here, Squalo?" Xanxus growled without turning around.

"Thought you might was some warning that the brass are coming down in a few to inspect him again," Squalo answered without missing a beat. "It's bad enough you gave your loyalty to the chibi. I don't think you want to let anyone see you crying over his ass."

"Who's fucking cr--" Xanxus paused, realizing his face was wet. "What the fuck is this?" He asked in confusion after touching his hand to the foreign substance on his face.

"Those are tears, boss," Squalo replied without twitching an eyelid. "I've seen you get pissed off in a lot of ways, but I think this is a be-damned first."

"It's not a first," Xanxus groaned while he tried to control his anger. He scrubbed the wetness on his face away before snarling at Squalo's raised eyebrow over his response.

He'd be damned if he told the swordsman that he'd been cried over. Admittedly, it had been amidst destroying their base of operations after the Rain Battle, but it didn't change the fact. Had it been Levi or Belphegor or any of the others that were assumed dead, he wouldn't have blinked twice. But Squalo, who had been always been at his side... He who had always encouraged him and inflated his pride. He who had never questioned his dominance and had aided him even in treason. For him, Xanxus had wept in his rage.

As he had just done for Tsuna.

"You've been coming to visit his frozen ass every day, boss," Squalo stated without accusing. He leaned back against the open door of the cell Tsuna had been stashed in. "I assumed you were gloating, but guess you were telling the little shit off."

"It's been four damn days, Squalo," Xanxus growled, turning back to the frozen pyre. "They froze him with his fucking eyes open and left him in the damn light."

"So?" Squalo mumbled. Out of boredom, he began flicking the sword embedded into his arm in and out of it's sheath before the nearby cold got to it.

"He's going to go fucking nuts," Xanxus said without a hint of a laugh. "You can't sleep in the light. Every moment lasts a damn eternity before jerking forward to a new moment. It gives you a screwed up sense of time that you shouldn't have, Squalo. I swear I prayed for the only damn time of my life when they finally shut off the lights and then I cursed them for the need."

"You sound like you're worried about him, boss," Squalo whispered in awe.

"Who the fuck are you kidding," Xanxus snarled with a sudden burst of rage. "He's just not allowed to go nuts unless I make him go fucking nuts. I spent too fucking long trying to break his ass for the Ninth to finish the damn job."

"OOOIIII," Squalo called in sudden cheer. "That's the boss I know." Xanxus turned and walked toward him with the intention to leave before the upper echelon and his father showed up to check on the kid. On his way past, he paused and cuffed the man on the side of his head, nearly knocking him to the ground by the force.

"HEEEY!"

"You talk too fucking much, scum," Xanxus said with a dark look. Squalo grinned widely at that look while he held the side of his head. Xanxus let out one final growl in the back of his throat before he led the way out, leaving Tsuna still encased behind him.


	83. Chapter 83 Free

"Where's Tsu-kun?!" Haru yelled at her keeper. Ryohei looked at her sheepishly before looking at his sister for help.

"Why don't we play some more goldfish?" Kyoko offered.

"I'm sick of playing goldfish!" Haru whined. "I want to see Tsu-kun!"

"He's got some...um...extreme work," Ryohei lied. "He said he'd try and get free, but the big boss-man probably won't let him go for a few more days." He chuckled falteringly to himself in an attempt to lighten the mood, but Haru didn't seem placated.

"He's been working non-stop for a week now!" She yelled.

"I thought you were mad at him, Haru?" Kyoko asked obliviously. Haru grumbled in response and sat down on the hotel bed next to her. Ryohei decided it was the perfect opportunity to escape and slipped out of the room.

"I was mad," Haru admitted. "But Yamamoto and Sakura told me what happened before. Tsu-kun really didn't mean to miss the dinner he promised to be at. He hates needles and he passed out when Sakura stuck him with one. Sakura said that the minute he woke up, he came running here. I was so mad at him, though, I didn't let him explain."

"It'll be okay," Kyoko soothed. "Tsuna probably doesn't want to be away from you. Big brother said he's working hard so that we can all enjoy ourselves for free on this trip. We shouldn't waste his efforts."

"This isn't a pleasure--" Haru paused and looked into Kyoko's innocently listening face. She suddenly realized that the girl sitting next to her had no clue about Tsuna's Mafia life. Her own brother had lied to her and told her that this was just a sudden beach vacation.

"I know it's not a pleasure without Tsuna," Kyoko said, completely misunderstanding what Haru had been about to say. "But let's make the best of it, okay?"

"Kyoko," Haru said softly, getting the girl's undivided attention. Haru clenched her fists against her knees and looked down. Should she tell Kyoko? Should Kyoko know the truth about their sudden trip? Kyoko would always be clueless unless someone told her. Should she be the one to tell her friend? "Kyoko," Haru repeated without looking up, "There's something I need to tell you."

"What is it?" Kyoko replied with a bright smile. Haru finally looked up at her, intending to blurt out the truth, but the innocent expression on Kyoko's face stopped her. Her friend was happier without knowing. If she told the girl about Tsuna being in the Mafia, she might find out about Mochida. It would hurt her to find out that Mochida had been a bad man. Just as bad, she would be hurt to find out that Tsuna had been the one to protect Kyoko from him.

"Haru wants to play goldfish," she mumbled instead.

"I'll get the cards!" Kyoko offered.

"I'll go ask Hotaru if he wants to play too," Haru replied unhappily.

* * *

"It's time," the Ninth agreed. "Go gather the Guardians and I'll contact the Vendiche." 

Gokudera got to his feet with the help of the braces strapped to his legs and immediately headed to the door. He'd been waiting a week to hear those words. The doctors had finally perfected an antigen to destroy and remove the nano-electros. Even with Yamamoto 'encouraging' them, they'd been stumped on figuring out a way to destroy the electolytes holding the nanobots without destroying the normal electolytes in a person. It had been Sangia who had found the solution, which Gokudera had decided to skip the explanation on. She said it worked and that's all that mattered to him. The test cases that he'd witnessed had proved affective and even Hotaru had said the 'bad things' were gone afterward.

All that was left was to use it on the Tenth. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and began sending out orders. The first he sent was a text to Yamamoto. He'd agreed to grab Hibari and the others outside the hotel once Gokudera got permission from the Ninth. Gokudera would grab the ones within the hotel since he was already there.

He hurried as fast as he could once the elevator doors opened, cursing at his own slowness. His leg supports were the best the Mafia could make, but they were still so much slower than walking unaided. Yet, without them, he'd only be able to falteringly stumble a few steps before falling. Hotaru had fixed his nerves and bones, but they were like a newborn baby's without the added strength that Hotaru hadn't been able to give. Even a week of cutting his sleep short in effort to train had only gotten him halfway back to normal.

Pushing all thoughts of slowness out of his head, he waved urgently to Ryohei who was purposely patrolling the halls of the Tenth's Family's assigned floor. He looked like he had just slipped out of Haru's room and had been heading for Nana's, but he detoured when he saw how rushed Gokudera was.

"It's time," Gokudera gasped. "They got a cure this morning and the Ninth approved it. Yamamoto is going to go get Hibari and Chrome. Go grab Sakura and head to the castle. I'll follow with Lambo."

"Who's going to watch the Family?" Ryohei asked while they walked toward Lambo's room.

"They'll be fine for a little bit, lawn-head," Gokudera answered, although his dislike was plain on his face. "I've already sent a signal to Legato and her team. They'll take over watching the Family while we're away."

"Alright," Ryohei agreed before darting down the hall. Gokudera nodded in satisfaction at his speed. Ryohei might seem like just a brainless boxer, but his heart was still in the right place. He wanted the Tenth back just as bad as everyone else.

"Stupid-cow, it's Gokudera. Open up," he called at the room that had been set aside for Lambo and Fuuta. I-Pin had been assigned to stay with Bianchi regardless of I-Pin and Lambo's sibling-like behavior toward each other. Everyone was having to double-up since the island was short on rooms due to the current state of emergency, but the two kids weren't at an age that they could room with one another anymore. Doing such a thing would have invited trouble that no one needed.

"What's the password," Lambo yelled stubbornly through the door without unlocking it.

"My foot up your rear if you don't open this right now!" Gokudera yelled with a sharp warning pound on the door. There was no password and Lambo knew it. He'd told them to be careful of strangers and not open the door to anyone other than those they recognized, but Lambo had taken it to extremes.

"How do I know it's you, octopus-head?" He called mischievously.

"I don't have time to play, stupid-cow!" Gokudera retorted angrily. "I need you to come with me right now!"

"Why do I have to go?" Lambo asked belligerently.

"You're one of the Tenth's Guardians," Gokudera replied after biting his tongue to summon patience. "The Tenth needs all of us right now."

"I don't want to then! Tsuna took away all of Lambo's--"

"This isn't the time for you to hold a grudge, stupid-cow!" He yelled when his patience disappeared again. "Open this damn door or else I'm kicking it down!" He heard a gasp from inside followed by the door speedily being unlocked and opened.

"Don't! Your legs are still hurt!" He cried once the door was opened.

"About time," Gokudera grumbled. Before the little brat could argue, Gokudera grabbed his hand and started leading him down the hall. For once, the boy didn't argue, although the tears in his eyes made Gokudera grit his teeth. He let his hand go once they were in the elevator and Gokudera paused for a moment. After lighting himself a cigarette, his irritation with Lambo eased and he looked down at him in remorse. "I'll be honest, cow. If there was any choice, I wouldn't be bringing you with me. This isn't something that you probably need to see."

"Is it going to be like that other time?" Lambo asked with fat tears in his eyes. Gokudera clenched his teeth at the reminder of what the brat had said he'd seen during his last trip to the future.

"No," Gokudera said simply. Lambo wiped his eyes at the answer in relief. "But it's still something that's pretty hard to look at."

"Where are we going, octopus-head?" He asked, regaining some of his former self.

"We're going to free the Tenth," he answered. Before the boy could question any more, the elevator doors opened and Gokudera falteringly led the way outside. It took nearly fifteen minutes to reach the castle fortress at the center of the island and Gokudera cursed every time one of his legs would buckle before he caught himself. Halfway there, he clenched his teeth and accepted Lambo's shoulder as support in effort to speed up the journey.

Lambo balked at the entrance to the dungeon, fearful of the Vendiche guarding it. After biting his tongue yet again, Gokudera shoved him forward and prodded him down the stairs. Yamamoto and Ryohei were waiting at the bottom with the others, making Gokudera sigh in relief. Lambo began crying at the scary nature of his surroundings, but thankfully didn't try to run.

"He's down here," Yamamoto said, leading the way. Gokudera nodded and trailed at the end of the group in effort to keep the little cow-boy moving. They all stopped in front of the cell holding Tsuna and those that hadn't seen him before gasped in surprise. The only exception was Hibari who looked like he wanted to hit something after a glance.

The huge pyre of ice reached nearly to the ceiling. It's cold and icy surface was crystal clear, hiding nothing of what lay beneath. Even though Gokudera had already seen it at least once daily for the past week, he turned his head away in shame at the sight. For his boss to have been encased while in such pain and misery was due to his failure as a Right Hand. If he'd been there like he should have been, it was completely possible that his boss' mind wouldn't have submitted to the brainwashing. Gokudera felt that if only he'd been there, he could have kept his boss' thoughts from turning.

The same shame was mirrored on Yamamoto and Ryohei's faces. Lambo had begun heaving in panic, so Gokudera paused to calm him. The little cow-boy had to be able to withstand what he might see when the Tenth was freed. No one knew if he'd be too weak from the ordeal to fight or not, but the look of anguish he was trapped in didn't bode well.

"It's okay, Lambo," Gokudera said softly. "All you have to do is to touch it when everyone else does. You don't have to be scared. The ice will disappear and you can hide behind me if you need to."

"L-L-Lambo i-i-isn't s-s-scared," he stuttered with wide eyes. Gokudera rolled his eyes and prodded the kid into position next to him.

"Alright," Yamamoto called. "Everyone take a spot around the base. Just put your hand on the ice and the Rings should do the rest. Sakura, be ready," he warned.

"I got it right here," Sakura said, holding up a trembling hand with a syringe in it. "From what information I could gather, he shouldn't need more than rest in a warm bed after we get him--"

"Just be ready," Yamamoto interrupted.

"I'll take front to catch him and restrain him if needed," Ryohei offered. When Yamamoto and Gokudera both nodded in agreement, he took his position. Once Chrome and Hibari took theirs, Yamamoto looked around to see if everyone was set. The moment he saw that they were, he signaled.

Six hands were raised.

Six rings were lit in Flame.

Six fires burst free and enveloped the ice in a single moment of heat and steam.

Before anyone could comprehend that it had begun, it was over. The rainbow of Flames from the six Guardians flickered out and died. Vongola the Tenth's hands fell limply to his sides and his eyes fell closed for the first time in seven days. He wavered on his feet and his knees buckled after several silent seconds. Not only Ryohei, but every Guardian's hands flew forward and held him erect in a single instant of combined determination.

No one would let him fall.

His eyes flickered open and he tiredly smiled in the hands of his Family.

"Thank you," he whispered painfully. His eyes flickered over to where Sakura was approaching hesitantly with a syringe. "Don't worry," he croaked. "I won't fight. I'm not afraid." Sakura paused completely at the words in confusion.

With the help of several Guardians, they positioned their boss's head onto Ryohei's shoulder in a hug and braced him in place, regardless of his words. Sakura approached cautiously while Yamamoto moved aside Tsuna's hair to expose the base of his neck. Then, before Tsuna could change his mind, Sakura darted forward and stabbed the needle inwards and upwards, underneath the base of his skull. Tsuna gasped in Ryohei's arms and tensed, but true to his words, he didn't fight.

He began shaking uncontrollably once the serum was injected and the needle was removed. Tears formed in Gokudera's eyes, having been the only one to see the previous test cases. While Tsuna began to thrash from the force of millions of living nanobots being forcefully ripped from his brain in a blinding wave, Gokudera reached for the towel next to Sakura's case. He made it just in time.

Blood began to pour out of Tsuna ears and nose as the nanobots looked for any and every opening they could find in order to leave their host's body. Those being the two closest to the brain, the instantaneous flood flowed like a river for what seemed like an eternity. Gokudera stopped trying to catch it with a sympathetic look at Ryohei, who's shoulder began to be dyed crimson underneath the towel. The other Guardians fortunately didn't panic at all the blood, instead taking the cues of calm that Gokudera and Sakura gave.

When it finally stopped, they lowered Tsuna to the ground and let Sakura check him over. Using a scanner built during the interlude while the doctors had been searching for a counter to the nanobots, Sakura scanned Tsuna despite the trembling aftershocks he still had. While he worked, Yamamoto searched the doctor's bag for another cloth and quickly began wiping the blood from Tsuna's face despite his continued gasps of pain and his fluttering eyelids. Meanwhile, Gokudera tried to calm Lambo who had been staring at the scene in horror.

"That got most of them," Sakura replied with a sigh, putting the handheld scanner aside. "He's still got some residual ones, but they look to be inactive. We can give him another dose tomorrow to clean them out, but there shouldn't be any threat right now. Pull his clothes off and let me check for any lingering frostbite," he ordered.

Silently, Yamamoto obeyed and began pulling off his still-cold clothing. He didn't question the helping hands that aided him, although he was a bit surprised when it turned out to be Hibari instead of Ryohei. Ryohei was standing to the side, trying to get rid of his bloodstained jacket that Lambo kept glancing at with tear-filled eyes and Chrome-turned-Mukuro was watching the whole scene in a curious yet calm way.

No one questioned why Hibari was helping instead of going after Mukuro.

No one dared.

Besides, they had other things to worry about. Namely the dark splotches already beginning to appear on Tsuna's skin when it warmed. Sakura started grabbing heat-compresses out of the supplies he'd brought and began packing them next to Tsuna while they continued to pull off his clothing. By the time they were done, he was left with only a towel draped over him for decency's sake. The rest of his body slowly became covered in large, thin squares full of a self-heating gel. Sakura sighed in dismay and sat back after he was done.

"After he's warmed up, we can dress him again and take him to his room," he stated unhappily. "There's nothing that we can do in the hospital for him that we can't do elsewhere. After all he's been through, I think he'd prefer waking up in his own room. It might help him regain his mental balance."

"Ngn," Tsuna moaned. Sakura's eyebrows flew up in surprise and he knelt forward over Tsuna in worry.

"He shouldn't already be awake," the doctor mumbled. His state of waking was proved when Sakura lifted one of his eyelids and shot a light into it to check his responsiveness.

"Hurts," Tsuna croaked, turning his head away.

"I'll put the light away, Tsuna, but let me see your eyes," Sakura ordered. "You've had them open for seven days now."

"Seven...days?" He repeated in a voice that sounded raw and harsh. Sakura grimaced to himself at the sound, knowing that it was due to being frozen while his vocal cords had been taunt from screaming. He mumbled confirmation to Tsuna while the man tried to open his eyes again. Sakura patiently waited when he only managed to crack them open. After a few more tries, he got them halfway open for a few moments and Sakura looked deeply into them to check for visible damage to the retinas. He sighed in relief when he didn't see any and silently pushed Tsuna's eyes closed to signal he could stop forcing himself.

"Are you still feeling cold anywhere? Hurt anywhere?" Sakura asked while he ignored the worriedly hovering Guardians around him. Sakura placed one of the lightweight heat-packs across Tsuna's eyes and forehead, deciding that it would be better safe than sorry. Then, he handed swabs to Yamamoto and began cleaning out the access blood from Tsuna's nose and ears while they waited for an answer.

"Feet... tingle...," Tsuna panted softly with a small grunt from trying to move the offending appendage and receiving a tingling shock in return. Sakura immediately signaled to Ryohei to grab more heat packs and the boxer began hastily applying them. "Goku... dera..." he attempted to call, knowing that the man would be near.

"I'm here, Tenth," Gokudera replied softly. With Lambo's help, he sat down next to his boss' head and brushed a few hairs from his tired head to tell him that he was there.

"Sit...u...a...tion..." Tsuna asked. Seeing how his throat was getting worse, Sakura took a moment away from the ear he'd been working on and tilted Tsuna's head up long enough to drink a warming draught. Tsuna moaned a little at the taste, but greedily swallowed when he began to feel the way it spread warmth through his throat and stomach.

"We found out what was causing all the problems, Tenth," Gokudera answered. "Someone had infected the Mafia's supply of medical saline solution with nanobots that were programmed to brainwash people. We've got a lead on the perpetrator, but we're still tracking him down. Everyone is fine, though, Tenth. The doctors found a cure and everyone that was hit with the nanobots is being treated right now. The Family is safe, too. You were the only one that got hit before we found out the cause."

"Good," Tsuna mumbled in growing contentment. The heat from the compresses had finally leeched through to his feet and his body, making him feel like he was floating in a hot spring on a warm night. The draught that Sakura had given him added to the effect, making him incredibly tired despite how long he'd already slept. Despite his desire to stay awake, he drifted off to a true sleep at his body's call.

"He's out," Sakura confirmed after a moment. At Sakura's direction, everyone began removing the heating packs from around his body and Mukuro-turned-Chrome fetched the sweat-clothes that the doctor had brought. After that, Chrome darted out the door with a small blush and left. As the packs were removed, a wave of dismay passed through the remaining assembly.

"It's not fair," Yamamoto moaned. "He already has so many." The swordsman fought tears while more and more zero-point scars were revealed. Dark blotches covered his skin over the maze of thick and thin scars that were already there. The hardest ones to look at were the ones scattered across his scar-free chest where Hotaru had previously healed him.

Then Sakura lifted the pack from Tsuna's face.

"It could be worse," Sakura whispered. The Guardians nodded in agreement while they stared down at Tsuna's sleeping face. While they'd been working, a single blotch had formed on Tsuna's face. Even though they knew it was a zero-point scar, it could easily been mistaken for a strange, tribal tattoo streaking from his temple and across his cheekbone to where it curved up to a stop under his eye. It was a strange mirror to the thin scar on his other cheek, but altogether not nearly as bad as Xanxus' thick mask when the man was angered.

Hibari's grunt at the sight brought everyone out of their silent stares. The group began moving single-minded again in effort to get Tsuna dressed in the sweats that Sakura had brought. Within a few minutes, he was warmly dressed and ready to move.

"I-Is T-T-Tsuna going to be o-okay?" Lambo stuttered hesitantly when he helped Gokudera stand.

No one answered.

No one knew.


	84. Chapter 84 Rest

Haru gasped in surprise when a flood of people burst into her hotel room. She was even more surprised when Gokudera rushed forward out of the group and tossed aside the cards that she and Kyoko had been playing with on the bed. Before she could even gather her wits enough to yell at him, she found both herself and Kyoko bodily picked up by Yamamoto and tossed into a couch across the room.

Then Ryohei walked in carrying Tsuna curled up asleep in his arms with his face tucked into his chest.

"Tsu--!" She started to squeal, but Yamamoto dashed forward and covered her mouth with a warning glare. The fierceness in his eyes silenced her, having never before seen such coldness in her friend's eyes before.

"Big broth--" Kyoko started to ask in surprise, but the look she received from Ryohei was just as fierce.

"Be quiet, sis," he ordered softly so as to not wake his burden. "This isn't something you need to know about. Just go back to your room and take Haru with you. I'll be there in a little bit."

"But--"

"Just go!" Ryohei snapped quietly. By the time that she and Haru began slowly moving with a few prods from Yamamoto, Gokudera had finished pulling back the covers on the bed for his boss. Ever-so-carefully, Ryohei went forward and placed Tsuna on the bed and helped tuck him in while Yamamoto put the heating packs that Sakura had given him atop the blankets as a precautionary measure.

"I'll stay in here and watch over him in case there are any aftershocks," Gokudera said softly once they were finished.

"I'll stick at the door and make sure no one barges in," Yamamoto offered quietly. Gokudera and Ryohei both nodded in agreement.

"I guess that leaves me to deal with Sis and Haru," Ryohei grumbled in a whisper. He received sympathetic looks from his two friends, but no one disagreed. Yamamoto walked him out, taking a chair with him, while Gokudera found himself a comfortable seat to wait in.

Ryohei continued to grumble to himself while he walked down the hall. He was trying to decide how to deal with the two girls and it wasn't proving easy. Should he lie? She he tell them the truth? Would Haru accept a lie? Could Kyoko handle the truth? Having the two of them together proved to be more problematic than Ryohei had ever considered. Yet, Ryohei couldn't have left his sister at home. The authorities would have been all over her if anyone had squealed on him. That would have been even worse than Ryohei telling her himself about his real work.

Ryohei ran a hand through his short hair while he stood outside Kyoko's room and considered what he should do. Either way, he was going to hear it from one of them. If he lied and told them that he was just overworked, it would be bad. Haru would be upset at him out of knowing she was being lied to and Kyoko would yell at him for not taking good enough care of Tsuna. If he told them the truth, it would be bad. Haru would yell over what had happened to Tsuna without anyone telling her and Kyoko would be upset with him when she found out he'd been lying to her for all these years.

It was a Catch 22.

No matter what he did, he was going to get one of them yelling and one of them crying. With a growl, he realized he wouldn't be able to make up his mind in the hall. He had to peek in and decide after he ascertained their dispositions. Maybe they were both just blissfully playing cards again and wouldn't ask any questions.

He wished.

"I want the truth and I want it right now!" Haru shrieked the moment his head popped in the door. He yelped when she latched onto one of his ears and yanked him into the room. "Start talking," she ordered. "Tsu-kun wouldn't have been that worn out over just paperwork!"

"Fine," he begged. "Just let go of my ear." She released his ear and crossed her arms unhappily while he rubbed the side of his head.

"I want answers," she repeated. "I stayed quiet because everyone was in a rush when we left home. I stayed quiet when you kept telling me that Tsu-kun was working. But I'm not going to stay quiet over you bringing him back so tired that he has to be carried! I smell something fishy!"

"What's going on, big brother?" Kyoko asked softly when Haru finished. "It is kind of weird how we got this sudden free trip, but you won't let any of us leave the hotel. And has Tsuna been eating well? He looked thinner than I remember."

"He's been on an extreme diet," Ryohei lied. "You haven't seen him since the last time we were in Japan for a few weeks, so it's more noticeable to you."

"Still..." Kyoko mumbled. While she bowed her head in thought, Ryohei sent panicked glances to Haru with a pointed glance at Kyoko. Haru just shook her head though.

"I'm not going to stay quiet until you tell me what's going on, Sasagawa Ryohei!" She replied firmly. "Everyone needs to stop lying to Kyoko and me. Just tell us what's going on already!"

"You've been lying to me, big brother?" Kyoko asked with her head snapping back up. Ryohei moaned to himself and covered his face with his hand. There was no hiding the truth.

"Fine," he yelled in irritation. "You wanted the truth? Here's the truth. The organization I work for was overrun by extreme brain-bugs that made everyone go nuts. We came to this island to hide from them, but they followed us and ate some of Tsuna's brains. He went nuts, so the doctors froze him with that cryo-whatits stuff until they found the right pesticide to use. A little while ago, the exterminators took out the bugs from his brains but he's still cold from being frozen. He needs extreme rest, so you two stay put and leave him alone!"

The two girls just looked at him for a moment while he panted from saying it all in one breath.

Then the laughter started.

"Come on, big brother," Kyoko giggled. "Brain bugs? I'm not a little girl anymore. You can come up with something better than that!"

"You should see your face," Haru laughed. "It looked like you were about to blow a fuse! Give me a second and then you can tell us the truth, Ryohei. I'm not mad anymore. I don't know how anyone can be after hearing something like that." Ryohei's eyes widened in shock and his jaw dropped. He'd forced himself to tell them the truth and they didn't believe him!

"It's the truth," Ryohei blurted. "There really are brain-bugs! Sakura said they were little mechanical bugs that were getting into people's heads and making them do crazy things! I'm not lying!"

"Enough," Haru snapped with a frown. "It was funny the first time you said it, but you don't expect us to believe that. Do you?"

"Fine," Ryohei growled. "Believe what you want. I'm going to go check on the rest of the Family. You two just stay away from little bro's room until Yamamoto or Gokudera says it's okay." He slipped out of the room before they could argue and headed to check on Lambo. Haru almost chased after him, but paused from Kyoko's hand on her arm.

"I've never seen my brother like that," Kyoko mumbled. "I thought it was strange how he was so cold when they brought Tsuna in, but now he's making up crazy stories. Something strange is going on, Haru."

"Ha-hi?" Haru exclaimed in surprise. Then she stopped and considered. "Lets go ask Yamamoto. He'll tell me the truth," she decided. Peeking out the door to make sure that Ryohei was already gone, the two girls slipped out and back down the hall to Haru's room. Yamamoto was sitting in a chair in front of the door, which made finding him all that much easier.

"Haru, you can't--" He started to warn.

"It's not that," she interrupted. "I'm willing to wait to see Tsu-kun when he wakes up. I just want to know what's going on." Haru sighed at the glance he sent in Kyoko's direction and nearly predicted his next words.

"Tsuna's just overworked," he lied. "He'll be--"

"Nice try," Haru interrupted. "Try the truth, Yamamoto."

"No," he replied stubbornly without looking at her. "It's not any of your concern. Just go back--"

"I've got three rings on my hand that says it is my concern!" Haru objected. She shoved her hand into Yamamoto's face, daring him to deny it. He stared at the engagement ring Tsuna had given her, the Ring of Acknowledgment that the Ninth had given her, and the Demetirus Ring that Patchwork had given her for Hotaru. After a moment, he pushed the hand away with a sigh of resignation.

"You're right," he moaned. "Tsuna's not going to be happy that I told you, though."

"I still need to know, Yamamoto," Haru begged.

"The truth is that Tsuna was hit with a bunch of brainwashing nanobots," Yamamoto mumbled with a bowed head. "He went crazy and shot his father, so they froze him until they could find a counter agent. This morning they perfected it. Right now, Tsuna's sleeping from the exertion of the treatment and being unfrozen."

"So Ryohei was telling the truth about the brain-bugs?" Kyoko asked softly.

"Probably, in his own way, yeah," Yamamoto confirmed.

"I-Is Tsu-kun--"

"We don't know, Haru," the swordsman answered honestly. "We cleared out the nano-electros, the...um...brain-bugs, but we don't know if there will be any lingering traces of the brainwashing. Plus, it was pretty hard on his body to be frozen after everything else he's been through. His leg and shoulder wasn't healed yet when he got frozen, plus he'd lost all that weight from his suicide attempt. A lesser man would be dead ten times over by now."

"Wait," Haru pleaded while she dropped to her knees in front of Yamamoto. "His leg and shoulder? And did you say suicide attempt? When...?"

"Didn't you wonder why he lost all that weight, Haru," Yamamoto whispered while he looked into her shocked and tear-filled eyes. "If you think you took it hard when you found out about your son, how do you think he took it? He blamed himself for not protecting you, Haru. He killed the son of a bitch that attacked you then tried to take a one-way trip to the bottom of the sea before you even woke up."

"I didn't--" Haru said as she began to sob into his lap.

"He didn't want you to know," the swordsman replied with a sigh. "After we recovered him, he found out a way to save Hotaru and was too happy with his new son to want to worry about about the past. Then he got arrested and had to go through all that misery. The brain-bugs were already spreading back then, but no one knew about them until after we had already been forced to retreat here. In the escape, he got injured pretty badly and during his treatment for his wounds, he got infected with them like Cress did."

"Cress...?" Haru repeated in shock.

"He's dead, Haru," Yamamoto replied gently. "That's how Gokudera got paralyzed."

"Why didn't anyone tell me?" Haru cried. "Why did you all lie to me?"

"It was required to keep you happy," Yamamoto answered simply.

"I'm not the least bit happy," she replied with another sob.

"Oi," Gokudera growled, poking his head out the door. "Keep it down or you'll--" Gokudera paused and responded to a movement from inside. After a moment, he nodded his head and looked back out the door at the gathering. "The Tenth wants to see you," Gokudera said through clenched teeth to Haru.

"Here," Yamamoto offered. He helped Haru up and used his sleeve to dry her face. "Don't let him see how upset you are. He's been through enough. And whatever you do, don't let him know about his new scars yet. He hasn't seen them and we don't want him to know about them until there's no other choice." Haru nodded and let out a deep breath to calm herself before ducking underneath Gokudera's arm to enter the room. Kyoko tried to follow, but both Yamamoto and Gokudera stopped her before she took a single step. She blinked in surprise when the door was shut in her face and Yamamoto personally escorted her back to her room.

Inside the room, Gokudera lumbered over to the opposite side of his boss' bed to grab the warming draught that Sakura had given him. While Haru slowly approached, Gokudera lifted up Tsuna's head and helped him drink. Tsuna sighed in relief once Gokudera pulled it away.

"Thank you, Gokudera," he whispered. "My throat doesn't hurt as much now. Is Haru here?"

"She's here, Tenth," Gokudera confirmed with a mournful look at his boss. He darted forward when Tsuna tried to open his eyes and ended up grimacing in pain. "Please, don't try to look yet, Tenth," Gokudera mumbled with his hand covering Tsuna's eyes. "Sakura said you should rest your eyes for at least a full day."

"Alright," Tsuna agreed without argument. "I haven't heard Haru yet, though. Is she still not speaking to me?"

"I don't know, Tenth," Gokudera replied with a pointed glare in Haru's direction. Haru was standing across the room, having come to a stop once she caught sight of the scars that Yamamoto had warned her about. The large blotch trailing along his cheekbone and under his eye wasn't something she could have ignored even if she tried. Not only that, but small blotches had formed along his hairline, reminding her of the scary man that Tsuna used to work with.

"I'm sorry that I've been gone so long, Haru," Tsuna apologized, unknowing of the reason for Haru's hesitation. "And I really didn't mean to miss--"

"It's okay, Tsu-kun," Haru said, snapping out of her shock. "Sakura told me how you passed out after you saw the needle. I'm not mad anymore."

"I'm glad," Tsuna whispered in relief.

"I'll be outside, Tenth," Gokudera said after a moment. "Just have Haru come get me if you need anything."

"Thank you," Tsuna replied warmly.

"Try to get him to sleep some more," Gokudera whispered in her ear before leaving. Haru nodded in acceptance of the suggestion before sitting down on the bed next to Tsuna. She waited for the door to close behind Gokudera before leaning down and hugging her beloved's chest.

"I was worried about you," Haru mumbled. "They kept saying all week that you were just working, but I knew that couldn't be true. You would have found a way to stop by for a few minutes to see me and Hotaru if you could."

"I'm sorry," Tsuna repeated softly while he ran his hand through her hair. "I wasn't myself. I was afraid I might hurt you again. I missed you so much, though."

"Can Haru cuddle with Tsu-kun?" She asked after a few quiet minutes passed with her laying on his chest and listening to his heartbeat through the blankets.

"Aren't you already?" He chuckled.

"This is hugging," she objected. "Haru wants to cuddle."

"Alright," he agreed with a wide smile. "Whatever makes you happy." With that, Haru tossed up the covers long enough to get under them with him and unintentionally sent heat packs flying. Not that they were missed. Tsuna sighed in contentment once Haru wrapped up against his side with her head on his shoulder and her arm wrapped around his chest.

"This is cuddling," Haru informed him. Tsuna smiled broadly and nodded at her in a humoring type of way. He didn't argue, though. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her and let himself be enveloped in her warmth. Haru closed her eyes and let herself be content in return. The remaining heat-packs that hadn't been tossed off made it incredibly warm under the blankets. Combined with the heat radiating from Tsuna through his sweat-clothes, it made her sweat in a pleasant kind of way. She found herself dozing in Tsuna's arms despite it not even being lunch-time yet.

The bed shifting made her eyes pop back open, though.

"Is that you, Hotaru?" Tsuna asked before she even raised her head.

"Hotaru wants to cuddle with Papa, too!" He giggled. Tsuna laughed in return and lifted up the covers on his other side for the little boy in silent permission. Hotaru dove into them with a squeal of happiness and Tsuna soon found himself wrapped in the arms of his family. "Hotaru loves Papa," he said once he was settled.

"And I love you, too...son," Tsuna added with a kiss to the little boy's forehead.

"Papa was happier after he talked to Grandpa Fire," Hotaru said innocently.

"Who's Grandpa Fire?" Tsuna asked in confusion.

"Don't you remember, Papa?" Hotaru inquired in his arms. "Grandpa Fire came to visit when you were in the cold Fire. Papa's Fire stopped crying after Grandpa Fire talked to it."

"I'm sorry, Hotaru," Tsuna mumbled. "I don't remember anything from when I was in the cold Fire."

"That's okay, Papa," Hotaru soothed. "Maybe Papa will remember after Papa sleeps."

"Maybe," Tsuna temporized. Tsuna wanted to stay awake and think about Hotaru's words in his curiosity, but the warmth of the two bodies wrapped around him made him increasingly sleepy. He didn't doubt that the liquid that Gokudera had made him drink probably had sleeping aids in it. Whether he wanted to or not, he began dozing as soon as quiet descended on the room. Haru was already out, having succumbed to the warmth while Tsuna and Hotaru were talking.

Hotaru was used to people sleeping by now and quietly pretended to sleep, too, in effort to help his Papa fall asleep. Tsuna smiled drowsily once he realized it. Someone must have told him that it was hard to sleep knowing that he was still awake and playing. Since he was such a caring little boy, he wanted to do what he could to help the people around him. Even if it meant being silent and still. Tsuna didn't want to tell him to go play, however. It felt insanely good to have his two most important people cuddled up with him.

And with that thought, he passed from waking to sleeping without even noticing the transition.

_"Fulfill your responsibilities, child." _

Tsuna gasped and his eyes flew open. He darted up into a sitting position and looked around the room with wide eyes, trying to find out where the voice had come from. The room was empty other than the panicked Gokudera slowly approaching his bed. Although it felt like he'd only just shut his eyes, Haru and Hotaru were both gone.

"Are you okay, Tenth?" The silver-haired man asked worriedly. Tsuna sat panting in his bed for several long moments, completely unsure if he was himself. He remembered everything from when he'd been beneath the ice. Everything. The insane mental chatter. The lurching photos. The...voice...

"I'm fine, Gokudera," Tsuna finally mumbled when the voice didn't reappear. "Maybe I've just been sleeping too long," he added in effort to convince himself he wasn't going insane. "Do you think you could get me the files on everything you guys found out while I was frozen? I need something to do."

"What about your eyes, Tenth?" Gokudera asked apprehensively. Tsuna blinked at him in surprise and touched his fingers to his eyelids for a moment.

"They feel fine, Gokudera," Tsuna answered. "How long was I asleep?"

"Only ten hours, Tenth," his Right Hand replied. "We didn't think you'd be awake until tomorrow at the earliest."

"Then why were you here?" He inquired in surprise. "You should be relaxing or something."

"I-I didn't want to fail you again, Tenth," Gokudera mumbled in shame.

"When did you ever fail me?" Tsuna asked with an open and honest lack of understanding. "Did something happen while I was out of it?"

"I failed you, Tenth," Gokudera cried out suddenly. "I should have been there but I wasn't! It's my fault that you were exposed! I can't let anything--"

"Hold it," Tsuna gasped in sudden comprehension. "Are you talking about when I got hit with the brainwashing stuff?" At Gokudera's nod, Tsuna sighed and sat back against his headboard while he rubbed his suddenly tired eyes. "For the smartest guy I know, you're an idiot sometimes, Gokudera. Don't you understand that it was me who failed you? It was my own fault that I succumbed. Not yours, not Sakura's, not Yamamoto's. No one failed but me."

"Tenth, that's not true!" Gokudera pleaded. "I didn't even notice that you had been affected! If I had noticed, I could have done something to help you before--"

"Of course you didn't," Tsuna interrupted in irritation. "I didn't see you between the time that I got hit with it and the time it took control. Considering how long I was unconscious in Sakura's care, I probably got multiple doses."

"I still should have been there after I got released, but I wasn't," Gokudera repeated in dead seriousness. "I-I don't think I deserve to be your Right Hand anymore, Tenth."

Tsuna's jaw dropped.

Then he saw how much Gokudera meant it and his jaw dropped wider.

"Why?!" He blurted.

"I'm not qualified to serve you anymore, Tenth," Gokudera mumbled with a bowed head. "Yamamoto would--"

"You don't mean that," Tsuna whispered. "Yamamoto is a very important person to me, but he could never take your place, Gokudera. Unless...unless you just don't want to be my Right Hand anymore. If that's what you want, then..." Tsuna paused, unsure of what he wanted to say.

Tears began welling up in his eyes at the thought that his trusted friend might not want to stay with him anymore. The one person that he had never doubted would always be with him. Through fire, flood, and hell itself. If Gokudera was gone, what reason did he have to continue in the Mafia? If he, who had been the first member of Tsuna's Family was gone, was there any point in continuing the bloodshed? Gokudera was the most important thread that bound him and made him responsible for Vongola. More than the Ninth. More than his Father. More than Reborn. It was Gokudera who had driven the need to accept the Mafia part of his life. Since it was of such a big importance to Gokudera, Tsuna had come to accept it.

But if Gokudera was gone...Would he give a damn about what happened to Vongola? It would be so much easier to just take his core Family back to Japan, then cut ties and take Haru and Hotaru into hiding. He would feel only a little remorse at leaving everyone else, but there were none other than Gokudera who wouldn't adjust and live normal lives. Yet, if Gokudera left first, what held him to Vongola?

_"Fulfill your responsibilities, child,"_ the voice seemed to echo in his ear.

Tsuna couldn't run away because then everything he'd done would have been pointless. Yet, without Gokudera, everything he'd worked to protect would fall apart. The Sky encompasses the six Guardians, but it was the Storm that directed them and focused them on their target in unison. Tsuna couldn't do that without the Storm. At best, he would be able to move one or two at need, but he would never be able to be Vongola the Tenth without the Storm. Without the ability to move all of his Guardians at once, Tsuna would never be able to protect the Family.

The peaceful days would never come again.

Gokudera froze with wide eyes when tears started falling uncontrollably down Tsuna's face.

"Please," Tsuna begged. "Please, don't go. I'll do whatever you want. Just please don't leave. If you left, then all hope is gone. I-I can't--" Tsuna trembled at the thought of life without Gokudera and began weeping despite himself. "I'm sorry I failed you, Gokudera," he sobbed. "Just please don't leave me. I promise I'll do better. I'll--"

"F-Forget I said anything," Gokudera interrupted in panic. "I'm sorry, Tenth! I didn't know how much you needed me! I'll just have to work harder to be your Right Hand! I just thought you might prefer someone else since I'm still not walking without supports and considering that I wasn't there with you because of it--"

"I told you before, Gokudera," Tsuna sniffed while he tried to scrub his tears away. "Even in a wheelchair, I need you. Who else could I have trusted to watch over everyone and still take care of business while I was away? Who else could I have trusted to find a way to fix me? There's no one else but you, Gokudera. Yamamoto's strong, but he isn't you. Ryohei's strong, but he isn't you. You're the red string, Gokudera. If that was cut, everything would fall apart."

"Forgive me, Tenth," Gokudera replied with a low bow of apology. "I never presumed to think so highly of myself."

"Maybe you should," Tsuna whispered. Tsuna gave a faltering smile when Gokudera rose from his bow in shock and looked at him with eyes once again lit in devotion. "Can I still count on you, Gokudera?"

"Always, Tenth," he promised. "You said you wanted those reports, correct?" When Tsuna nodded, Gokudera immediately dashed off as quickly as his leg supports allowed. The moment he was gone down the hall, Tsuna got an unexpected visitor who burst through his door with a sharp kick.

"You fucking nuts yet, kid?" Xanxus asked with a cruel smile.

"Maybe," Tsuna whispered to himself. He shuddered a bit, although he tried to hide it. Was the voice he heard a symptom of insanity? It could be forgiven when he'd been in the ice, but to hear it after he was free?

"Shit. Here," Xanxus growled, tossing a bottle into Tsuna's lap before going back and shutting the door. "Thought you might need a drink. Didn't think your memories would have already unfroze or else I'd have been here sooner."

"Eh?"

"You had your eyes open under the ice, brat," Xanxus replied softly. "I've been there. When you've been under too long, part of your brain freezes. It still don't remember everything from when I was frozen, but what I did remember is enough."

"I-I see," Tsuna mumbled. Not turning away the gift, Tsuna popped the cork and gratefully drank the V Special that Xanxus had brought. Gokudera and Sakura would probably kill him for it, but for some reason he couldn't stop shaking.

"Che," Xanxus spat. "What the fuck were you thinking, volunteering for that shit?"

"I-I don't know," Tsuna replied honestly in his own confusion. "It's like everything that happened before the Ninth encased me is all something that someone else did. I remember it, but it's like I was watching someone else. I-I don't understand..." Tsuna mumbled, clutching his forehead. "If you'd asked me before I fell asleep, something tells me that I would have been able to tell you...but now..."

"Heh," Xanxus shrugged noncommittally before sitting on Tsuna's bedside and grabbing the bottle from his limp hands. After a few long drinks, he handed it back. "But you remember what happened under the ice?"

"Ah," Tsuna confirmed with another shudder. "All too clearly. I thought I was going insane. Everything kept moving, but then it didn't move. Then it would move again. Then there was the way my mind was lurching around. I couldn't tell you if I was actually thinking or dreaming. It was all so..." Tsuna paused at Xanxus' hand on his shoulder and he realized he was heaving in panic.

"It's over, kid," Xanxus soothed. Tsuna blinked in surprise and took a long drink from the bottle Xanxus had given him. He panted, out of breath, when he finally put it down.

"You're being strangely nice," Tsuna said with a suspicious look in Xanxus' direction.

"Don't push it," Xanxus growled predictably. "I'm just doing what I always do. I'm putting your ass back together so I can personally break you. Although..." Xanxus looked at Tsuna's face with another cruel gleam in his eye. Tsuna gasped when the man grabbed his chin and tilted his head to the side. "We could pass as brothers now."

"W-What do you mean?" Tsuna asked in worry once Xanxus released him.

"Hasn't anyone given you a fucking mirror?" Xanxus laughed loudly. "How the fuck do you think I got my scars?"

"No..." Tsuna moaned in realization. He dove for his side-table in hopes there was a mirror there. When that proved useless, he started to jump out of bed to go to the bathroom. Xanxus caught him before his weak legs buckled and tossed him back where he was.

"Stay put," Xanxus ordered with a small frown. "I don't feel like dealing with your man if he walks in and you have a fucking bloody nose from smacking the damn floor." Tsuna nodded and impatiently waited while Xanxus searched the bathroom for a hand-mirror. When that proved useless, as well, he yanked one of the panels off of the medicine cabinet and brought the whole thing over. "Here," Xanxus offered nonchalantly. Tsuna took it without even raising an eyebrow.

For a few long minutes, Tsuna just stared at the face in the mirror. He didn't recognize himself anymore. When was the last time he'd stopped and looked in the mirror? Even to himself, he looked like someone had beaten him, starved him, and then tattooed him. How was it that people didn't run away in fear of his zombie-like face? Not only was there the scars, but his thin face made the bags under his eyes seem all that much heavier. Even his hair had seemed to give up the battle. It was only half as messy as normal and laid down flat in several random places.

"I look like hell," Tsuna mumbled before tossing the mirror across the room. He barely noticed it shattering before he took another long pull at the gift Xanxus had given him while Xanxus himself began laughing insanely at his reaction. Tsuna leaned over and pressed his forehead against the lip of the bottle between his legs. Now that he'd seen himself, it was truly no wonder why he was hearing voices. Even he was surprised at himself for not going crazy after everything he'd been through.

He sat like that for a long time, going over everything in his head that had brought him to the very place he was at. At some point, Xanxus slipped away, although Tsuna didn't even notice. He did, however, notice Gokudera's gasp of surprise when he returned.

"What happened to the mirror, Tenth?!"

"It gave me bad news, so I punished it," Tsuna replied before holding his hands out for the laptop Gokudera had brought with him. Now, more than ever, Tsuna wanted a distraction.

_Thank heavens for meaningful work_, he thought to himself.


	85. Chapter 85 Truth

Author's note: Apologies if something called Sin Industries actually exists. All names are fictional with no intended connection to places/people/yadda yadda that are real.

* * *

"You need to rest," Sakura grumbled. 

"No," Tsuna corrected, "I need to do what I can to fix this mess we're in."

"Tenth," Gokudera moaned. "I can take notes on the meeting for you. You don't have--"

"I'm going, Gokudera," Tsuna growled from the bathroom where he was changing. "You two can stop it anytime now. The Ninth called down and gave me permission to go, so there's nothing you two can do. I can rest in a chair up there just as easily as a bed down here. Plus, I want to hear the information as it comes in. He said we just got the latest spy reports in and I want to hear the briefing with everyone else."

"You've been going over reports since you woke up!" Sakura exclaimed. "Even after I got rid of the last of the nano-electros, you barely even paused! The fact that you didn't even flinch at the needle tells me that there's still something wrong!"

"I'm just not scared anymore, Sakura," Tsuna said with a sigh while he exited the bathroom. Gokudera groaned at the sight of him in a short-sleeve, button-up shirt which revealed his scarred arms to a horrific degree. Tsuna gave Gokudera a faltering smile once he realized what the man was focused on. "The Ninth asked me to wear something without sleeves so that the other bosses could see that I was already punished for my actions. He can't appear weak, even when it's his heir."

"Still," Gokudera mumbled. "It's not right, Tenth."

"Right or wrong doesn't matter, Gokudera," Tsuna replied on his way out the door with his laptop in hand. "You should know that by now. All that matters is doing what we have to in order to protect the Family."

"Yes, Tenth," Gokudera agreed unhappily. The two walked down the hallway, leaving Sakura behind. Tsuna paused a few times when he encountered his Family members on the way to the Ninth's penthouse room. For those like his mother, Tsuna lied easily about his new scars. He'd gotten trapped in an avalanche on the ski slopes and the ski slopes have been permanently closed in return. Of course, the island never had ski slopes, but no one questioned his lies. The ones that would have questioned him already knew the truth.

Tsuna grew hesitant once the elevator opened up onto the top floor. A short entry hallway and a door was all that stood between him and both the Ninth and his Father. The Ninth who he had tried to kill. His father who he had shot. Both had been noticeably absent since he'd been released. Were they afraid of him? Did they hate him? Maybe they didn't feel they could trust him anymore?

"It's okay, Tenth," Gokudera soothed with a hand on his shoulder. Tsuna blinked and looked over at him, realizing that he'd been standing in front of the door for several silent minutes. From the sympathetic look on Gokudera's face, Tsuna didn't doubt that his face was white. Tsuna nodded and knocked before he could change his mind. A guard instantly answered and let Tsuna in with a raised eyebrow. He paused inside the door at the multitude of weapons pointed in his direction.

"Put your weapons down," the Ninth ordered immediately. "He's already been cleared by the doctors and the Vendiche. I have every confidence that he has returned to himself."

"I'm sorry, Ninth!" He blurted upon seeing the man. He stepped forward and knelt before the man in submission. "I've never thought of harming you before, but I tried to. What I did was inexcusable."

"It's already forgiven, Tsunayoshi," the Ninth replied with a warm smile. "Chin up. I saw that you weren't yourself the moment you entered my bedroom. Although I'd like to talk to you later to find out the reasoning you had for what you did."

"Forgive me," Tsuna mumbled as he rose. "I can't remember, Ninth."

"What do you mean, son?" Iemitsu asked worriedly. "Everyone that's been cured so far remembers why they--"

"We'll discuss it later," the Ninth interjected with narrowed eyes. "For now, take your seat and lets get started."

"Yes, Ninth," Tsuna replied before finding himself an empty seat.

"Alright," the Ninth announced once everyone was calmly seated. "Tomorrow we're going to begin cover-up operations. This is going to be one of our biggest undertakings to date. To ensure that no memory of this incident is left behind, we have to simultaneously infiltrate every Authoritative Office and take action against those that could testify against us. We also must infiltrate their computer networks and erase any data on our Families. Finally, we have to break our Allies out of jail and cure them. Any objections?"

"No, Tenth," Gokudera replied after several long seconds of silence. "I have Cadenza already implanting viruses into the required computer systems. The moment you order them triggered, they'll completely destroy any information pertaining to the Families. And I've got Caesura working on infiltrating the Japanese authorities."

"And I've got operatives in the upper echelon of several authoritative branches of Italy, U.S, and Switzerland," Dino offered. "They'll be ready to move with warnings and threats as soon as I send the order. No one should find a quiet chat anything suspicious since they'll be working under the cover of Internal Investigations. They're already compiling information on their targets' families and friends for material to threaten with."

"I've got France, England, and Spain covered," Irene added. Within seconds, everyone began offering up the countries in which they were prepared to take action in. Tsuna tried not to gape. Thinking that the Mafia pulled the strings on the world and actually hearing it was two different things.

"Make sure your operatives don't do the warnings too thoroughly," the Ninth warned. "It's a touchy process as-is. I'd say to put them on the run, but there's too many for that to work effectively. We need them scared enough to not talk, but not scared enough that they feel that their backs are against a wall." Nods of agreement went around the room and Tsuna was no different. Those who felt their back were against a wall tended to attempt to fight back. Namely by thinking the police could protect them against the combined might of the Mafia.

"Everyone will be in charge of your own breakouts," Iemitsu announced on the Ninth's behalf. He began handing out files for everyone and Tsuna took his with a raised eyebrow. "These are the plans to the prisons where your own men are being held. Vongola is taking over the Nubo breakout. Cavallone, if you would take Celeroso," he waited on a nod of agreement before handing out the rest. "If the Havlocks could take over Wong. Oroburg, we need you on Pendleton, if you could." Lanchia's boss nodded in agreement.

"We can take Pendleton," Oroburg agreed. "Few of my men were injured before we found out the cause for the brainwashing, so our Family wasn't affected very badly. Only one tried to kill me, but he was stopped in the attempt. All thanks to the work of my Right Hand, of course," he finished with a bright smile at Lanchia. Lanchia blushed faintly, but didn't otherwise respond to the praise.

"I have no problem with breaking out Wong," Irene mumbled after a moment. "Most of them are being held with those of my men that were turned, so just adding a few to the list shouldn't be that hard."

"Thank God," Tsuna breathed softly to himself once he opened his file. Both Derrik and Chef Yanihara had survived the escape from Japan after all. They were being held in a high-security prison that Tsuna smiled to himself in recognition of. "Ninth," Tsuna interjected. "Would it be permissible to add a few names to this list? I was needing to break out a few people from there anyway."

"Alright," the Ninth agreed warmly with a knowing look. "I figured as much which is why I had Iemitsu assign you there."

"Have you tracked down Dr. Shamal yet?" Tsuna asked, proving that he'd thoroughly went over all the provided intelligence.

"We have, Sawada-dono," Basil answered. "It took three people receiving incurable diseases before we realized a trident mosquito was flying around. We placed a small tracking device on it and sent it back to it's Master. It finally stopped at a place called Sin Industries which has been linked to the charities that the brainwashed bosses were donating to. Raid squads are moving now to intercept."

"I'll loan you Omaggio's team to help break down their security and plan, Staccatto's team to scout, and Fortissimo's team in case there is any trouble," Gokudera offered. "They've all been itching for some action." Basil nodded and went over to send word to their teams at Iemitsu's signal of agreement.

"That's good," Tsuna sighed. "Maybe we can finally catch the culprit behind all of this."

"Indeed," the Ninth agreed. "If that is all, let's call this meeting to an end. I'm sure you all have tasks to deal with to prepare." Tsuna nodded and stood, but Iemitsu's hand on his shoulder firmly sat him back down while everyone else exited the room. He received a few raised eyebrows but he didn't see them from where his head was bowed in resignation. Knowing that he wasn't going to get out of it, Tsuna waited until the room was cleared before looking back up.

"Gokudera, you can go," Iemitsu ordered. Predictably, Gokudera moved to object, but the hard looks he received from Iemitsu and the Ninth silenced him instantly.

"Just go," Tsuna whispered. "I'll be okay." Unhappily, Gokudera left like he was ordered with a parting glance of worry at his boss. The moment he was gone, Iemitsu sat next to him and the Ninth found a seat on the edge of the nearby couch. Tsuna blinked in surprise when he felt the tense atmosphere ease.

"Are you okay, son?" Iemitsu asked worriedly. "I wanted to come check on you, but they said I couldn't until they knew you weren't still being affected."

"I'm fine, dad," Tsuna answered softly.

"Don't lie to your father, Tsunayoshi," the Ninth growled. Tsuna's head snapped up from never having heard the Ninth speak in such a tone before. Then he looked down at his hands in his lap, knowing that the Ninth was right.

"I'm fine enough," he amended. "I can still do what I need to. Any problems I might be having aren't anything that should affect anyone else."

"What's wrong, son?" Iemitsu inquired with a warm hand on the back of Tsuna's neck. "You know you can tell me anything."

"I-It's nothing," Tsuna lied. Another prodding growl from the Ninth made him flush. He couldn't ignore the old man's years of experience in using his hyper-intuition. "It was just a dream I had when I was under the ice that's bothering me," Tsuna mumbled.

"Have you had this dream since being released?" The Ninth asked knowingly.

"No," Tsuna answered softly. "But I've had one that seemed connected to it." Sensing the demand for information in the silence that followed, Tsuna rubbed his forehead to gather his thoughts. He didn't know why he felt the need to lie about it. Maybe because it still didn't make much sense to him. Everything under the ice had moved so slow, yet at the same time, so fast.

"What was the dream about?" Iemitsu prompted curiously when the silence stretched too long. Tsuna let go of his forehead and once again stared at his hands clenched in his lap.

"I-It's hard to explain," Tsuna mumbled softly. "It was just a voice and...and a feeling. But it wasn't bad. It was like it was trying to help me somehow."

"I see," the Ninth replied. Tsuna glanced up at the understanding in the man's voice, but he was already up and moving to look out the balcony. "You can go, Tsunayoshi. I'm sure you have much to prepare for. Just try not to point anymore weapons in my or your father's direction."

"Yes, Ninth," Tsuna acknowledged. Taking the opportunity to escape, he stood and slipped out the door before his father could go after him. He didn't want to talk about the dreams. Just thinking about them made him feel insane. How could he talk to his father about voices he was hearing? The whole discussion would be crazy! Was he developing split personalities? Did the nano-electros do something strange to his mind that hadn't been noticed? Had he just completely went over the edge after everything and was in denial?

"Are you okay, Tenth?" Gokudera asked, snapping him out of his thoughts. He blinked and looked around to find that he'd unintentionally walked into Gokudera's room without knocking.

"Would people stop asking me that," he grumbled in irritation. "I'm fine, so lets get to work on planning this breakout. We need to add..." Tsuna paused and his face turned pale. He couldn't remember their names. He could see their faces as bright as day, but he couldn't think of their names at all.

"Sao, Makoto, and Gori," Gokudera supplied with a worried expression. Tsuna snapped automatically when the names sprouted up in his mind finally.

"That's them," Tsuna agreed. "We need to add those three to the list for our teams. Tell them to be ready tonight to move out. I'll leave assigning who's coming with us to you, Gokudera."

"I figured we'd take Ryohei and Chrome...wait...us?" He gasped. "You don't mean you're coming, too, Tenth!"

"I have to, Gokudera," Tsuna replied with a crooked grin. "How else are they going to know it's us?"

"But Ryohei--"

"Ryohei has his face back," Tsuna interrupted. "We can't hope that they recognize him on voice alone. Plus, I want to see the look on Hiko's face when we break him out, too."

"Hiko?" Gokudera asked in confusion.

"Ah," Tsuna confirmed darkly. "I still have to teach that bastard a lesson. Add him to the list, Gokudera. This is the best chance I have to make him disappear. His two friends and his brother too. I'm going to teach them all a lesson."

"Yes, Boss," Gokudera mumbled as he began editing the information in their file.

"You just called me Boss," Tsuna blurted in surprise.

"Tenth...?"

"Just a second ago, you called me Boss," Tsuna repeated, staring at his friend. "It's the first time you've ever called me something other than Tenth or Vongola the Tenth."

"Oh! Ah, forgive me, Tenth!" The silver-haired man spluttered. "It was insolent of--"

"No!" Tsuna interjected. Gokudera stared at him in surprise this time while Tsuna blushed. "I kind of like it," Tsuna explained while he turned red. "H-How do I say it? It makes me feel like you're really here for me instead of for the rank and persona that Vongola gave me. I mean, I still wish you'd just call me Tsuna when it's just us, but just plain Boss isn't a bad alternative."

"If that's what you want," Gokudera mumbled in hesitant confusion. After all there wasn't much difference in Tenth (Boss) and Boss, other than a minor specification of generation.

"In that case," Tsuna replied with a quirky grin, "Call me Tsuna."

"No," Gokudera immediately said with a deadpan face. Tsuna chuckled, knowing how much he'd feared his friend the first time he'd tried to get him to say Tsuna and he'd refused.

"Alright," Tsuna relented, knowing that even Gokudera had lines he refused to cross. "But at least call me just Boss instead of the Tenth, okay?"

"Sure thing...Boss," Gokudera agreed with a wide grin.

"So what do you have planned so far?" Tsuna replied with a bright smile.

"Caesura's team has already infiltrated the Japanese authorities and Cadenza team has already hacked all their computer systems," Gokudera answered. "I figured I could get Tremolo's team to provide our escape route for tomorrow's raid on the prison. The problem is that I loaned out Omaggio, so we won't be able to break into the actual facility. That's the part that I'm having trouble with. If we go in without an expert's eye on the prison's defensive layout, I'm afraid that Legato's team and Marcata's team just isn't enough. We'd be looking at major casualties, plus we'd be at fault for a bunch of unintended escapees."

"What if we fake a prison transfer?" Tsuna suggested. "Then we only have to worry about intercepting the vehicle moving them."

"That might work," Gokudera agreed. His hands started flying across his laptop, planning all possible outcomes. "That will decrease possible casualties by 84 percent!"

"If we can infiltrate the prison tomorrow at shift change," Tsuna added, "Then we can make it so we're the only ones on the truck. That should make the odds even better. And if you can have Yamamoto get with our long-term operatives already in place in Japan, we won't even have to worry about the escort."

"Amazing, Boss!" Gokudera exclaimed in awe. "With Chrome creating cover, we can just disappear that way and then Cadenza can completely destroy the records of their existence. No one would even miss them! I'll call Cadenza and have her hack their system and put in a fake order immediately, Boss!"

"I'll go tell Haru that I have to leave in a few hours, then," Tsuna sighed. "We'll have to leave before midnight to get to Japan by morning to get set up. She shouldn't be too upset when I tell her that we can all go home in a few days, though."

"Right, Boss!" Gokudera agreed. "I'll ask Yamamoto to see what he can do about the escort and let him know he's staying behind to protect the Family. It's better if Ryohei comes along in case you have any trouble with Hiko's crowd while you're in the truck together."

"Brief me on it all when we get on the plane," Tsuna soothed, sensing how Gokudera's mind was already exploding in a full-blown plan. "I'm going to go wrap myself around Haru for a little bit and relax while I can. Goodness knows that you all nag me to."

"Go ahead, Boss," Gokudera replied with a wide grin. Ignoring the knowing look that the dynamite specialist gave, Tsuna slipped out of the room and headed for his own. He paused outside the door at the sound of talking and weeping from within. Without hesitation, he pressed an ear against the door out of curiosity.

* * *

"Was I the only one that didn't know?" Kyoko cried on the edge of Haru's bed. 

"I don't think that Tsu-kun's mother knows," Haru answered with a grimace. She sat down next to her friend and soothingly ran her hands through Kyoko's hair in effort to calm her.

"I didn't know until that long ago," Hana offered from where she stood several feet away.

"Why didn't anyone tell me that Tsuna was a bad man?!" Kyoko yelled in return. "You both knew that he and my brother were doing bad things but you didn't tell me!"

"Tsu-kun isn't a bad man!" Haru objected.

"Well," Hana mumbled. "He does work for the Mafia."

"That doesn't mean he's a bad man!" Haru yelled. "Just because he has to do bad things doesn't mean he's a bad person! Yes, he has to hurt people, but that's just because they hurt others first. Tsuna just stops them," she rambled. "But he's not a bad person. He cares about all of us which is why he does those bad things. It's not his fault that people like Moch--" Haru gasped and covered her mouth with her hands in effort to stop what she'd been about to say.

"Did you say Mochida?" Kyoko asked with wide eyes.

"Haru didn't," she blurted around her hands while she jumped up off the bed.

"Yes, you did," Kyoko whispered. "What about Mochida?" Haru backed up a few steps in shock over what she'd allow to slip while firmly keeping her mouth clenched shut.

"Che," Hana spat. "I heard about it from Ryohei. You've already spilled the beans, Haru, so we might as well tell her the whole truth."

"Haru didn't!" She squealed. "Haru just wanted Kyoko to understand what she heard Yamamoto say earlier. Kyoko wasn't understanding so Haru wanted to help so that she wouldn't cry! Haru didn't mean--"

"What about Mochida," Kyoko interrupted with tears silently falling down her face.

"Mochida was lying to you, too, Kyoko," Hana answered with her arms crossed. "He joined up with the Momokyo-kai and were forcing children to work in drug factories. Tsuna saved the kids, but he had to kill Mochida to do it. The car wreck was just a cover-up."

"No," Kyoko denied softly. "Mochida would never do something like that. He was kind and caring and...and...and I won't let you talk about the dead like that!" Kyoko jumped to her feet with every intention to slap Hana, but someone grabbed her wrist first. Both she and Hana gasped when they saw Tsuna was the one to intervene.

"I'm sorry, Tsu-kun!" Haru apologized tearfully. He didn't raise his bowed head at the words nor make a single sound of recognition.

"Let go of me!" Kyoko yelled while attempting to pull her wrist out of Tsuna's hand. With her free hand, her desire to slap something found no resistance against Tsuna's face. Kyoko gasped in surprise when he didn't try to dodge nor did he react to the blow. "Tsu-na..." Kyoko mumbled in shock. She rubbed her wrist when he finally released it, but made no move to leave.

"I killed Mochida, Kyoko," Tsuna said softly without raising his head. "Feel free to hate me or hit me all you want. Just don't take it out on Haru and Hana. It's not their fault that they kept it from you. I asked them to because I didn't want you to know."

"Y-You're lying," she whispered. "It's not true. Please, Tsuna, tell me you're lying."

"I wish I could, Kyoko," Tsuna replied.

"N-No way..." Kyoko said as she sank down to her knees. "But you and Mochida were friends... How could you?" Tsuna knelt down next to her and stared her in the eyes, hiding his own pain with coldness.

"Look at me, Kyoko," Tsuna ordered. She looked and froze at the icy calm instead of passionate warmth that Tsuna normally had around his Family.

"I'm not the same man that used to watch fireworks with you and have snowball fights. A lot has changed in the past few years. I have changed. Mochida became my enemy, so I killed him." Tsuna didn't even flinch against the slap that hit his face again.

"He was a member of the yakuza and I took him out because of what he'd done, Kyoko. If you think I'm a monster, you should have seen the kids that he helped starve and beat." Again, Tsuna didn't flinch against the slap that hit his cheek and continued mercilessly despite Kyoko's sobs and tears.

"It takes a monster to kill a monster, Kyoko. If you don't believe me, I can show you the footage from when I killed him. I promise you that more than just my atrocities are unveiled. The drug labs weren't the only thing that Mochida had been helping with behind your back."

"S-Stop!" Kyoko cried while she began to pound his chest when the slaps didn't prove effective.

"Do you remember the old man's young wife that used to help him with the vegetable stand downtown, Kyoko?" Tsuna asked loudly over her pleas. "Mochida raped her and killed her when the old man wouldn't pay the protection money they wanted. Do you remember our classmate Ignacio? Mochida shot him down so that he could keep the drugs and the money from their deal. And that guy that used to play a guitar on the street? Mochida strangled him with his own guitar strings in an alley when the man refused to play the song he and his friends wanted to hear. And then there was--" Tsuna stopped this time at the slap he received. Rather than Kyoko, it had been Haru to strike him.

"That's enough, Tsu-kun," she mumbled softly with tears in her own eyes. Tsuna sighed and pushed Kyoko off his chest from where she'd been weeping uncontrollably. Hana stepped forward to support her and Tsuna looked down at the floor in shame once she was buried in Hana's arms.

"I'm a very bad man, Kyoko," Tsuna whispered softly. "But there are people out there that are even worse. Mochida hid the truth from you like I tried to because neither of us wanted to see you like you are right now. But I couldn't let him live after all the innocent people he'd hurt. It hurts me to see you cry, but I'm not going to ask for forgiveness. If he had lived, I might have woke up to find that you were one of his victims one day. I wish I could live without having to hurt people, but I'm not going to regret what I've done." When she didn't respond with anything but more tears, Tsuna stood and walked to the door in silence. He paused before opening it, knowing that he still had to warn Haru that he was going to be gone.

"Haru," Tsuna said to snap her out of her shock. "I'm leaving the island tonight so don't look for me and don't let Hotaru come after me. We're leaving Yamamoto behind to protect you all. Next time I see you will probably be in Namimori."

"Where are you going, Tsu-kun?" Haru asked automatically.

"Do you really want to know?" Tsuna replied in warning. Haru was silent for a long minute while Tsuna patiently waited for her answer.

"Haru does," she said finally. Tsuna let out a deep breath and kept his head bowed like it had been for most of his visit into the room.

"I'm going to go break nine guys out of prison," he answered calmly. "Five of them I have to save and the other four I have to hurt. For your own sake, please don't ask me for any details."

"Tsu-kun," Haru breathed in shock.

"I've got to go, Haru," Tsuna mumbled. "Tell Hotaru I love him, okay?"

Before she could react, he was gone.


	86. Chapter 86 Intercept

Tsuna stepped off the bus and tried not to show how pleased he was that all the listed prisoners were present. Due to it being a prison-to-prison transfer, Gokudera had requisitioned a school bus and altered it to look like a prison transport. The guards standing around the prisoners didn't look twice at it since armored vehicles were used for highly-dangerous people or when the cops were feeling edgy. Since neither of those requirements had been met, but bus wasn't looked twice at.

As per Gokudera's orders, Tsuna stayed on the bus and let Ryohei take charge of moving the prisoners inside. So far, there wasn't even a hint of recognition in anyone's faces and Tsuna tilted his cap down in order to keep it that way. Ryohei shoved Hiko into his seat a bit forcefully than needed, but everyone else took their places without argument after that. Mukuro, disguised as the bus-driver, waved to the retreating guards. Then he pulled out of the prison yard without a single incident.

Unfortunately, Yamamoto had only been able to replace half of the required police escort with their men. But that was accounted for in Gokudera's plan. Mukuro drove the bus into the center of town in order to get the cops distracted with traffic. The moment that he pulled around a corner and out of their sight for a single moment, he parked the bus and began using his illusions.

"Why are we stopping?" Hiko called from his seat. Ryohei turned around and punched him in the face to silence him.

"How's it going, Mukuro?" Tsuna asked, finally free to get up and move around. In effort to stay calm, he pulled out a cigarette and lit it before leaning over the man's shoulder.

"Kufufufu," he chuckled in return. "Their minds are so small, my little mafia boss." Tsuna smiled and looked out to the street in order to watch the show. Curious, the other inmates looked where both he and Ryohei were looking.

The very bus they were in slowly drove by. A few seconds later, the police escort followed. Halfway down the empty alley between two major streets, the bus exploded into flame. The inmates lurched in their seats at the sound and panicked screams from fake passerby started sounding along with the police sirens. Tsuna smiled to himself, knowing what had happened.

Tsuna's men had closed off the street in preparation. There was already the burnt wreckage of a bus in the middle of the alley, full of already crispy corpses which grew crisper as the bombs that Gokudera had planted went off. Mukuro had hid it with illusions of empty air until his illusionary bus had come in contact with it.

"How's our cover," Tsuna called back to Mukuro in worry.

"Here come the dear innocent children now," Mukuro said with another chuckle. He opened the bus door and a multitude of fake children dashed on board what now seemed to be an ordinary school bus to those outside.

"Cut the illusion for us," Tsuna ordered at the noisy squeals and screams from the children. With another chuckle, Mukuro did.

"What's going on?" Makoto gasped once the fake kids disappeared from the view of those within the bus. Tsuna walked back toward him with a wide smile while Mukuro pulled the seemily-full bus-load of kids away from the horrific scene.

"Just keeping my promises," Tsuna replied before taking off his hat.

"Boss!" Both Derrik and Sao yelled in glee. "I knew you'd come for us!"

"I'm sorry it took so long," Tsuna apologized. Without waiting another second, he walked back to Derrik and snapped off his cuffs. Chef Yanihara was gaping next to him and soon found himself free, as well.

"No one hurt you while you were inside, did they?" Tsuna asked worriedly while he looked over their wrists to ensure he hadn't hurt them when breaking their bindings off.

"A few tried," Chef Yanihara mumbled with a glare in Hiko's direction.

"Don't worry," Tsuna soothed with a bright smile. "I'll teach him a lesson he won't forget. I'm just glad you're still alive. I was so upset when you two weren't on the plane. I thought you were dead."

"W-Who did we lose, Boss?" Derrik asked hesitantly.

"Erris and Windorf," Tsuna answered softly. "I-I tried to save everyone I could, but they were--"

"It's okay, Boss," Chief Yanihara said gently. "I was still conscious up until the end. You couldn't see me from where you were, but I could see you. You let yourself get shot to protect the plane, Boss. No one could ask for more."

"What the fuck is he talking about?" Suki yelled. "And what the hell are you--" Suki fell back into his seat with a broken nose and a concussion when not only Ryohei, but Gori smacked him hard in the head.

"I-Is that really you, Tsuna?" Makoto asked in shock. Tsuna nodded and leaned over to snap off both his and Gori's bindings. Sao's quickly followed.

"It's me," Tsuna confirmed. "I'm sorry it took so long. We had a bit of trouble."

"What's the situation, Boss?" Derrik asked. Tsuna sat backward in one of the bus seats and took a long drag from his cigarette before speaking.

"We found out what was making everyone go crazy," Tsuna answered. "While we're talking, the rest of the clean-up operations are taking place. We've got to hide for a day or two to ensure that the police aren't on our trail anymore. Either yours or ours. After that, I'll have one of our plastic surgeons get to work on your new faces and identities."

"Who are your companions, Boss?" Sao asked curiously with a pointed glance at Ryohei and Mukuro-turned-Chrome.

"You know me," Ryohei laughed. "I was with you the whole time Tsuna was in prison. The last time you guys saw me was when I took out Natsuko."

"Ryohei-nii?!" Gori exclaimed. "Ryohei-nii's face changed!"

"Ah," Ryohei confirmed with a hand rubbing his chin. "This is my real one. Pretty big difference, isn't it?"

"I think I see why you went with such an ugly face while you were in prison," Makoto mumbled. "If you'd looked like that..." Makoto stopped and blushed at Ryohei's raised eyebrow.

"You've been locked away too long, Makoto," Tsuna laughed. "When everything calms down and Mafia Row is rebuilt, I'll have to take you boys by Pink's."

"When it's rebuilt?!" Sao gasped.

"Ah," Tsuna confirmed. "They had to collapse the tunnels in order to protect the Families' secrets from the police. Someone had tipped them off to the location. It was all part of the craziness I've been dealing with. Speaking of which," Tsuna mumbled before reaching into a bag that had been tossed into one of the front seats. He pulled out a scanner and began running it over each of their heads in turn. He wanted to snarl when Derrik got a reaction.

"Derrik," Tsuna said mournfully after flicking his cigarette out an open window. "You've been hit with the Nano-Electros. Since you're acting normal, I guess you're one of the few that were able to overcome them, but I've still got to clean out your system."

"Nano-Electros?" Derrik repeated nervously.

"Ah," Tsuna confirmed while he began reaching into the bag for one of the syringes that Sakura had packed. "It's what made all of our other men go nuts."

"You mean, like all those ones that said you should turn yourself in before we tried to escape, Boss?" Derrik asked with a pale face, remembering how Tsuna had shot them all.

"Don't worry, Derrik," Tsuna soothed. "We've got a cure now. I've used it myself, so I know it works. It's going to hurt like hell though."

"It's completely extreme," Ryohei agreed. "But it kills all the brain-bugs."

"It's okay, Boss," Derrik replied in relief. "I'd rather go through a painful treatment than go nuts and have to be executed."

"I'd rather you too," Tsuna mumbled, trying not to feel shame over his harsh judgment of the situation before. He refused to regret his actions since he knew that it was the only thing he could have done at the time. Traitors were normally killed. Only the fact that they _knew _it wasn't his fault had saved Tsuna.

"Lay down," Tsuna ordered. "And put your hands behind your back." Derrik nodded and laid down in the isle of the moving bus. While the others watched on curiously, Tsuna dug his knee into Derrik's back, pinning his arms in place. With his free hand, he pushed Derrik's head into a position where he could access the back of the man's head like Sakura had shown him. "Hold it steady, Chrome," Tsuna called.

"Yes, Boss," Chrome immediately replied. After a few more bumps, the vehicle's ride seemed to smooth out. Taking the opportunity, Tsuna used his teeth to pull off the cap over the syringe's needle.

"Forgive me," Tsuna whispered. Then, before the man could even tense, Tsuna jammed the needle into the back of his neck and upwards into the outer edges of his brain. He gasped and stiffed when Tsuna pushed the serum out and then retracted the needle. He barely made it in time. Derrik began shaking and trembling under him with gasps of pain.

"It's okay," Tsuna soothed before handing the empty syringe off to Ryohei and getting a towel in return. "It'll be over in a few minutes." He continued giving encouragements while he placed the towel under his head to catch the predicted blood flow. After he finished, he shifted off Derrik's back and found a seat in the isle next to the man's head. Most of the people in the van look at Tsuna in confused shock and horror, but Tsuna ignored them in his focus to care for Derrik while blood began to pour out of his ears and nose. Ryohei merely looked at him sympathetically, having held Tsuna while he went through it himself.

"_È giusto. Resto, fratello_," Tsuna encouraged softly in Italian while he soothingly ran his hands through the shaking man's hair. "_Sonno_." Slowly, Derrik's trembling eased and he shut his eyes from the combination of Tsuna's orders, the rhythmic caress, and exhaustion from his ordeal.

"Thank goodness it was only one," Tsuna whispered once the man blacked out. He pulled the bloody towel away and incinerated it with a quick burst through his gloves. Then, he took another towel that Ryohei offered and quickly cleaned the blood off Derrik's face. That towel, too, got burned the moment he finished. He didn't want to take the chance that a single nano-electro might find it's way back into someone. After that, he grabbed a small pillow from the bag that Sakura had supplied him with and lifted Derrik's head long enough to slip it under. A blanket soon followed over the man's back.

"How long, Chrome?" Tsuna called when he finished.

"About two hours until we reach base, Boss," Chrome replied.

"Okay," Tsuna mumbled to himself. "Derrik will probably be out for an hour or until the blood rushes back to his head. I'm going to go relax up front, but call me if his condition changes. Ryohei, feel free to kill anyone that gets out of line."

"Sure thing, little bro," Ryohei acknowledged with a cruel look at Hiko and his friends. "I'll make sure you can relax all you want." Tsuna nodded and sent another pain-filled look at where Derrik was asleep in the isle of the bus before heading to one of the front seats. Once there, he sank down out of sight and lit himself another cigarette.

In effort to take his mind off of Derrik's condition and the fact that he'd personally been forced to administer the cure, Tsuna continued to try to think of how he was going to punish Hiko. He considered chaining the man and forcing his friends to rape him through liberal use of aphrodisiacs, but the bastard would probably enjoy it. They probably did that often enough among themselves that it wouldn't even bother him.

Then he considered just outright torture. There were 206 bones in the human body and Tsuna could give him an intensive lesson in biology. Add to that what Reborn had taught him about pressure points and Hiko could be in a whole lot of pain before his body completely gave out. If he had one of the Vongola hitman doctors aid him, Hiko would live even longer and Tsuna could make him understand the true horror and meaning of being burned alive. Thanks to Xanxus, Tsuna was adept at knowing how far his Flame could eat into flesh before it destroyed the pain receptors.

Then again, he could always just have the plastic surgeons work on _his_ face too. Just like they could make the ugly turn handsome, they could give Hiko a girlishly pretty face. Tsuna could then break his balls and toss him back into the most rotten prison there was. The man would be sure to learn what a victim felt like then and wouldn't be able to enjoy a minute of it.

Or he could...

"_You are vengeful, child of Flame_," a voice admonished in his head. Tsuna tensed and the cigarette dropped from his hand. He snatched it back up before it could roll back to where Derrik lay but couldn't stop himself from heaving in panic. He wasn't even asleep this time and he was hearing voices.

"Are you okay, Boss?" Chrome suddenly called from the driver's seat, sensing his panic.

"Ju--" Tsuna coughed to clear his high-pitched voice and tried again. "Just fine," he lied. He hid himself in the high-backed seats and tried to calm himself while he tried to think. Maybe he was being a bit too vengeful-thinking and his subconscious was crying out because of it. _But I'm not being vengeful_, he thought to himself in effort to silence that inner voice, _I'm just trying to think of a way to punish Hiko for all his crimes. If I don't do anything, he'll continue to create victims even in prison._

Silence answered his thoughts and he sighed in relief. He was just imaging things. The voice in his head was his own and he was just in denial of his true feelings. He had to accept the fact that he was still incredibly affected by what Hiko had done to him. It was messing with his judgment and making him want to do things worse than he normally would.

But wasn't torture something he normally did anymore? Why should he feel bad for putting Hiko and his friends through pain? They were scum and deserved the harshest punishment that Tsuna could--

_"If you are going to kill them anyway, you shouldn't unnecessarily soil yourself_," the voice admonished again.

"Stop the bus," Tsuna called, bolting up out of his seat. Chrome immediately hit the brakes and Tsuna jumped off to get some air. They were on a deserted road leading up to the mountains, probably within an hour of their temporary base. Yet Tsuna had to do something. He was going to go completely nuts if he heard a voice in his head again. "I'm awake," Tsuna mumbled to himself while he leaned against the outside of the school bus and gasped for air. "I'm awake, I'm awake, I'm awake," he repeated quietly in shock. "It's just a dream, a freaky figment of my imagination that I'm hearing because of the nanobots. I'm awake, though. I'm awake and it's not real. It'll go away when my head gets back to normal."

"Are you okay, little bro?" Ryohei asked, sticking his head out the bus door.

"I'm fine," Tsuna called in a blatant lie. "I'm just thinking whether or not here is a good place to go ahead and deal with Hiko."

"Here?" Ryohei repeated in confusion. "It's a bit open for--"

"_So rash, child_," the voice admonished, unintentionally interrupting Ryohei.

"But I think I'll wait until later," Tsuna snapped instantly. Ryohei looked at him in increasing confusion and Tsuna grabbed out another cigarette with shaking hands. He fumbled for his lighter while he followed the boxer back onto the bus and ordered Chrome to get moving again. Once more, Tsuna sank down in his seat and tried to calm himself. Behind him, conversations once again broke out among the inmates with the sound of occasional sharp blows to Hiko and his friends each time they tried to speak.

_What should I do?_ Tsuna asked himself. Nothing he'd thought of had quieted that voice. He couldn't leave Hiko and his friends alive since nothing seemed to teach them the error of their ways. Should he ignore the voice and give the harshest penalty he could think of? Should he listen to the voice and kill them cleanly? But when he'd tried to do that, the voice hadn't been happy either. What did it want from him?!

Tsuna clutched his head while information started pouring into it too fast for him to comprehend. At his moan of pain, Ryohei worriedly came forward to check on him.

"Oi," Ryohei called upon seeing Tsuna's pain-filled grimace and sweat begin to form on his head. "Oi, little bro," he called again. "What's wrong?"

"My--ngn--my head feels like it's splitting open," Tsuna gasped. The words trigger his own memories. He knew this feeling. His Flame and his hyper-intuition was trying to tell him something. The last time it had happened was when Haru had been attacked. At the realization, he loosened up and his eyes began fluttering. Ryohei grabbed him when he collapsed forward, but he was too busy trying to keep himself from fighting the flood.

It didn't hurt anymore when he stopped fighting.

_...He'd always been called Widget by everyone he knew due to his incredible interest and skill in all things mechanical. The only one who didn't call him Widget was Hikomori. Hikomori wasn't a nice guy by any means, but he appreciated him and called him by his real name, Ichi. At least he used to. He'd been imprisoned with Hikomori when the police believed he'd helped the man rape and beat a dozen women along with Suki and Udono. But Ichi would never hurt a woman. The reason he'd been caught was because he'd been driving Hikomori's car for him and had waited outside while Hikomori said that he and the others were going inside to see his girlfriend. Ichi hadn't known that they were doing such bad stuff. _

_Ever since they had been imprisoned together, Hikomori had promised to get Ichi released. But only if he did what Hikomori asked him to. If he didn't, Hikomori would testify against him and claim that Ichi had been the instigator of the attacks in order to get himself released early. Ichi would be in prison longer and Hikomori would be free. He didn't think Hikomori was his friend anymore and Hikomori knew it. That's why he called Ichi rude names and made him work like a mindless slave._

_Too afraid to do anything else, Ichi had obeyed. He had helped hold down Hikomori's victims and had held back his tears. All because he was too scared of becoming a victim himself. He swore if he ever got free, he'd go back to being a normal mechanic. He'd be happy to be called Widget instead of dumb-ass and slave. At least then he could feel clean again._

_But now...now Hikomori had hurt the wrong person. Even if Hikomori was too stupid to see it, Ichi did. He was going to die because of Hikomori. All because he'd thought that Hikomori was his friend for simply calling him by his real name. The one called Tsuna was small, but he was strong. He would snap Ichi's neck in an instant. Not that Ichi could blame him. Ichi had done a horrible thing to him. It didn't matter if Ichi had been forced to. Ichi was bad, bad, bad..._

"Tsuna!" Ryohei roared in his ear.

"Don't yell," Tsuna gasped. He shook his head to clear it and looked up at his panicked friend "You've seen my hyper-intuition at work before. It was just a little bit...stronger...this time."

"Don't scare me like that, little bro," Ryohei sighed in relief. Tsuna shrugged out of Ryohei's hands and stood, finally understanding what the voice had been trying to stop him from doing. Slowly and carefully so as not to step on Derrik, Tsuna made his way to the back of the bus where the one known as Ichi was huddled in his seat.

"Boss?" Sao asked curiously. But Tsuna just shook his head with eyes intently focused on Ichi. Carefully stepping over Derrik's feet, Tsuna sat on his knees in the seat next to Suki and looked intently at the man from his vision. He cowered in fear from being Tsuna's open object of attention. Suki started to bluster and yell when Tsuna sat beside him, but a sharp, absent shove sent his head through the glass window and silenced him.

Then several people in the deathly silent vehicle gasped when Tsuna reached forward. Ichi cringed and put his arms up to protect himself, but that only proved to make reaching Tsuna's objective all that much easier. Ichi's eyes flew open and he stared at Tsuna in surprise and shock when his handcuffs broke free from his wrists by the power in Tsuna's gloved hand.

"Why did you...?" Ichi gaped.

"You're not a bad person," Tsuna replied with a bright smile. "Hiko doesn't control you anymore, so you don't have to be scared."

"What...?" Ichi whispered.

"I should have seen it earlier," Tsuna answered. "I'll admit I was too upset to think about it before now, but my head's all clear now. I kept thinking of you all as a group entity, but you're all individuals. I know that you hated what Hiko forced you to do now. I know what it feels like to do something you don't like, so I forgive you. You don't have to hurt people anymore. Hiko will be punished for what he made you do and for all the people he hurt. I'll help you get set up with a fresh start. Just be more careful on who you pick as friends."

"Y-You mean it?" Ichi asked with tears welling up in his eyes. Tsuna smiled brightly again and smiled with a nod. "Thank you," he cried in joy. "I'm so sorry that I helped him hurt you. I never wanted to. Hiko made me do it, but I still shouldn't have let him--"

"You piece of shit--!" Hiko howled, lunging over his seat in front of Tsuna in effort to get to Ichi. Tsuna stopped him single-handed with a gloved hand on his face holding him in place.

"You, on the other hand," Tsuna warned darkly while all trace of pleasantness left his face. "You will know what it means to be a victim before you die."

"As if you could do anything to me!" Hiko blustered once Tsuna released him with a small shove to put him back in his seat.

"You're right," Tsuna agreed. "If I was alone. Then again, you couldn't do anything to me alone either. Do you remember when I told you how much bigger my playground was, Hiko?"

"Yeah," Hiko replied in confusion. "So what? You can talk all you want--"

"The reason my playground is so much bigger," Tsuna interrupted, "Is because I have lots and lots of friends in it. Cops, Lawyers, Weapons Specialists, Hitmen, Media, Information Specialists, Sportsmen, and even a mechanic or two," Tsuna finished with a wink at Ichi. "I have lots and lots of friends from every walk of life. They're actually my Family and they love to do favors for me. How do you think I infiltrated the prison and hijacked your prison transfer? Or did you not notice that you're completely surrounded by enemies and not heading anywhere near a new prison?"

Hiko's jaw dropped and he looked around with wide eyes. Tsuna sighed, knowing that the man hadn't realized his trouble until now. Tsuna grabbed him when he jumped up and started to dart free, catching him with his foot a mere inch above Derrik's back.

"If you step on him," Tsuna warned with his hand once again on Hiko's face. "I'll do much more than just punish you. I'll kill you right here and right now and I promise you that it will be more painful than what I was already planning on doing." Hiko whimpered low in the back of his throat, but was too frozen to move due to the extreme pressure Tsuna had on his face.

"Remove your foot from my man's back or I'll burn the first layer of your skin off before you can even scream," Tsuna warned again. To prove he could do it, Tsuna lifted up his free hand and lit it in Flames. "I have five possible paths I can choose from for your punishment," Tsuna continued. "And I won't be too pleased if I have to lower my choices to three because you're too stupid to sit down and shut up. I told you before, Hiko, the only reason you were able to even touch me was because you were lucky. I don't have bio-engineered tranquilizers in my system right now, nor am I recovering from a heart transplant. I can kill you without even breaking a sweat and you should know that I'm quickly growing impatient. I'm only going to say it one more time before I start burning your skin. Remove. Your. Foot. And. Sit. Down."

Hiko hastily pulled his foot back and sat down with wide eyes.

"Good boy," Tsuna praised as if Hiko were a dog. He even went so far as to pat the man's head before pulling out another cigarette and lighting it. For once, Hiko didn't respond. He was too shocked and scared to respond.

"B-Boss?" Derrik said from the floor with a groan.

"Ah! You're awake!" Tsuna exclaimed before holding his cigarette with his lips and helping the man up. "Just in time, too! Hiko was going to wet himself if you'd stayed asleep any longer. Right, Hiko?" Tsuna and Derrik both looked at the pale man while the sound of liquid began hitting the floor. "See there," Tsuna said with a wide grin. "He's so happy that you're awake that he went ahead and wet himself anyway." From behind him, Ichi snickered behind behind his hands while Derrik stared at Hiko in wide-eyed confusion.

"Here," Tsuna mumbled while he helped the man sit in an empty seat in front of Makoto. "Hold on a second and I think Sakura packed something for you to drink when you woke up. One of his fruit-shakes to go, if I remember right." Derrik's eyes lit up and Tsuna immediately started digging in the bag Sakura had packed. The drinks were in one of the side pockets and Tsuna quickly handed all of them out. He handed two to Ryohei with a gesture to take one to Chrome.

"What are these?" Sao asked in curiosity. "I don't remember seeing this label before."

"Boss has got this physician on his payroll," Derrik answered enthusiastically. Both he and Yanihara were already sipping on their cans of thick juice. Makoto, Sao, Gori, and Ichi were still looking at theirs in hesitation. "He's not like normal doctors," Derrik continued. "He knows how to make things that are good for you and also taste good. He's a complete health nut, but I've never worried about anything he's given me. If he packages it like this, you know it's going to taste good. If he's forced to give you something that tastes nasty, he'll be honest about it so that you know to get it over with."

"Ah," Yanihara agreed. "Take these fruit-shakes, for example. I bet that they're good enough for you to make up for missing a meal or two, but they don't taste like compressed vitamins. I got melon flavor," he added with a grin.

"Just try it," Tsuna encouraged with a smile. "Although if anyone wants to trade, I seem to have gotten pumpkin flavor."

"I'll trade," Ichi offered after glancing at his label. "I've got apple flavor. My mum used to grow pumpkins, though. If it's anything like pumpkin pie, it has to be good." Tsuna silently traded and smiled widely at Ichi's wide-eyed look of surprise after a single drink. "It's good," he gasped before taking another drink. Encouraged, Makoto, Sao, and Gori all opened their cans and began drinking. They quickly began chuckling over each others expressions of surprise and Tsuna went back to the front of the bus to once again think to himself.

The voice had been silent ever since Tsuna had freed Ichi. It truly did seem to only want to help him, but he got a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. It wasn't his own voice he was hearing. He knew now that it wasn't a voice connected to himself in any normal way.

"Chrome," Tsuna asked hesitantly. "Have you sensed any other illusionists messing around us lately?"

"Kufufufu," Mukuro chuckled from within Chrome. "You're not going crazy, Sawada Tsunayoshi. Vongola's Day of Reckoning will come in it's own time. Do not turn away advice which might help you prepare."

"What..?!" Tsuna gasped, dropping both his cigarette and his drink.

"What's wrong, Boss?" Chrome asked, once again herself.

"No, no, no," Tsuna muttered. "Where's Mukuro? Let me talk to Mukuro again!"

"He's talking to someone else, Boss," Chrome replied uneasily after a quick moment of concentration. "He's not answering me."

"What's wrong, little bro?" Ryohei called from the back of the bus. Tsuna raised his hand to gesture that it was nothing and collapsed back into his seat.

_What the hell was Vongola's Day of Reckoning?_ he thought to himself.

Nothing answered.


	87. Chapter 87 Reset

Two days passed in the mountain villa that was their hidden base of operations. During that time, everyone received new faces and identities. Makoto purposely chose a face with a strong jaw and short, blindingly red hair. His name had been changed to Matsu with a fake high school diploma and history. Sao took back his old face and name of Enrico. Tsuna tried not to raise his eyebrow at the man. The sinister and hard face had been replaced with a baby-face and his hair shone black from being greased in place.

Gori had been the hardest, though. With his frame, which was slightly larger than Makoto's, finding a good face proved hard. In the end, they'd simply squared off his chin and narrowed the bridge of his nose. He still looked much like his former self, but it was enough to get past authorities with his suddenly silver hair. The information specialists had named him Yukio in his new records and he'd taken to the change with near glee.

Derrik and Yanihara had already been transferred back up to Italy for their own safety. They'd be able to return in a year or two with no problems. Not that Tsuna minded. He'd be heading back to Italy himself once he knew everything had settled down back at home. Cadenza had already reported that their records had been cleaned and the calls for his arrest had stopped. Caesura had reported in that all the needed authorities had been threatened. At Tsuna's order, they kept away from Takahashi, though. Tsuna wanted to deliver that warning personally.

All that was left was to await the Ninth's all-clear signal. Then it would be business like usual. Of course, it had hit the media that Tsuna was a Mafia Boss, but that wasn't too big of an issue. As long as the authorities couldn't prove anything against him, there were plenty of Mafia Bosses that didn't hide their identities. The public would come around when time passed and Tsuna did nothing to hurt any of the general populous.

Even knowing that he was a Mafia Boss, no one could forget how much he'd helped them. At least, that's what Tsuna hoped. He could wish all he wanted that no one knew how he controlled from the underground, but it didn't change the fact that he did. Nor did it change the fact that the media outside their control had ran with the story the moment that Mafiosos had begun confessing their crimes and deals.

And Tsuna had done a lot of crimes and a lot of deals with a lot of Mafiosos.

It made his head spin when he realized how many of the turncoat Mafiosos had probably mentioned him. They all knew him. He, who was Vongola's heir. He, who was soon to be the leader of the strongest Mafia Family in Japan, Italy, and the surrounding countries. He, who was called Hellfire Tsuna by his classmates and was called M-Monster...by Kyoko.

Tsuna tried not to pace too much on the raised outside deck of the mountain villa. Smoking in effort to calm himself, Tsuna tried not to think about Kyoko. Even so, his mind kept returning despite his wishes. He knew that Haru hadn't meant to spill the beans. She had just been trying to calm her friend. It truly didn't matter anymore, though, since Kyoko would have found out about him one way or another once they returned to Japan and saw his face and name plastered across the media. Again.

Still, he felt bad for forcing himself to be so harsh to the woman. Without knowing why, he'd wanted to jam it into her brain that there were bad people out there with seemingly innocent faces. Not only Mochida's. More than that, he had subconsciously wanted her to understand that about Tsuna himself. Knowing that she knew the truth had actually lifted some weight off his shoulders, but at the same time it added yet another burden. At least this time it was an honest burden.

Whether Kyoko hated him or grew to understand would be up to herself. Tsuna didn't doubt that Haru and possibly Hana would both attempt to get her to come around. Not that Kyoko truly had any choice. It was either come to understand or come to be cut off from her brother. Yet Tsuna hated that he'd forced that choice onto her. Unintentionally, he had snapped after Haru had said one syllable too many.

At least Haru had tried to cover her mistake. The very fact made Tsuna smile despite still aching from her slap. Haru had truly chosen to be at his side no matter what he did. Even knowing that Tsuna had killed Kyoko's boyfriend, _Haru's friend_, she had tried to say that it wasn't Tsuna's fault. "_It's not Tsu-kun's fault that people like Moch--" _Tsuna could almost finish that sentence for her. "_That people like Mochida exist_." But the sad truth was that they did exist and it was his job to protect those he cared about from those innocent faces which held sharp daggers.

Now that Tsuna had time to think to himself, he knew why Haru had slapped him, too. It hadn't been for Kyoko's sake. It had been for his own. She knew how much he'd hurt later from all the horrible things he'd said. She had been stopping him for his own well-being. Not because he'd went over the edge of brutally honest to Kyoko. Not because his words had been hurting anyone in the room. Haru, in her own way, had been trying to protect Tsuna from himself.

And Tsuna was glad that she'd stopped him. Already, he hurt so much from everything he'd told Kyoko. If he'd been allowed to continue until Kyoko had broke from the truth, he would never have been able to forgive himself. Haru had stopped him from doing something he would regret. Plain and simple.

The knowledge made him smile despite his inner turmoil.

"Boss," Gokudera called. Tsuna turned to his friend with yet another smile. Gokudera was finally walking without his braces. Two days of being stashed up in the mountains with nothing to do had given him the time he needed to get used to his new spinal connections. It would take training to return to his former speed, but he no longer needed the leg supports to walk or even jog. Running all-out would take time, though.

"What is it, Gokudera," Tsuna asked.

"You have a call, boss," came the reply. Tsuna immediately dashed forward and snatched the phone out of Gokudera's hand.

"Hello, Tsuna speaking," he answered into Gokudera's cellphone. "Is that you, Ninth?"

"It's me, Tsunayoshi," the Ninth confirmed. "I'm giving you the all-clear to return to your home in Japan. The operations are over and we have Dr. Sinsanko in custody. Trident Shamal has been recovered unharmed, as well."

"Thank goodness," Tsuna exclaimed in relief.

"Now comes the hard part, Tsunayoshi," the Ninth warned. "We still have to keep our heads down until the public and the media cool off of us. There's a Mafia-wide brown-out in effect for the next three months. Minimum operations only. Unfortunately, this means we have to put your training on hold."

"Understandable," Tsuna agreed. "And I could honestly use the rest."

"I figured as much," the Ninth replied warmly. "That's why I've transferred your school records back down to Namimori. You'll be staying there and going to school until I send for you."

"Wait, what?" Tsuna asked in shock.

"You're going to temporarily be a normal high-school student, Tsunayoshi," the Ninth explained. "You'll be expected to keep up-to-date with the latest reports, of course, and keep ahead on your legal fronts, but otherwise I want you to pretend the Mafia doesn't exist."

"Wait," Tsuna gasped. "How am I supposed to do that?!"

"Figure it out, Tsunayoshi," the Ninth ordered. "I figured that you would be happy to suspend your training for a while."

"B-but--"

"Don't worry about things up here," the Ninth continued. "I'll get everything settled again. You just work on fully recovering. Even a Mafia Boss takes a break, you know."

"B-but--"

"Tsunayoshi," the Ninth sighed. "Please stop saying 'but'. I might be sending you on a sabbatical, but you are still Vongola's only heir. Show some dignity." When the only word that came to Tsuna's mind was another 'but', he clamped his mouth shut around it. "I'll call for you in three months at the earliest," the Ninth stated firmly. "Depending on what I hear from your resident physician, I might extend it longer. There will still be plenty for you to learn when you return. For now, just reconnect with the people that serve you and try not to get any more bullet wounds."

"Y-Yes, Ninth..." Tsuna mumbled in shock.

"Oh," the Ninth added knowingly. "And I expect you and your little firecracker to invite me to your wedding."

"Y-Yes..." Tsuna replied, still overwhelmed with shock. While Tsuna stood there with the hand still limply held in his hand, the Ninth said his farewells and hung up. Tsuna handed it off to Gokudera with wide eyes.

"Well, what did he say, Boss? Is it safe to come out of hiding?" The silver haired man asked.

"Ah," Tsuna confirmed while his knees stopped supporting him and he sank down to the ground.

"What's the matter, Boss?" Gokudera asked in confusion. "I figured you would be happy."

"The Ninth transferred me," he mumbled with a completely blank mind. "I'm staying in Japan for the next three months at a minimum and I'm going to be going to school down here instead of Don Girarde."

"What?" Gokudera gasped. "Why?!"

"He said it's part of a Mafia-wide brown-out. But then he started saying it was so I could recover," Tsuna replied absently.

"Maybe that's not such a bad idea," Gokudera muttered to himself. "You have been through a lot, Boss. And this would give us time to solidify our Japanese Headquarters."

"B-But a...normal...school," Tsuna objected softly. "Do I know how to be normal anymore?"

"Just be yourself, Boss," Gokudera soothed. "If anyone has a problem with it, I'll deal with it for you."

"Thanks, Gokudera," Tsuna mumbled. Images of himself walking into a normal classroom surfaced. Images of him acting like Gokudera in a normal classroom surfaced. Images of him... Tsuna moaned to himself. There was no denying it. He had been completely turned by the Mafia. The thought of a normal classroom made him want to gag in disgust. Too used to Don Girarde's intensive course of study, the thought of _normal _math and _normal _P.E. made him tempted to just sleep through it all like Gokudera used to. He probably knew more languages than his English teacher would, but he was going to have to suck it up and still go to class. With his inner Flame, Tsuna would be able to unlock his inner learning limitations like they were nothing. That's how he'd been able to keep up at Don Girarde despite numerous interruptions.

He was already beyond the level of normal studies. There was nothing he could learn at a normal school.

So why?

Why had the Ninth, who already knew his ability and knowledge levels, transferred his records into a Namimori High School? Why hadn't he just called into Don Girarde and told them that Tsuna wouldn't be back for a while? Don Girarde was Mafia-based. They would have understood.

It made absolutely NO sense.

"I-I'll go tell the others, Boss," Gokudera offered. Tsuna whimpered low in the back of his throat in agreement. His mind was too focused on the only thing he could think of at the moment.

A...normal...school.

* * *

"Papa!" Hotaru squealed happily before barreling into his arms. Tsuna smiled widely and got inside the house as fast as possible. The media were already staking out the front gates in hopes to catch sight of him. If they found out that there was a back entrance, Tsuna wouldn't be able to move without making every trip into an ordeal. 

"How's my little firefly?" Tsuna asked once they were inside.

"Hotaru's happy because Papa's home," he squealed with a hug around Tsuna's neck. He squealed even more when Tsuna tickled the little boy until he was free.

"Where's your mother?" Tsuna inquired with another wide smile while the little boy panted breathlessly in his arms.

"Mommy is helping Grandma make dinner," Hotaru answered with a fat finger pointing in the direction of the kitchen.

"Okay," Tsuna said with a smile. "I need a promise from my little firefly before I go see Haru." Hotaru looked at him in innocent curiosity, so Tsuna set him down and knelt down next to him. "Hotaru," Tsuna pleaded seriously. "I need you to promise me that you won't use your Fires in front of strangers and that you won't use it outside the house unless someone is trying to hurt you."

"Is Hotaru's Fires bad?" The little boy asked sadly.

"No, no," Tsuna soothed. "It's just a lot of people are going to be watching your Papa from now on and they wouldn't understand how special you are. I want your wonderful Fires to be our little secret unless it's neccessary to use them to protect yourself."

"Hotaru likes secrets!" Hotaru squealed. "Hotaru will keep his Fires secret for Papa."

"Okay," Tsuna said with a smile of relief. "Go play then so I can go say hello to your mother." Hotaru shrieked happily and ran off to find someone to play with and Tsuna watched him go without letting his smile falter. Once he was gone, though, Tsuna let the pretense fall away. It hurt. It hurt so much that he was forced to ask his son to hide his gifts. Yet, so many people would want to take him and use him if they knew about all the incredible things he could do. With all the media attention on Tsuna, word would get out about his son without the proper precautions.

Tsuna walked into the kitchen with a small sigh. When had life become so complicated? Was it just part of becoming a true adult? Even though he was already considered one in multiple countries, why was it that only now he was feeling the weight of maturity? He'd been too busy to feel the change to himself before now. Years had passed already and Tsuna had went from and under-average middle school student to a overly-capable adult without being fully aware of the fact. He'd been too busy dealing with one thing after another.

Tsuna looked up at the sound of a bowl of potatoes crashing to the ground. Haru stood frozen in the center of the room, staring at him with a worried and hurt expression. It took Tsuna a few long seconds to realize why. She blamed herself for letting Kyoko know and was scared that he would be mad at her. With a wide smile to put her at ease, Tsuna crossed the distance between them and gave her a long and passionately deep kiss. He heard his mother squealing in delight nearby, but Tsuna ignored her. Letting Haru know how much he still loved her was all that mattered.

"Ha-hi?" Haru panted when he broke away.

"I'm not upset that you accidentally told Kyoko," Tsuna whispered in her ear. "She would have found out eventually anyway. Word is out that I'm a mafia boss and Officer Takahashi would have gotten to her sooner or later. It's better that she heard it from a friend."

"Tsu-kun is a mafia boss?" Nana asked from behind him. He tensed in surprise and tilted his head back to look at her. With a sigh and a bow of his head in resignation, he decided he might as well end all the lies.

"Ah," Tsuna confirmed.

"It's too bad about your translator job," Nana mumbled absently while she stirred some apples into some sort of sauce. "But as long as you're happy, you can be anything you want."

Tsuna's jaw dropped and he looked at his mother in shock. He'd completely forgotten how absentminded she was! The one and only time that she'd been pushed into being negative had been when he'd come home drunk! And even then, she'd taken it in stride after she finished her lecture!

He should have known.

"T-Thanks, mom...?" Tsuna mumbled. Haru giggled at the look on his face and he turned back to her with a gleam in his eye. "Sorry, mom," Tsuna called over his shoulder with a wide smile. "But Mafia Bosses like to steal things and I'm about to steal Haru away from you."

"Go ahead," Nana approved with a small blush of joy. "You young ones go spend some time together. I'm not too old that I can't finish dinner alone. Toshi should return after a while anyway."

Without waiting another second, Tsuna bodily picked Haru up and tossed her over his shoulder. She squealed the whole way but that only proved to make Tsuna more intent on his plans. He dashed for the stairs before anyone could stop him with Haru hanging over his shoulder, fighting the whole way.

"Tsu-kun!" She yelled. "Put me down! What are you--" She gasped when he tossed her on his bed before she even realized that he'd brought her in the room and kicked the door shut behind him. He didn't give her time to complain. He pinned her to the bed with another long and passionate kiss in which she automatically melted against. Trying to make up for how brutal he'd been the last time they had been together, Tsuna took his time in making sure she enjoyed everything he did.

Gently, he sent butterfly kisses along her neck, unbuttoning her shirt and pushing it aside to gain access to her shoulders and chest. She mirrored his actions without hesitation, only pausing when his shirt was off and the scars on his chest were revealed around the sparing bandages still wrapped around his shoulder. Curious, she pushed him on his back to get a better look and Tsuna let her.

This time he refused to succumb to his own wild needs.

"You got hurt again, Tsu-kun," she said softly while her fingers traced the outer edges of the dark blotches on his skin.

"It happens," Tsuna temporized in return. He closed his eyes and tried not to shiver from the goosebumps that her fingers left in their wake. Even so, his muscles quivered at her touch while she explored him to see for herself the price that Tsuna had paid. He moaned despite himself when those fingers finally found their way down to his hips and along his waistline. Automatically, he reached up and pulled Haru down in a fierce embrace. Her body molded against his while he once again told her through a kiss how much he needed her and wanted her. How much he loved her.

Once she pulled away, she licked her lips and smacked them like she'd just taken a bite out of her favorite cake. Then, before Tsuna could pull her back into the embrace, she began kissing along the trail that her fingers had already journeyed through. Her leg rubbed up against him through his pants while he let her completely control him for once. More than anything, he wanted to strip and rip her clothes off, but he forcefully pushed that desire away. He wanted Haru to take as much pleasure from him that she could. If he gave into his own desires, it would completely defeat the purpose.

But that didn't stop him from being tempted.

Tsuna gasped from the shiver that went through him when Haru flicked her tongue against his nipple. By the time she reached the end of the line at his belt, Tsuna was clenching fistfuls of blankets in order to keep himself from giving in. Breathing heavily, he moaned Haru's name in order to let her know how aroused she was making him. She smiled widely at him with a wicked gleam in her eye that he'd never seen before. Continuing to tease him mercilessly, she licked and kissed along his pants without delving any lower.

"Please," he begged softly, feeling her chest unintentionally rub up against him while she continued her slow, silent taunts. He groaned and nearly lost it when she nibbled on his hip in response.

"Please," he panted while he began to reach down for her. Then he yelped at the sight of a small head peeking over the side of the bed. Sitting up, he pulled Haru's shirt closed before she could even react to his yelp or his movement.

"Hotaru," Tsuna gasped while he tried to control his flush face and his flustered breathing. "What are you doing in here, Hotaru? I thought I told you to go play." Haru's eyes widened in realization and she looked over at where Tsuna was looking. Slowly, Hotaru's head popped back up over the edge of the bed from where he'd ducked it down in hiding.

"Hotaru did go play," he answered innocently. "Hotaru wanted to know if Papa wanted to come play, too."

"I will after dinner," Tsuna promised after a deep breath to calm himself. "But right now, you need to go play with Fuuta or Ken or someone else."

"Papa's Fire is really big right now," Hotaru exclaimed without reacting to Tsuna's words. Tsuna's red face turned even more red while Haru continued to gape like a stranded fish.

"Yes, Hotaru," Tsuna said after a few long and painfully silent moments. "My Fire is big right now. Which is why you need to go play with someone--"

"Is Papa going to sharing his Fire with Mommy?" Hotaru asked innocently. Tsuna groaned in the back of his throat and decided he truly and completely wasn't ready for this.

"Why don't we go play, Hotaru," Tsuna suggested in effort to distract him from his question. He squealed in delight and ran out of the room, expecting Tsuna to follow.

"Dear god," Tsuna mumbled in defeat. "Remind me to find him a Nanny." Haru chuckled at the look on his face and Tsuna couldn't blame her. The mood had completely and unintentionally been ruined by Hotaru's innocent appearance.

"I'll start looking for one tomorrow," Haru agreed. Tsuna nodded and threw his shirt back on, knowing that he couldn't let the little boy down after suggesting that they play together.

"We'll continue this later," Tsuna promised softly in her ear before leaving the room. Haru grinned widely behind him and started thinking of who they could get to watch Hotaru for the night.

* * *

"We're staying in Japan?" Yamamoto exclaimed over dinner. "For how long?" 

"Minimum of three months," Tsuna explained around a bite of food. "Maybe more depending on the reports that the Ninth receives."

"What about school?" Ryohei asked before digging into his own helping.

"We're all being transferred down here," Tsuna answered. "At first I thought it was just a sudden quirk from the Ninth, but I got a call from Cheri while I was playing with Hotaru a little while ago. It seems that Don Girarde is being closed down temporarily as part of the brown-out. They're afraid that if so many people that have been connected with the Mafia are found together, the school itself will come under scrutiny. The only option is to transfer everyone out and pretend that the place is closed for renovations and repairs."

"It would be pretty bad if the place got raided," Gokudera grimaced. "The textbooks alone would be hard to cover up if someone actually read one."

"Exactly," Tsuna agreed. "Plus, it's a bit hard to spar when you know your fighting potential could possibly be recorded and used against you by the authorities." Tsuna looked up at a sudden ring from the doorbell. Curious, Tsuna motioned everyone else to keep eating and got up to answer it himself. He knew that his security wouldn't let the media past the front gates, so it had to be someone on his list of allowed visitors.

"Sangia," Tsuna greeted in surprise once the door was open. Camera started flashing in the distance and he quickly motioned her inside with a raised eyebrow at the suitcase she was lugging with her.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled. "My sister threw me out and I didn't know where else to go."

"You know you can always come here," Tsuna replied without really understanding. "Come join us for dinner and you can tell us all about it."

"Thank you," she replied softly. Tsuna grabbed her suitcase and put it aside in a nearby parlor before leading her to the dining room.

"Sangia," Gokudera blurted in surprise at their entrance. Tsuna raised an eyebrow at him when he jumped to his feet and he flushed in embarrassment before sitting abruptly back down.

"She's joining us for dinner, mom," Tsuna called while he showed her to an empty seat. Nana immediately dashed for the kitchen for an extra plate. Tsuna chased after her quickly and whispered for her to get Sangia a fork instead of chopsticks. He didn't know if the woman was used to eating with any other utensil, but he knew that Don Girarde used forks exclusively. It was better safe than sorry. Before the woman knew it, she had a full plate in front of her and a cold glass of cola. She flushed a little in embarrassment at how quickly they'd welcomed her, but didn't complain.

"So, what happened with you and your sister?" Tsuna prompted after taking his own seat again.

"She threw me out," Sangia repeated softly while Yamamoto motioned for her to eat. She picked up her fork at his encouragements and took a hesitant bite. As if this was the signal everyone was waiting on, they all began delving into their own plates again. "This is good," Sangia mumbled in surprise.

"My mother made it, so of course it is," Tsuna replied warmly. He could nearly feel his mother puff up in pride next to him. "But why did she throw you out?"

"Well," she answered, "The truth is that she was angry because I was working for you guys. I kind of passed everything directly to you first without handing it off to my sister. I didn't mean to, but it broke our Family's code. She yelled at me and told me that I made her lose face because I didn't pass what I learned through her." She paused to take another bite while Tsuna listened intently. "Then I sort of snapped myself. I told her that I never asked to be part of her Family and how it was Father's fault that I wasn't still safely at my University. She got so angry, she threw me out. I managed to grab some clothes and a bit of savings that I had put back. At first, I didn't know where to go, but then I remembered how you always seemed to want to help me. I-I thought maybe--"

"Of course I'll help you," Tsuna soothed immediately. "You've been Family for a long time now. Why would I turn you away?"

"I'm Family?" Sangia repeated. "But I was part of the Kuneri--"

"And Lambo's a Bovino," Tsuna interrupted. "And Lanchia is an Oroburg now. And Dino is...well...a Cavallone obviously. I don't care if you have connections with a different Family. I'll still consider you part of mine."

"Can you do that?" She asked with wide eyes.

"Vongola the First did," Tsuna said with a wide grin.

"But still..." Sangia mumbled to herself.

"You like learning, right?" Tsuna asked after another bite of rice. At her nod, he continued, "There's a University nearby. I'm sure we can fake your old records that Gokudera mentioned were destroyed and you can pick up your studies while you stay here."

"I can't do that!" She squealed.

"Why not?" Yamamoto asked when Tsuna's mouth was too full to ask. "Like Tsuna said, you're Family. Since your sister kicked you out, she has no claim over you anymore. If you're willing, from now on you can be considered a Vongola."

"Still," Sangia replied firmly. "It wouldn't feel right for me to take a handout that generous. I'm an honest woman and I can find work like anyone else. I just need a week to get my bearings."

"Fine," Tsuna agreed with a wide grin. "How about a trade then?"

"Trade?" she repeated suspiciously.

"You need a place to live and I know you probably want to go back to college."

"Y-Yes, that's true," she admitted.

"I'll give you both and you can work for me," he said with an every-growing smile. "It solves a little problem I had anyway."

"W-What would I have to do?" She asked hesitantly.

"Ha-Hi!" Haru exclaimed in sudden understanding and Tsuna couldn't help but emit a sharp laugh.

"Me and Haru need a Nanny for a few hours a day," Tsuna explained. He completely ignored the knowing looks of the people around him and stared at Sangia intently in hopes that she would accept. Haru was no different.

"Please," Haru pleaded. "Hotaru is sweet and isn't a problem at all, but everyone else sometimes gets too busy to play with him right when we...um...want to spend some time with just us."

"Exactly," Tsuna confirmed with hope-filled eyes. Sangia looked from Tsuna to Haru then back to Tsuna again before breaking into soft giggles.

"Alright," she agreed. "That doesn't sound too difficult. I'll take the trade."

"Thank goodness," Tsuna replied in relief. "You hear that, Hotaru? Sangia said she would play with you whenever you can't find anyone else to play with."

"Will Sangia teach Hotaru new things?" He asked brightly.

"Ah," Tsuna confirmed. "Sangia's really smart. She can teach you a lot of things that I can't." Hotaru began clapping wildly in glee, unintentionally sending rice flying from the ends of his chopsticks.

"Goku-sensei is teaching Hotaru piano," Hotaru listed while people dodged the rain of rice. "Grandma and Aunt Bianchi is teaching Hotaru how to cook. Mommy is teaching Hotaru numbers. Papa is teaching Hotaru about Fires. Uncle Yama-chan is teaching Hotaru how to play catch. Chirp chirp is teaching Hotaru how to talk in Chirp chirp. Sakura-sensei is teaching Hotaru about plants. Uncle Ryohei is teaching Hotaru about all the places that EXTREME boxers come from. And now Sangia-sensei can teach Hotaru, too!"

Tsuna tried not to choke on the list, but failed when Hotaru did an 'EXTREME' imitation. The little boy had even raised his small fist like Ryohei always did. Pounding his table in effort to force the food down his throat despite his laughter, Tsuna wasn't the only one to find the little boy's antics amusing. Ryohei gave Hotaru a high-five while Yamamoto turned away from the table completely to hide his chuckles.

"That sounds like an interesting course of study you all have him on," Sangia murmured around a bite of food.

"He's one of a kind," Tsuna replied once he managed to calm himself. "Don't underestimate him on whatever you decide to teach him. He's already learned everything there is to know about the human body and even though he says I'm teaching him about his Flames, he truly already knows more than me."

"Well, you'd probably want me to watch him in the evening, correct?" Sangia asked while she considered something.

"Ah," Tsuna confirmed. "From dinner to whenever everyone goes to sleep. He either pretends to sleep after that or he'll return to his...um...room on his own."

"Then how about Astronomy?" Sangia offered. "I've studied quite a bit on it in hopes that I could prove the existence of Dark Matter."

"That's fine," Tsuna agreed in relief. "How does that sound, Hotaru?"

"What's Astronomy?" He asked innocently.

"It's the study of the stars and the planets," Sangia explained. "All those bright things you see in the night sky and the things that are hiding up there."

"Oh!!" Hotaru squealed in instant understanding. "The big Fires that are too far for Hotaru to talk to and the things that Fuuta-nii talks to!"

"That's right," Tsuna agreed while Sangia looked at him in confusion. "Although she's not going to be teaching you how to talk to them like Fuuta. She's just going to teach you their names and how to look at them from far away."

"Hotaru wants to learn from Sangia-sensei," Hotaru exclaimed.

"Tomorrow," Tsuna promised. "Tonight we need to help Sangia get settled into her new room."

"I'll watch Hotaru after dinner," Ryohei offered. "Yamamoto wants to go check on his father and I'm sure Gokudera wouldn't mind showing Sangia around."

"That's fine," Tsuna said with a small glance in Gokudera's direction. The man tried to hide how Ryohei's comment made him choke, but didn't quite manage to conceal it from Tsuna. "Me and Haru would appreciate the time alone for as long as you can manage to keep him occupied."

"Is Papa going to share his Fire with Mommy again?" Hotaru asked innocently. Silence descended on the table in response and Tsuna clenched his lips shut with a red face in embarrassment. Everyone managed to hold their laughter in long enough to dart away from the table instead of laughing in Tsuna's face.

Even Haru.

"I can still hear you!" Tsuna yelled down the hall after them.

It was quickly decided that dinner was over.


	88. Chapter 88 End and a Beginning

"How is everyone settling in?" Tsuna asked.

"Pretty good," Makoto-turned-Matsu replied. "Ichi's still trying to decide on his new identity, but he said he'd know what he wanted to do in a day or two. Your man, Gokudera I think, took Yukio to this place's surviellance center. He started talking ones and zeros with a girl there and it was all over. As long as he's fed, I don't think he'll even notice we're underground. And Enrico is taking to this place like he's always been here."

"What about you?" Tsuna asked worriedly.

"Feeling a bit claustrophobic, but I'm dealing with it," Matsu admitted. "The halls are wide and airy down here, but it's still underground."

"If you want, I can have you moved to your own house outside," Tsuna offered. "I'm sure Manager Uhura would know where to fix you up at."

"Manager Uhura?" Matsu asked in curiousity.

"Ah," Tsuna confirmed while he slowly guided Matsu to their destination in the underground facility. "He runs my Club downtown. The authorities siezed it while I was dealing with our little problems, but Manager Uhura's already working on repairing the damage they did in their raid. I'm sure he could take an hour or two away to get you set up somewhere that you're more comfortable. I think that I have a proposal for new condos on my desk from him, in matter of fact. If I remember correctly from what I glanced at, he wanted all our employees centrally located in case of an emergency. It was a bit too difficult to call a retreat after the latest trouble."

"I thought everyone lived down here under your house," Matsu asked in confusion.

"No," Tsuna corrected. "Just those that work here in secret and who's existance doesn't need to be commented on. People that the public see like Manager Uhura all have outside residences. It would be strange if the police wanted to talk to someone from the Club and they couldn't give them a home address."

"I see," Matsu said while he considered the offer. "A condo doesn't sound too bad. Do you think I could get a job from the guy too? I'm going nuts from being too idle."

"I'll ask," Tsuna promised. "But first, we have a small trip to make and I need your help."

"Anything," Matsu agreed.

"I'm going back up to the villa where we left Hiko and his friends," Tsuna explained. "I need someone to attract the media away. Ryohei's already went ahead this morning and I'm going to fly so that I can't be followed. But to slip away without being caught, I need everyone's eyes in the other direction."

"Okay..." Matsu mumbled.

"Toshi, my double, agreed to help me on this," Tsuna continued. "We're going right now to get him. Sakura's putting fake scars on him, but they're just stick-ons since we didn't give him much time to prepare. I need you to run interference so that no one gets close enough to notice."

"I can do that," Matsu said with a smile of understanding.

"Gokudera's going to be with you," Tsuna added. "But he's going to be focused on ensuring Toshi acts like me. I need you as an extra man to cover any clumsiness on his part. His luck has gotten better since he started living here, but he's still accident-prone."

"No problem," came the predicted reply. Tsuna nodded and opened the door to Sakura's underground clinic. He paused for a moment once inside and inspected his double. It was incredible how alike he looked, even though his fake scars were only on his face and hands. The rest of him was covered in clothing and there wasn't time to apply more.

"Not bad," Tsuna praised, walking around the blushing Toshi. "You're not as thin as me, but Sakura did good in making the illusion of it. As long as you don't smile, I don't think anyone will notice the switch."

"I'll do my best," Toshi promised before slipping in a pair of brown contacts.

"Now, remember," Tsuna warned. "You're to go and get in the car with Gokudera. You guys are going to go downtown and walk into the Club. Don't talk to anyone. Even someone you know. Just go directly up to the fourth floor and Manager Uhura already has a room waiting. Have a few drinks, laughs, whatever. Just don't leave the room. I'll call you when I need you to reappear to keep the media attention on you."

"Doesn't sound hard," Toshi mumbled.

"Oh, Makoto," Tsuna said, turning to his other companion.

"Matsu," he corrected.

"Matsu," Tsuna repeated with a nod to himself. "Once Toshi is safely stashed in the locked room, ask Gokudera if Pink or any of her girls are still in town. Tell him that I told you to ask. If so, Gokudera will know what I'm thinking."

"Pink," Matsu repeated to himself. Tsuna smiled, but didn't explain. If one of her girls were in town while Mafia Row was still being rebuilt, Matsu would get a long awaited taste of freedom. If not, he wouldn't know what he'd missed out on.

"Alright," Tsuna announced when Gokudera appeared to escort Toshi. "I'm heading for the back entrance. Give me five minutes to get in place and then head out."

"I'll send a signal through your phone, Boss," Gokudera agreed.

"Thanks again," Tsuna replied with a wave of farewell to Toshi and Matsu. Without looking back, he started jogging down the hall. The hidden entrance to the underground facility exited out several blocks away. In truth, Tsuna probably didn't need the distraction, but it was always better safe than sorry. Plus, this would keep Gokudera busy and he knew that Matsu wanted to get outside now that he was free.

As per agreement, Tsuna waited for Gokudera's signal before peeking out of the door. It actually emptied out into a closet in Manager Uhura's house extension, with a fake back wall to hide it in case of a raid. If someone tried to break through the wall to get to the stairwell without the proper tricks, the twisting tunnel would collapse before a person even saw inside. Once Tsuna was sure that the room was empty, he exited the closet and the house as quickly as possible. He didn't waste a second in boosting himself straight into the air at his fastest speed, quickly getting out of sight of any watching neighbors or passerby before they could see more than a spark.

With a sigh of relief once he was airborne and in the clear, Tsuna headed for the mountain villa. He didn't bother to try to hide his landing on the deck nor was Ryohei surprised to see him. They'd planned this together once they realized that Tsuna would be staying in Japan. Hiko had to be punished, but Tsuna couldn't afford even a single witness. The time limit didn't help, either. Tsuna would be starting his new school tomorrow, so today had been the only day that he would be able to get away without notice. After this, they would have to keep their noses clean for three solid months.

"You made up your mind, little bro," Ryohei asked.

"Honestly, no," Tsuna answered. Ryohei frowned but didn't question him about it. Which was a good thing. The voice had disappeared after the incident with Ichi. He didn't know if it would reappear once he started thinking punishments again. None of the other men were innocent, though. He knew that much. His vision had told him how all three had done the original crime to get arrested. He didn't doubt that they had each taken turns in making new victims. Still, until he knew that the voice wasn't going to return mid-punishment, he wanted to just confront them.

All three were tied to chairs with no less than four guards on them. At Tsuna's gesture, the guards exited the room without a single question. Walking forward, Tsuna paused in front of each of them in turn. Finally, he reached forward in front of Hiko and took off his gag first.

"What the fuck are you--" He yelled immediately, but was silenced by a single strong jab to his head.

"Be silent unless you're answering my question," Tsuna ordered. Hiko shook his head in an attempt to clear it and Suki beside him tried to fight his bonds in effort to help his brother. Curious if he could use the reaction, Tsuna stepped over to Suki and knelt down. "You two brothers seem to actually care about each other," Tsuna said softly, bringing silence and stillness to the room.

"Leave my brother alone!" Hiko snarled.

"Or what?" Tsuna asked. "You're in my power, Hiko. Whether you live or die will be decided by me within the next few hours. I want you to understand that so that you're fully aware of your situation. If I were you, I would try to be more accomodating."

"Accomo-what?"

"It means, do what I say or I'll fuck your brother up," Tsuna replied at the end of his patience. To prove he could do it, he reached forward and broke one of Suki's fingers. The man screamed from behind his gag with eyes wide from shock. "Does that help you understand?"

"Fine!" Hiko yelled. "I'll be more accomo-whatever. Just leave my brother alone!"

"Your brother is going to be punished, too," Tsuna replied. "He helped you create victims even after you were assigned punishment by the courts. But we'll get to that later. The first thing I want to know is why you hurt people, Hiko. That shouldn't be a hard question."

"Hurt people? You mean when I fucked some weak piece of ass in prison?" Hiko asked. Tsuna clenched his teeth shut and reached down again to Suki's hand. Again there was a sickening crunch followed by a muffled scream. Suki began panting and sweating with a wide-eyed look at his brother, begging him to not be so stupid for once.

"So you think they're weak if they can't take out four grown men," Tsuna stated, explaining the reason for his anger. "What about all the women you attacked? You can't tell me that you expected them to be able to fight you."

"A woman should do what a man tells her," Hiko snarled. Disgusted, Tsuna shoved the gag back into the man's mouth and pulled Suki's gag loose.

"My brother's an idiot," Suki gasped once his gag was out of his mouth.

"So you got all the brains and he got the brawn," Tsuna said in understanding. "Maybe I should have just started with you."

"What do you want?" He panted.

"I'm curious about what you three were thinking everytime you hurt someone," Tsuna answered.

"We knew what we wanted so we took it," Suki replied. "Who was going to stop us? The police? The guards? Half of them helped us in order to get a piece of the action."

"So you decided you wanted me and didn't worry about possible consequences," Tsuna mumbled. "That's too bad, because the consequences are pretty severe."

"Please," Suki begged, "We're sorry and we won't--"

"Now, I know you don't mean that at all," Tsuna laughed while he stuck the gag back in his mouth. "But you will mean it before I'm done. What about you?" Tsuna asked, pulling the gag off of Udono's mouth. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

"Where's Ichi?" He asked immediately. Tsuna eyebrows flew up in surprise. "What the fuck did you do to him, you bastard? You couldn't have let him go after he helped us try to fuck your bony ass. If you--"

"But I did," Tsuna said softly with a small smile, silencing the man with surprise. "Ichi's staying at my home right now while he tries to decide what new life he wants to live."

"He is?"

"Ah," Tsuna confirmed. "But why are you so worried about him? You are the one in the dangerous predicament here."

"I-Ichi is smart," the man said while he looked at his feet in resignation. "He could fix anything and he could make anything. He even fixed up my dad's old car and drove us around in it. I'll admit I called him names behind his back, but that was only because I was jealous and pissed off at him. He could do anything with his skill, but instead he followed Hiko and me around. He's an idiot like that, but he was an honest idiot."

"Why didn't you speak up for him?" Tsuna asked curiously.

"At first I was too embarrassed," Udono admitted. "But when Hiko and Suki started getting more and more cops on their side, I was living it up too much to notice. We could do anything we wanted and get away with it. I started thinking maybe Ichi wasn't so stupid for following Hiko. Maybe _I _wasn't so stupid for following Hiko. But then Internal Investigations fired a few of the cops that were on our side and the replacements couldn't be bribed."

"I hope you aren't expecting pity," Tsuna said in disgust. "You made your choice. Ichi was bound to Hiko by threats but you did it of your own free will."

"Ah," he replied in complete defeat. "Do what you want. As long as Ichi didn't get punished with us, I'm actually kind of glad that someone is stopping us." Tsuna nodded and stuck his gag back in the man's mouth. With a toss of his head, he led Ryohei into a nearby room to talk.

"What was that all about, little bro?" Ryohei asked curiously. "I had them set up for torture, but you only broke two of the bastard's fingers."

"I know," Tsuna mumbled. "I'm not done yet. I just wanted a minute to think." Tsuna pulled out a cigarette and started smoking while he leaned out an open window. Despite his words, he really was tempted to pity Udono. He'd made some bad choices, but he didn't seem completely unsalvagable. Hiko was too stupid to regret his crimes and Suki was smarter yet no better. Should he just kill them all? Should he punish them? Should he maybe try to salvage Udono? The Mafia had it's share of conscienceless people. If focused correctly, Udono could become another man in the ranks. That way, Tsuna could keep his eye on him and finish the job if the man proved to be a hazard.

So many choices, so few factors to help him choose. He almost wished the voice would return for once, but there was only continued silence. This would be his own choice, but he had no clue about which way to jump.

After no less than two hours of quiet thought, Tsuna finally made up his mind. Going to the villa's kitchen, Tsuna searched the drawers until he found the knife he wanted. Then, without a moment of hesitation, Tsuna headed back toward the room holding the three men.

"I've made up my mind," he announced to the three bound men. "Udono," he said, turning to the man first. "You gave your loyalty to Hiko and followed his orders without question." The man nodded and looked down at the floor. "Give your loyalty to me and I'll let you live with only a light punishment for your previous crimes." Udono's head snapped up and his eyes filled with hope. He nodded enthusiastically in agreement.

Stepping forward, Tsuna didn't give him time to learn fear. He grabbed the man's wrist above where the ropes bound him to the arm of the chair and splayed out his fingers while he chose. The man screamed when Tsuna's knife cut into the flesh of his pinky finger before severing it completely. Tsuna tried not to look at the free-flowing tears coming out of the man's eyes when he was done. Instead, he flared his glove long enough to seal the wound, making the man lurch from another spasm of agony.

Once he was done, Tsuna sighed. Only one thing was left. Grabbing the back of his neck to hold him steady, Tsuna looked into Udono's pain-filled eyes while he sobbed.

"Remember this," Tsuna whispered. "This is to always remind you of the pain you helped cause the innocent before you met me. This pain is the pain from betraying the Family. You don't hurt the Family, you protect it. Do well and you will live with all the enjoyment you could ever want. If you betray me, I will personally take your life. Understand? This is your last chance, Udono. Don't screw it up." The man nodded despite his pain and Tsuna leaned forward and kissed his forehead before pulling back and looking into his eyes again. "It'll be okay, Udono. I won't hurt you anymore unless you make me."

Tsuna carefully slipped the knife under the man's bindings and cut him free. Udono immediately nursed his hand, but didn't move to attack. Satisfied, Tsuna turned to the two remaining captives. Hope filled Suki's eyes and hatred in Hiko's. Deciding to get rid of the hope first, Tsuna walked forward and thrust the knife hilt-deep into his chest. Suki gasped in surprise before his eyes slowly fell shut and he went limp in his chair. To ensure his death, Tsuna ripped upward with the knife until he was sure that the man's internal organs were in shreds. The knife made a small squealching noise when he finally pulled it free.

Having already went cold before he even entered the room, Tsuna looked down at the spurting blood in disgust before stepping over to Hiko to repeat the process of killing the scum. He made it quick, but took savage pleasure in not making it clean. For Hiko, he purposely didn't aim for the heart and stabbed lower into his gut and across his stomach. The man looked at his own intestines spilling out until he, too, finally succumbed to the final darkness.

Tsuna stood over Hiko's body for a long while, completely ignoring the quickly spreading puddle of blood on the floor. Of all the things he could have done, this had been the best choice. A bullet was too fast, but true torture would have soiled his hands too much. Yet he didn't feel satisfied. They were both dead now, but he still didn't feel the least bit satisfied. They had hurt him. They had hurt a lot of others. He knew he was too close to it to judge the punishment rationally, which is why he'd decided to make it a quick death instead of torture or some other extensive plan. He knew that he would have taken too much pleasure in hurting them.

And the knowledge disgusted him.

But he still didn't feel satisfied. Shouldn't he be satisfied? The people that had hurt him were dead. They would have learned nothing from any other punishment he could have given. He _felt_ the truth of it. The people who had hurt him were scum. Scum, scum, scum. He didn't need to dirty his hands in causing them excessive pain, but he had wanted to.

Then he realized why he wasn't satisfied. He was hurting. He was hurting because he'd killed them. It didn't matter if they deserved to die in his eyes. His hands were already stained, but he'd had to stain them more because of the dead scum sitting before him. He couldn't be satisfied because even in death, the two men had wounded him. He wasn't the least bit happy that he'd been able to kill them. He couldn't be happy because he'd killed them more out of his own pain than the pain they'd caused others.

It wasn't fair.

"_Death shouldn't come cheap," _the voice commented.

"Ah," Tsuna mumbled in agreement without even stiffening at the sudden words. "Death shouldn't come cheap."

Tsuna sighed in understanding. He wasn't supposed to be satisfied or happy about killing them. He was only there to pay the price for the deaths and the bloodshed so that others could be safe. Now that he comprehended that, he accepted the price and the pain he felt. Hiko and Suki would have no more victims. That mattered more than his own satisfaction and happiness.

He had protected the innocent in the only way he knew how.

Tsuna turned and handed the bloody knife off to the silently watching Ryohei. With a gesture for his friend to take care of Udono, Tsuna walked out of the room and headed for the villa's showers. Right now, he wanted to feel clean again.

As clean as his bloodstained body could be.

* * *

Tsuna tried not to blush over his escort. He'd told his friends over dinner the previous night that he wanted to walk to school like old times. Word had gotten around and more than just Yamamoto, Gokudera, Ryohei, Haru, and Toshi were waiting in the morning. Those four he had naturally expected since they were going to be going to school with him. Matsu, Yukio, Enrico, Ichi, Udono, Cortez, Gary, Renaldo and three more men he remembered from the plane were a complete surprise, however.

Before Tsuna could even argue with their presence, he'd found himself protectively surrounded by his core Family with the extra men clearing the way and watching the rear. Deciding that it was better to just go with it, Tsuna let them do what they wanted. He was still getting to walk to school arm-in-arm with Haru and with his friends nearby. It wasn't quite as notalgic as he'd hoped, but it still did the trick to make him feel easier about going to a new school.

"This might not be so bad," Yamamoto said with a long stretch while they walked. "Three months with no jobs. Just normal high-school students again. Maybe I'll play a little baseball again for old times' sake."

"This isn't about having fun, baseball-freak!" Gokudera yelled. The whole group paused at the words and Yamamoto goggled at Gokudera for a minute. Then, before any of their guards could worry, they all burst out into laughter. Even Gokudera chuckled sheepishly.

"How long has it been since you called me that," Yamamoto laughed.

"Too long," Gokudera answered with a wide smile. "Maybe you're right about relaxing."

"Ah," Tsuna agreed with a wide smile. "We've all been working to the bone. We could all use a break, not just me."

"Such a crowd," a voice lazily commented in dislike. Tsuna paused and looked over at where Hibari was sitting on one of the restraining walls lining the road.

"Are you going to bite us to death?" Tsuna asked with a grin.

"Maybe later," Hibari answered. "I just came to remind you of our agreement."

"You'll get your fight in due time," Tsuna agreed. "I'm sure you would wish to wait until I'm at full strength."

"Indeed," Hibari said with a small smile playing at the corner of your lips. "I can't wait to see what you've been holding back."

"It's nothing much," Tsuna replied with a matching smile. "Just something that will take your breath away."

"Interesting," Hibari commented.

"Ha-hi!" Haru gasped, looking at her watch. "We're going to be late!" Tsuna looked down at her in surprise.

"So?"

"So?!" She repeated. "So we need to get a move on! Haru doesn't want to be late!"

"Alright," he laughed. He waved a lazy farewell to Hibari while Haru dragged him down the street at a quick pace. He made her pause at the gates to the school when the filled courtyard proved that they were still a bit early. Haru's mad dash had made up the lost time easily. With a sigh to prepare himself for battle, he turned to the mob of people that were with him.

"I think I can make it safely from here, guys," he announced, trying to ignore the looks their group was recieving. None of his men looked satisfied, though. "Just go ahead and go back home. I've got three Guardians here with me, so I don't think I have to worry about anything. What's the worst that could happen? A too-strict teacher giving me a zero?" His men chuckled at his quip, but didn't move to leave yet. "If you really want, you guys can come pick me back up after school, but you guys can't stay here right now."

They moaned. They groaned. They grumbled. But they left. Tsuna waved at them one last time before turning back to the courtyard.

"Toshi," Tsuna asked. "Can you lead me to the office? We need to find out which classes we're assigned to."

"Sure thing, Tsuna," he agreed warmly. Tsuna tried not to grumble when Haru let go of his arm while they crossed the courtyard. She was used to people moving out of his way in fear, but not people she knew. She seemed strangely surprised when she looked around at her former classmates. They stared at her like she was a monster, too, and she didn't understand it. These were people that she had laughed with and talked to daily before Tsuna had let her into his life.

"It's okay, Haru," Tsuna mumbled, patting her shoulder reassuringly. "It's just because you're with me. They'll come around."

"I'm fine," Haru replied with a bright smile. "As long as Haru has Tsu-kun, then Haru is happy." Tsuna smiled warmly at her response before slipping his shoes off inside the doors to the school. Since they didn't yet have lockers for them, Tsuna slipped them into one of the unassigned ones intended for guests.

"Who's all these people, Toshi?" The secretary asked in surprise.

"They're the new transfer students, Wahari-sensei," Toshi explained. Tsuna reached forward to shake her hand out of habit, she took it with a raised eyebrow and Tsuna belately bowed respectfully.

"Sorry," he mumbled with a blush when he rose back up. "I've been in Italy too long."

"I guess it can be forgiven," she said with a bright smile. "You're Sawada Tsunayoshi, correct? I've got your files right here. Although Toshi didn't tell me that you two were brothers."

"We're not," Tsuna answered. He refused to comment more despite her openly questioning look.

"Well, from the records that were sent to us, both you and Gokudera Hayato will be in class 2-A. Yamamoto Takeshi and Sasagawa Ryohei will be in class 2-B with Toshi. Miura Haru, we were able to get you in class 2-C again."

"We're split up?" Tsuna asked in surprise.

"It's hard enough to make room for five transfer students at once," the secretary replied without missing a beat. "You should be properly thankful that the Dean permitted it at all considering none of you took the entrance exams."

"T-That's true," Tsuna mumbled.

"It'll be alright, little bro!" Ryohei replied cheerfully.

"We can always see each other during breaks," Yamamoto agreed.

"You're right," Tsuna agreed warmly. The secretary handed out their locker numbers and called for their new teachers to escort them to their new classrooms. The chime had already went off to signal the start of class, but the men had obviously already been waiting on them. Haru's teacher recognized her immediately since it was the same one she'd had previously. Behind him came Yamamoto and Ryohei's teacher who snatched up the two and Toshi without uttering a single word. This left Gokudera and Tsuna as the only two people still waiting.

"Oi," Gokudera grumbled, "Where's ours?" The secretary shrugged and poked her head out into the hallway to see if he was on his way. She made a little sound of disgust and reached out to the person that had nervously been standing outside. With a sharp yank, Tsuna's new teacher was pulled inside.

"This is Tereshi-sensei," the secretary introduced. She gave a faltering laugh and shoved the trembling man forward. "I don't know why he's so nervous. He's usually really good with new students." Tsuna smiled hesitantly at the man, knowing exactly why he hadn't wanted to come inside. He was scared. The media couldn't prove any of Tsuna's crimes, but they had created a reputation that few could ignore.

"Please take care of me," Tsuna said with his most disarming smile. The man froze at the words and looked from Tsuna to Gokudera and back to Tsuna again. Tsuna just waited patiently until he got over his fear, never letting his smile slip. Finally, after several painfully long seconds, the man sighed and scratched his head like he was completely confused.

That was fine. Confusion was better than fear. The man hesitantly reached forward and shook Tsuna's hand. Tsuna bowed over it respectfully, proving to the man that he wasn't a mindless psychopath. This eased the man's mind even more. By the time he finally introduced himself and asked Tsuna a few hesitant questions, Tsuna could almost read his mind. He was thinking 'The media must not know what they're talking about' and 'He doesn't seem like a Underground Mafia Boss. He just looks like an innocent kid that's had some rough luck.'

Normal people were too easy to manipulate.


	89. Chapter 89 Okari High

Author's notes: Here's a 'Extra-long Schoolday Special' for all of you! Hope you enjoy!

Italian translations via Babelfish since I know no Italian...hope it's close enough to be accurate.

* * *

"Class," his teacher announced. "This is Sawada Tsunayoshi and Gokudera Hayato. They have both just transferred from Italy and will be joining us from today. Sawada, if you would like to tell us a bit about yourself?" 

"Eh...um...okay," Tsuna replied hesitantly. "I graduated from Nami-chuu if any of you remember me. After that, I transferred up to Italy to train to take over my Family's business. The private school up there was pretty hard, so I hope that I'm up to par with the studies down here." Tsuna paused and blinked at someone raising a hand to ask him a question. His teacher looked at him in askance, but he just shrugged. He didn't mind people asking questions. It was better than them being too fearful to speak to him.

"Go ahead, Yuuko," Tereshi-sensei permitted.

"Are you really a Mafia Boss?" The boy blurted while he stood.

"What would you do if I was?" Tsuna asked with a fake smile. He'd expected the question, but not quite so soon. He could feel Gokudera bristling behind him, but he stayed thankfully silent. The boy who had asked the question abruptly sat back down without an answer.

"I-I think that's enough introduction," Tereshi-sensei announced. "If you two would take your seats...?" Tsuna nodded and headed for an empty seat. He tried to ignore how Gokudera glared down at the occupant of the full one beside him until the boy quickly grabbed his things and dashed back to the only other empty one desk. "If everyone would pull out your English textbooks, we'll get started," the teacher said once they were settled.

Going along with it, Tsuna pulled out his textbook along with a pad of paper and pencil. He had to reach over and grab Gokudera's legs when he tried to put them on the desk to relax. Gokudera grumbled in response but sat back down properly and pulled out his own textbook. Tsuna tried not to groan at the easy sentences that the teacher directed them to. Like he'd feared, he'd probably learn nothing at this school.

Deciding that he couldn't let the time go to waste, Tsuna pulled out a book that Reborn had given him to practice his Russian. Once again he ignored the curious looks of the people around him. As long as the teacher didn't call on him or tell him to put it away, he was perfectly capable of reading the book while keeping a corner of his mind set aside to track what was going on around him. Over a year of negotiating deals with Xanxus while watching out for hidden hitmen in crowded bars had taught him how to do at least that much.

"Sawada," the teacher called, finally seeing that he was reading something other than what he was supposed to be. "Can you please translate the following lines?"

"Into which language?" Tsuna asked automatically while he stood with his textbook. "Wait, English, right?"

"What else?" Tereshi-sensei replied.

"Italian, French, Chinese, Spanish, German, or Russian," Tsuna answered without missing a beat. "Although if you want Russian, I'm still a bit rusty."

"You know seven languages?" The teacher gasped.

"Eight if you include Japanese. I can't negotiate business deals if I can't read the contracts," he explained.

"I-I see," Tereshi-sensei mumbled. "Well, if you would, translate into English, please, from where Niura left off." Tsuna nodded and followed the words with his finger while he translated the lines from the Christoper Marlowe poem _The Passionate Sheperd to Her Love _that was written in Japanese on his page

_"_A belt of straw and ivy buds,  
With coral clasps and amber studs:  
And if these pleasures may thee move,  
Come live with me and be my Love,"

"Would you like me to continue?" He asked, looking up from the page. The teacher nodded in awe of his fluent cadence and gestured for him to continue.

"Thy silver dishes for thy meat  
As precious as the gods do eat,  
Shall on an ivory table be  
Prepared each day for thee and me.

The shepherd swains shall dance and sing  
For thy delight each May-morning:  
If these delights thy mind may move,  
Then live with me and be my Love."

Having finished the poem altogether, Tsuna sat back down. He looked around in surprise when he was done. Several of the girls were looking at him with wide and dreamy eyes.

Girls

were looking at

him.

"Che cosa l'inferno?" He mumbled to Gokudera in Italian. _What the hell?_ The sound of him speaking Italian only proved to make several nearby girls sigh in admiration. Gokudera just shrugged, having never claimed to understand girls.

"Lo desiderate eliminare loro, sporgenza?" Gokudera mumbled back. _Do you want me to get rid of them, Boss?_

"No, Gokudera, non potete fare quello qui," Tsuna replied with a sigh. _No, Gokudera, you can't do that here_.

"What language is that?" The teacher asked curiously.

"Forgive me," Tsuna blushed, standing back up. "Gokudera was asking me what the last line was again, so I translated it into Italian for him."

"That's fine," Tereshi-sensei said with a wide smile. "Do whatever you need to in order to help your friend keep up."

"Thank you," Tsuna replied warmly. He sat back down and turned to Gokudera. "Speranza non vi occupate della bugia..." he said openly. _I hope you don't mind the lie..._

"Sapete che non mi preoccupo, dirigere," Gokudera replied with a wide smile. _You know I don't mind, boss._ "Almeno ora possiamo comunicare senza sollevare le questioni." _At least now we can talk without raising questions._

_"_Effettivamente," Tsuna agreed. _Indeed. "_Ma limitare al minimo." _But let's keep it to a minimum_.

_"_Se dite così, diriga," Gokudera grumbled. _If you say so, boss_.

Tsuna nodded to himself and went back to reading the Russian novel despite the teacher's questioning looks. Thankfully, the teacher didn't mind Tsuna studying two things as long as he still responded when called upon. Although he still curiously asked what Tsuna pulled out at each change of subject. For math, it was the Club's account books. For art, it was blueprints to the condo that Uhura had proposed. For science, it was the reports on the nano-electros' makeup that he still hadn't went over. Since the file was in Italian, his teacher couldn't prove his lie when he told the man it was a test study for a new hair-growth shampoo.

"I'm glad I brought all this," Tsuna mumbled while they walked down to grab Yamamoto and the others for lunch. "I got quite a bit of work done that I won't have to do at home now."

"Baka-Tsuna," Reborn insulted, jumping onto his shoulder. "You're supposed to be recovering, not working."

"The Ninth told me to keep up with reports and my businesses," Tsuna objected. "I'm just following orders."

"He didn't tell you to do it during school," Reborn grumbled.

"He didn't say I couldn't," Tsuna pointed out. "As long as I keep up, the teacher doesn't seem to mind."

"You're turning into a work-a-holic, Tsuna," Yamamoto laughed, having heard the conversation while he walked out of his classroom with Ryohei. "What happened to taking a break?"

"This is a break for me," Tsuna chuckled in return. "I don't have to worry about my cell phone going off and I can actually stay all day at school without wondering how I'm going to keep Hibari from getting a hit through."

"Have you decided what club you're going to go to?" Ryohei asked with the true question he wanted to ask lit in his eyes.

"Not yet," Tsuna mumbled. "I thought I'd look around and see if I couldn't find something I might get a little training with. If nothing shows up, I'll probably be joining...the boxing club."

"Extreme!" Ryohei cheered. "About time--"

"I said _IF _nothing else shows up," Tsuna repeated. "I'd rather not choose a violent club considering my reputation is already under fire. But I've got to get at least some training in or I'll never recover."

"Why not gymnastics?" Haru asked, skipping down the hall. "Then Tsu-kun can be with Haru."

"Then your Tsu-kun probably wouldn't be able to focus," he teased. She giggled and they quickly decided to go out into the courtyard to eat, knowing that Hibari had probably already staked out the roof. "It's nice to sit under Sakura again instead of a Magnolia tree," he commented before taking pride of place against the base.

"Ah," Yamamoto agreed while Haru handed out bentos. "There's no place like home."

"How did it go with--" Tsuna began to ask while he greedily unwrapped the large package that Haru had handed to him. He paused, however, at the sight of the messy mix inside, so utterly unlike Haru's normal fare. "What happened?" Tsuna asked.

"Hotaru wanted to make Tsu-kun's bento," she explained. "He practiced all night while we were sleeping, so I couldn't say no when I got up this morning." Touched, Tsuna looked down at the mess again with a new eye. All the normal items were there. Rice, sausages, and an omelet. Hotaru had used polish sausages from storage, however. And the omelet had what looked to be fried potatoes stuck into it in places. Curious, Tsuna picked one of the reddened potatoes out and popped it in his mouth.

And instantly wish he hadn't.

"Water," he gasped at the spicy fire dancing on his tongue. Haru looked at him with wide eyes and handed him her drink. He emptied it in a heartbeat and reached forward for whatever else he could find to drink. Gokudera hastily handed him his and he gulped that down, too. Panting, Tsuna stared at the lunch box in growing unease. "Who taught Hotaru how to use spices?" He gasped while wiping the tears out of his eyes.

"I don't think anyone has taught him yet," Haru said with a small chuckle. "Bianchi's only taught him how to tell poisonous stuff from non-poisonous and your mother hasn't taught him much more than how to use the rice-cooker and the microwave."

"I-I see," Tsuna panted.

"Are you still going to eat it?" Ryohei asked with eyes lit at the assumed challenge.

"Ah," Tsuna confirmed. "I can't let Hotaru's effort go to waste. Just, please, someone teach him how to use spices for tomorrow."

"I'll teach him," Haru said with a small giggle. Everyone dug into the bentos that Haru had made while Tsuna tried not to cry over the hot dish that Hotaru had made him. Literally cry. Every bite burned his tongue, but he choked down ever single bite of it. The rice was the only thing that had seemed to not have been seasoned and Tsuna saved that for last in order to wash down the overpowering pepper seasoning of the other items. He knew his face was red when he was done, but he put the empty box aside in satisfaction and tried not look too wishfully at the drinks everyone else was sipping on.

"Are you still alive, Boss?" Gokudera asked when Tsuna sagged up against the tree at his back.

"Barely," Tsuna laughed. "After the fourth or fifth bite, I think my taste buds were burned off, so it's not that bad."

"Big brother?!" A girl called from across the courtyard. Tsuna froze, as did Haru. "Big brother?! It's true, you did transfer!"

Kyoko ran forward in recognition of her brother, but stumbled to a halt several feet away when she saw Tsuna. Tsuna didn't look up. He couldn't. Trying to act normal, Tsuna packed away the empty bento box and grabbed his things. Taking his cue, everyone else started packing up, too. When he stood, they stood. When he started walking across the courtyard, they started walking with him. The tense atmosphere seemed to catch on and the courtyard quickly grew quiet while the group parted around Kyoko like she was a rock in the middle of a stream. Then Tsuna froze at a whisper he heard behind him and he looked back despite himself.

"You don't mean that," Tsuna said painfully.

"I do," Kyoko mumbled. "I won't say anything more about it and I won't go to the police. He's dead and there's nothing I can do to change that."

"Kyoko, I--" Tsuna paused, wondering what he wanted from her. She couldn't have meant what she'd whispered. It wasn't possible. Not after everything. No person could say that kind of thing to her boyfriend's murderer. "I'm sorry," he whispered with a bowed head.

"I know you mean that," Kyoko replied with a bright smile. "That's why I forgive you." Tsuna stared at her in shock, having never expected those words to touch her lips, much less twice in one minute. His heart was racing a mile a minute and he continued to stare at her like she'd hit him with a brick.

"I'm so happy!" Haru cried into the silence, dashing forward to hug Kyoko. Ryohei went forward, as well, glad to no longer have to choose between the two people he cared about. Yamamoto and Gokudera both went forward, too, to speak to her now that she'd made her choice. Meanwhile, Tsuna quietly slipped away before anyone noticed he was missing.

How? How could she forgive him? How was it that she could look into the face of Mochida's killer and say those words? He had to be having another nightmare. He would wake up and find out that it was all just a cruel dream. How long had he carried the burden of Mochida's death? How long had he wished that she could understand? And just like that, she had?!

It wasn't possible.

Tsuna slipped onto the roof and found himself a shaded corner to sit in while he heard his friends still chatting easily down below in the courtyard. Without a single thought for the school's rules, he pulled out a cigarette from his bag and lit it. He sat there, smoking and fighting tears while Kyoko's words circled in his head.

_I forgive you._

How, how, how, how, how?!

"What's wrong with you?" Hana asked, walking up to him. Tsuna looked up in surprise.

"What are you doing here?" He blurted.

"I was bored," she replied. "I saw what happened out front and I was curious why you slipped away instead of staying to talk to Kyoko."

"She said she forgave me," Tsuna mumbled, taking another drag off his cigarette. "I don't understand. How can she say something like that to me after what I did?"

"Maybe because she does," Hana supplied. She squatted down next to him and supported her head with her hand while she looked at him. "I'm part of the Vongola Family, right?"

"Ah," Tsuna confirmed in confusion.

"That means to get those perks that the baby and Ryohei told me about, I have to, like, protect you or something, right?" She asked.

"It helps," Tsuna agreed.

"Thought so," Hana said, standing back up. "Well I did my part then, so I want something since I can't use the VIP booth for the next few months."

"What do you mean?" Tsuna asked.

"I took Kyoko down to that Hayakeshi House and let her talk to the brats," Hana said with a lip curled up in disgust. "You probably don't know, but I hated you at first, too. Ryohei took me down there to meet the kids, though, and one of them remembered Mochida hurting him. With the proof right in front of me, I couldn't blame you for killing him. I might not like kids, but that doesn't mean I'm okay with them being used and hurt like that. Once Kyoko talked to the same kid for a little while yesterday, she came to the same decision. Mochida was the one that was a two-faced monster, not you. Although, you didn't have to go all psycho to tell her about it."

"Y-You did that?" Tsuna mumbled in shock.

"Ah," she confirmed. "So I expect a perk in return."

"Name it," Tsuna said immediately.

"Shopping spree," she said with a wide grin.

"Done," Tsuna snapped. "I'll get you a bank card with a large chunk of change on it by tomorrow and I'll even leave word for Bluefin to take you to Venice over the weekend if you want."

"See that you do," she replied happily before heading for the roof's door. Tsuna watched her go while he tried to hide how grateful he was to the woman. She'd steal him blind if she knew. Maybe he should get her trained as a negotiator, he mused to himself. She always found a way to come out with what she wanted and she was suspicious enough to pry out falsehoods.

Tsuna shook his head, turning his thoughts away from such thoughts. He was supposed to be mafia-free for the next three months. Now that he knew the reason behind Kyoko's forgiveness, he could actually accept it. Strangely, once he did, he felt incredibly light. It was as if a burden he didn't know he'd been carrying had been lifted off his shoulders. Not Mochida's death, but something else. Possibly the pain he'd been carrying from knowing he'd hurt Kyoko. Since she forgave him, it meant she didn't hurt over it anymore.

Maybe.

Maybe was enough, though.

* * *

"I don't think it's such a good idea for me to change with everyone else," Tsuna objected. 

"No exceptions," Coach Mirari said firmly. "Go get changed and report out here for P.E."

"It'll be okay, Boss," Gokudera said with a grimace.

"No, it won't be," Tsuna growled. Despite his words, though, the Coach wasn't going to let him change in his office instead of the locker room. "Fine," Tsuna grumbled, seeing no way out of it. "Don't say I didn't warn you." He walked into the locker room unhappily with Gokudera at his side. Quickly, he found the school's P.E. uniform which had been set aside for him and began changing.

Like he feared, silence descended on the room the moment his shirt was off. The bullet wound scars in his back and shoulder were obvious from their shape. Even worse, the scars from his torture were raised off his skin like someone had repeatedly hit him with a hot-iron. Added to that were numerous knife wounds that he'd gotten during his work with Xanxus. And over all of it, dark blotches turned his body into a nightmare.

He tried not to let the sound of someone gagging before running out of the room bother him. It was that damn Coach's fault. He'd tried to warn him. Normal people weren't used to seeing his road map of a body. The faint of heart would be sickened by it. Only his Family understood why he bore such trophies. Only his Family wasn't disgusted by it because they knew he had accepted it as a price for their safety. But for those normal, happy, innocent people like his new classmates, it was a mangled wreck of a body and was disturbing to see.

So they stared.

And stared some more.

"What are you looking at?" Tsuna snarled finally, knowing he sounded like some nameless thug on the street. Several of the boys shuddered and went running. Those that weren't so easily scared turned back to their lockers and pointedly didn't look at Tsuna. He tried to hide a sigh of relief and failed completely. Fortunately the school had already switched to winter clothes, so he was able to throw a windbreaker over his shirt and the pants that were supplied weren't shorts.

Gokudera got changed even quicker than he did, so they left the locker room the moment that Tsuna had his sneakers on. Like he'd expected, he and Gokudera were the first to return to the Coach. Everyone else was trying to hide their green faces and settle their stomachs while probably whispering among themselves the moment that Tsuna had left the room.

"Where's everyone else?" The Coach yelled.

"I tried to warn you," Tsuna grumbled. "You should have just let me change in your office."

"Who do you think you are? One more word and--" And the Coach paused when the other students slowly filed out of the locker room with still faintly green faces and wide-eyed looks at Tsuna. "What the heck is wrong with all of you?" The Coach asked at their hesitant and fearful stumbling. Tsuna once again tried not to let their reactions bother him. They were all keeping a large distance from him like he was contagious and one boy even whimpered when he tripped and stumbled too close.

"I told you," Tsuna mumbled unhappily with his arms crossed. "There are some things that people just shouldn't see."

"You, me, locker room, now!" The Coach ordered. "The rest of you start running warm-up laps." Tsuna sighed and followed the man back into the locker room, already predicting what was going to happen. He wasn't let down. "What did you do to all of them?" The Coach asked angrily once they were alone. To answer, Tsuna silently pulled off his windbreaker and pulled his shirt up over his head.

"What the hell happened to you?" The Coach gasped softly before collapsing onto one of the locker room benches.

"If I told you, I'd have to kill you," Tsuna answered. The Coach looked up at him and shivered when he realized that Tsuna wasn't playing around. "So lets just pretend you didn't ask."

"O-Okay," the Coach agreed.

"Think I can use your office from now on?" Tsuna inquired while he re-dressed.

"That might be for the best," Coach Mirari mumbled. Tsuna nodded and left him sitting on the bench in the middle of the empty locker room. Without another thought about it, Tsuna started jogging to catch up to where Gokudera was walking despite all the people running past him.

"Are you okay, Gokudera?" Tsuna asked worriedly, falling into a walk beside him.

"Don't worry about me, Boss," Gokudera said with a faltering smile. "I'll walk a few laps to warm up and then jog a little. Flower-pot said not to push it into a run just yet. You go ahead without me, Boss. You said you've lost some speed, too."

"I'll worry about that later," Tsuna mumbled. "I'm not leaving you alone, Gokudera."

"It's just P.E., Boss," with a wide and warm smile. "I won't be alone. Even at your worst, you can do a lap in under two minutes. I think I can manage that long without you."

"A-Alright, Gokudera," Tsuna replied worriedly. "If that's what you want." Gokudera nodded and gave him a little prodding shove to get him moving.

Determined not to waste Gokudera's bluster, Tsuna darted forward at the limits of his unboosted speed. He crouched as low as he could and still be stable and let his arms flow behind him to minimize air resistance. His classmates gasped and stumbled to a stop when his passing sent up a gust of wind. Ignoring his audience, Tsuna continued to force his body to work at it's limits. Tsuna paused, panting, at the end of eight laps and found himself a spot on the grass to wait for Gokudera.

"I'm out of shape," Tsuna groaned when his Right Hand finally jogged up. "I used to be able to do sixteen before I even got winded."

"You need to cool down, Boss," Gokudera replied worriedly. "It's bad for you to just stop after that."

"I know, I know," Tsuna groaned, forcing himself back to his feet. "The grass just looked like it wanted to be laid on." Gokudera smiled knowingly and continued to jog with Tsuna beside him. Not even a quarter of the time for the class had already passed by and the Coach still hadn't reappeared. Several groups of people had given up running and were walking around the track, talking. Without someone there to force them, they saw no reason to push themselves.

It made Tsuna want to spit.

None of them knew that he protected them so that they could laze around and take things easy. How many things from the underworld would have already rose up and harmed them if he hadn't stood in the way? Yet he was the one that made their faces turn green and their stomachs churn.

"It's not fair," Tsuna mumbled, looking around at his classmates. "A normal person would think that me and you can take it easy because I'm the scary Mafia Boss and you're my friend. But we're the two that have to work the hardest. A normal person gets to lay down in bed and watch television to recover, but me and you have to work our asses off to regain our strength and speed no matter how painful it is."

"Are you hurt somewhere, Boss?" Gokudera asked worriedly.

"Just my pride," Tsuna muttered. "And my leg," he amended when the muscle that had been torn from his bullet wound spasmed. "Shit," he growled, limping off the track. "I forgot I was shot there."

"Do you need anything, Boss?" Gokudera offered while he hovered over him.

"Keep an eye out for teachers and hand me your lighter," Tsuna begged. "I'll be behind the bleachers." Gokudera nodded in understanding and Tsuna limped around the sports field's fence and behind the bleachers to smoke. The wound was closed, but the muscle still hadn't had time to recover from the penetration. Had he remembered it, he probably would have still pushed himself, though. He just would have remembered to use his boost to take the weight off of that side.

"Something told me you'd end up back here eventually," a voice called out after he'd lit up. "Delinquents like you always go behind the bleachers to smoke."

"Kei?!" Tsuna gasped, turning around to the man that he'd talked to during their mad escape from Japan.

"I don't know how you did it," Kei growled. "But suddenly no one on in my squad wants to testify against you anymore."

"Did they all make it out okay?" Tsuna asked with a sad smile.

"They're all alive," Kei confirmed.

"I'm glad," Tsuna mumbled in relief. Kei's eyes widened in shock and he goggled at Tsuna for a long minute. "I didn't want to hurt anyone," Tsuna explained while he smoked. Kei wasn't in uniform, which meant it was a social call. And since Tsuna didn't sense any deception from the man, he doubted that Kei was wired. The combination made him relax slightly despite Kei being a police officer. "I just tried to dodge and keep you guys from hurting my men."

"Why did you fight us, Tsuna?" Kei asked sadly. "You could have just--"

"You guys shot first," Tsuna interrupted. "And you had no clue what our situation was. There are things in the world that are a lot bigger and more important than your simple book of laws and rules. It wasn't a situation where I could just turn myself in."

"Should you be in jail, Tsuna?" Kei asked simply.

"If I was, you would have a whole lot more work to do," he replied in disgust. "If you don't know why your comrades suddenly turned the other cheek, I wouldn't delve too deeply, Kei. The underworld isn't somewhere that you could survive."

"What happened to you, Tsuna?" Kei whispered softly. "You used to be such a warm and kind type of guy. Even when everyone teased you and made fun of you, you never seemed to mind. Now, you're so cold."

"I'm warm when I need to be," Tsuna sighed tiredly. "And I'm cold when I need to be. I'd rather you got a taste of the cold and knew not to go digging where you shouldn't. I don't want you hurt, Kei. You seem to be an honest guy. Pretty successful, too, considering how your friends relied on you. Don't destroy your happy little world by digging in mine."

"I'll see you around, Tsuna," Kei mumbled. "If you don't go, you're going to be late for whichever club you're in."

"Kei," Tsuna called when the man began walking off. He stopped and turned with a face full of confused emotions. "I'm really glad that all of you made it out alive," Tsuna repeated softly. Kei nodded and went back to retreating, leaving Tsuna sighing in relief. "I wonder what other surprises I'm going to get today," he mumbled to himself while grinding his cigarette out with his sneaker.

"Boss," Gokudera called from the other side of the bleachers.

"I'm coming, Gokudera," Tsuna replied, walking back around and out from under the bleachers. "Were you listening?"

"Ah," Gokudera confirmed. "I had a gas bomb ready if he tried anything."

"Thought so," Tsuna replied with a small smile. They started walking to where the Coach had finally appeared outside the locker room after people had started showing up to change. Knowing that he would still need his gym clothes if he decided to joint Ryohei in the boxing club, Tsuna waved to the Coach before heading around to look at the different club activities.

"I can work out in the gym at home. So for school, more than fighting, I need something I can practice maneuvers with my gloves and not be commented on," Tsuna explained to Gokudera. "So Ping-pong, Tennis, Baseball, and regular ball sports are all out."

"That doesn't leave much," Gokudera mumbled in thought. "Maybe the Drama Club? You could join the group that does the stage lighting and then you could practice up in the catwalks."

"Maybe," Tsuna agreed. "It's dark up there, so it might be worth looking at. Let's go." Gokudera nodded and led the way to where the Drama Club was rehearsing their next play. Surprisingly, Kyoko seemed to be in this club, which hadn't been something he expected. Several of his female classmates surrounded him and Gokudera the moment they showed themselves. Several of Tsuna's male classmates turned green and dashed offstage.

"Tsuna!" Kyoko called in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Um...eh...just checking out clubs," Tsuna mumbled sheepishly. She smiled warmly at him, making him blush despite himself while Gokudera scared away the crowd of girls. After a few faltering words to each other, Tsuna retreated from the auditorium completely.

"Drama club is out," Tsuna grumbled. "Kyoko's forgiven me, but I'm not quite sure how to act around her now."

"Understood," Gokudera replied with a grimace. "If we can't find one that you can use to practice in, you could always pick one just for fun, Boss."

"Hmm, maybe," Tsuna agreed. "But lets try to find one I can use first. I wouldn't be able to face Reborn if I didn't."

That thought made him check out all the sports clubs, too, knowing that Reborn wouldn't let him go if he didn't. He waved to Yamamoto when they passed the baseball field, but Tsuna soon came to understand that it would be a long time before his male classmates from room 2-A would be able to look at him again. Several dashed into the dugout the moment they saw him despite being in the middle of a practice game.

"My scars aren't that bad," Tsuna growled quietly to himself. In disgust, Tsuna went indoors to the gymnasium. Fortunately, no one from his class was present. The Ping-Pong club had already set up in a corner and the Gymnastics club had taken up a good half while the other half was taken up by the boy's basketball team's practice. Someone flying into the air immediately caught his attention.

"What's that?" Tsuna asked, pointing to where a guy was doing flips into the air after gaining momentum on a raised bar.

"High bar," Gokudera replied with a lip curled up in dislike. "Men's gymnastics."

"That might work," Tsuna mumbled. "Let's go try it."

"But, Boss," Gokudera objected. "It's...gymnastics."

"And I need a way to get airborne without anyone finding it strange," Tsuna replied. "I can't do it in the backyard anymore. There's too many people scoping out the house. Plus, none of our facilities have a big enough area to work in and I can't turn the Club back into a gym. I thought maybe the pole jump thing that Track and Field does, but half of the members ran away when I went close."

"B-But--"

"I'm not asking you to join me, Gokudera," Tsuna said with a small laugh. "I might still end up in the boxing club where I can work on dodging. I just want to try it out."

"Alright," Gokudera grumbled. "If that's what you want, Boss."

"It is," Tsuna replied firmly. Before Gokudera could talk him out of it, Tsuna approached the High Bar while the man who had been working on it dismounted.

"Did you come here to make fun of me?" The man growled once the aftershock of landing disappeared from his legs.

"Do you get teased a lot?" Tsuna asked.

"If I hear one more person sing _Men in Tights_, I'm going to freaking snap," he warned. "I'm not even wearing tights! Half of them don't know how hard it is to do what I do. It takes more training and discipline than most of them have in their scrawny little bodies."

"Care if I give it a shot?" Tsuna inquired. The man seemed taken aback by Tsuna's request and nodded without really knowing what he was agreeing to. Tsuna smiled warmly at him for his agreement and let the man lift him onto the bar.

"You're still new to this, so don't try to do more than lift yourself up or get a feel for it," he ordered. Tsuna nodded and immediately ignored the man's words. The moment the man moved to the side, Tsuna swung his body to gain momentum and sent himself flying into the air. The man gasped and started to move forward to catch Tsuna, but thankfully Gokudera held him back.

"Just watch," Gokudera ordered. And the man did.

Using boost so faint as to be undetectable, Tsuna maneuvered himself in a twist before coming back down and grabbing the bar once again. Using his fall as momentum, he swung up the other side and released again. This time he did a midair roll, once again using his boost to get him back in position to grab the bar. For his final test swing, Tsuna didn't release completely, but let go with one hand and used the faintest of boosts to bring himself to a stop at the top of the bar in a handstand.

This proved trickier than he'd anticipated, though. He lost his form from using too much Flame to counter his momentum and swung backwards. He gasped in surprise and let go of the bar in a natural effort to catch himself from falling. Two men darted beneath him and caught him before he landed on his back.

"Sorry," Tsuna groaned, rolling off of them.

"It's okay, Boss," Gokudera replied with a small grunt. "As long as you're not injured."

"I'm fine," Tsuna assured him before rolling to his feet and turning to help his two saviors up. "Although you didn't have to catch me. You know I've taken worse falls."

"Natural reaction, Boss," Gokudera mumbled sheepishly.

"Where the hell did you learn to do that?" The gymnast asked in awe.

"A little here, a little there," Tsuna temporized. "But I've never actually been trained for this in particular."

"You have to join my club!" He exclaimed.

"Tsu-kun?!" Came a squeal from behind him. Tsuna turned to see Haru a moment before she barreled into him. He gasped in surprise and actually landed on his back this time. "Tsu-kun came to check out the Gymnastics Club like he promised!"

"I did...?" Tsuna asked, not remembering promising such a thing.

"You know him, Haru?" The gymnast asked.

"This is Tsu-kun," Haru said with a wide smile. She suddenly realized she was still on top of him and speedily jumped up so that he could stand. "Haru is going to be Tsu-kun's wife!"

"Ah," Tsuna agreed while he got to his feet.

"So you're the guy that took Haru away," the man said with a wide grin. "I've been trying to get her to go out with me for a while now, but she always turned me down. Then she disappeared without a trace and the office said she'd transferred."

"She moved up to Italy with me," Tsuna replied uneasily.

"Lucky bastard," the man said with a good-natured smile. "Well, all's well that ends well. You better just keep her happy."

"Sure thing," Tsuna agreed with a grin, sensing that the man was taking his defeat in stride.

"Is Tsu-kun going to join the gymnastics club with Riley-sempai?" Haru asked.

"Ryohei will probably kill me, but yes," Tsuna confirmed, making Gokudera groan and Haru squeal in joy. "If it's okay that I join but don't enter competitions," he amended to the seemingly only member of the men's club.

"It's a name on the roster," the gymnast agreed. "We don't have enough to compete in anything but singles anyway."

"I think I'll join Ping-Pong or Basketball, Boss," Gokudera said softly with a pointed look of dislike at the tight-fitting uniform that Riley was wearing.

"Whichever you want, Gokudera," Tsuna laughed. Gokudera strolled over to see which one he could scare into adding him to the roster without making him participate. Tsuna watched him go with a small smile. He probably wouldn't join any club if he had a choice, but it was required for Okari High.

"Want to try again?" Riley asked with a gesture back up to the bar. Tsuna shook his head and rubbed his shoulder.

"My shoulder muscles are a bit achy after what I've already done," Tsuna explained. "I got injured a while back and I'm still recovering."

"A while back?" Riley repeated.

"Ah," Tsuna confirmed, looking up at the high-bar while Haru slipped back to her own Gymnastics team. "I got shot about a week and a half ago, so my muscles are still pretty banged up. My doctor is one of the best, but even he can only make healing go so fast."

"Wow," Riley mumbled. "So the rumors are true? You're really a Mafia Boss, eh?"

"I'd rather not answer that," Tsuna replied with a crooked grin. Riley nodded and put up his hands to gesture that he wouldn't pry.

"No problem," Riley said. "You don't want to tell, I won't ask. I'm not about to scare away the first member I've gotten. Coach was about to shut down the club altogether unless I got a new member."

"Don't worry about that," Tsuna said with a bright smile. "I need this club as much as you want it. It's not going anywhere."

"If you say so," Riley muttered. "We've got one other member, but he comes and goes without really doing anything. He's pretty good, but refuses to come to practice sometimes. Keeps saying he has to work."

"Do I want to ask where he works?"

"Dunno," came the predicted reply. "Well, it's almost time to head home," Riley said, looking at his watch. "I'm here practicing every day, so I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay," Tsuna agreed before waving to Gokudera and heading for the showers in the boy's locker room. Fortunately, no one was inside, so he was able to shower, change, and get dressed without worrying. After that, he headed outside to wait in the courtyard for everyone else. The final chimes of the day sounded and people slowly started flooding outside while Tsuna continued to wait under a overhang.

"Boss!" Enrico cried at the sound of the chime. Tsuna tried not to smile too widely when he ran around the restraining wall around the school. Him and the men with him had probably been anxiously waiting on that chime before showing themselves.

"Papa!" He heard Hotaru yell from behind him. Tsuna crouched down and held out his arms for the little boy who was walking with Matsu.

"What's my little firefly doing here?" Tsuna asked happily while the little boy ran forward with a squeal to give him a hug.

"He refused to stay behind when he found out we were coming to get you, Tsuna," Matsu explained. "He latched onto my leg until I agreed to bring him with us."

"Did Papa like Hotaru's bento?" Hotaru asked curiously.

"I did," Tsuna replied with a wide smile. "It was good, but you need to use less spices next time, okay?"

"Hotaru thought Papa would like the powder Fire so Hotaru used lots and lots!" He exclaimed, gesturing with his hands to emphasis 'lots'.

"Well, your Papa almost lost his tongue," Tsuna chuckled and Hotaru giggled with him. The little boy quickly attracted a lot of attention with his adorable smile and bright eyes. No one asked who's kid it was, considering that not only was the resemblance uncanny, but Hotaru had been shown on television already.

"He's so cute!" One girl squealed when he pointed at her and told her she was as pretty as his Mommy.

"Who's your Mommy?" Another girl asked.

"Mommy is over there," he said, pointing to where Haru was trying to break through the crowd of girls. Tsuna quickly gestured and his men cleared the path for her. Hotaru jumped into her arms the moment she was close.

"Papa said he liked Hotaru's bento," he told her, completely uncaring of the strange silence that descended on the crowd.

"He did," Haru agreed, making Hotaru clap enthusiastically. "He ate every bite."

"Let's get out of here," Tsuna whispered in her ear. She looked around, curious about his sudden rush, only to find herself being stared at with knowing looks and people looking down at her.

"What--?" Haru mumbled in surprise.

"Let's just go," Tsuna repeated. "Yamamoto and the others can catch up."

"No," Haru replied softly. "Haru wants to know why people are looking at her like that."

"I'll tell you when we get home, Haru," Tsuna said softly while the crowd slowly broke up and moved away with pointed glances back at Haru and knowing whispers.

"Haru wants to know now!" She stomped.

"Look at Hotaru, Haru," Tsuna said sadly. She did, not understanding. "He looks like he's five, Haru," he explained. "How old were you five years ago?" Haru's eyes widened in shock and she looked at him in sudden comprehension. "Add to that the fact that we haven't gotten married yet and there are going to be people looking at us like that."

"They can look all they want," Haru said firmly. "Haru loves Tsu-kun and Haru loves Hotaru! Haru doesn't care what other people think!"

Tsuna nodded in agreement with a soft smile and wrapped an arm around her back while she carried Hotaru home with Gokudera and their escort protectively around them.

And Tsuna couldn't help but think that maybe Bianchi had the right of things when she'd always said:

Love can cure any poison.


	90. Chapter 90 Disgruntled

Author's Notes: Thanks for the correction to Yamamoto's Father's name. Calling him Mr. Tsuyoshi just doesn't sound right, though, so I've switched it out to call him 'Mr. Yamamoto' for now. As for his shop, it's Takesushi in Japanese, I think, but the English printed translations say Takeshi Sushi (which is why I thought his name was Takeshi, too, like his son). I like Takesushi better, though, so I went ahead and switched it, as well. Thanks for the critique, Midori!

* * *

Tsuna looked at the man who'd been waiting on him when he returned home and tried not to let his desire to ripe out the man's throat show. First Kei and now Officer Takahashi. Although Kei had only wanted to talk to Tsuna. Officer Takahashi seemed to want to rant at him.

And Tsuna let him.

It was amusing and satisfying in a way that it really shouldn't be. Officer Takahashi, actually just plain Takahashi now, blamed Tsuna for getting kicked off the police force, loosing his wife, and for having been pelted with lettuce while Tsuna had still been in prison. So, having nothing left to lose, he'd come to rant at Tsuna for it.

"Have you checked him for wires?" Tsuna whispered over to Gokudera.

"He's clean," Gokudera confirmed from his place at Tsuna's right.

"In that case," Tsuna replied with a wide grin. "Taka-chan," Tsuna called in a sing-song voice, bringing the man to a spluttering halt mid-sentence. "Taka-chan, I don't think you know who you're yelling at."

"Some punk that thinks he can kill people and get away with it," the man screamed with spittle flying from his mouth and landing on his unshaven chin. "I'm going to nail you one day, you little piece of shit, and when I do you're going to get the death penalty and I'm going to get a fucking commendation for putting your ass away!"

"Poor Taka-chan," Tsuna patronized. "Just trying to do his job, but he decided to bully the wrong person. Isn't it sad, Gokudera?"

"Ah," Gokudera agreed blandly.

"Almost as sad as how he harassed me with thoughts that he could actually make the arrest stick. Almost as sad as me having to be imprisoned the day my son was born," said with his patronizing smile falling off his face. "Almost as sad as this son of a bitch barging into my house and pointing weapons at my Family. Almost as sad as this fucking idiot thinking he can come to my home and rant at me when he has no fucking backing but his own damn balls! Sit the hell down and shut the fuck up!" Tsuna ordered while he jumped to his feet when the man opened his mouth to interrupt. Takahashi's mouth snapped shut, finally realizing that he was standing alone, without backup, in a room with a Mafia Boss.

A very angry Mafia Boss.

He sat where Tsuna pointed, but didn't lose his glare at the object of all his misery.

"Why did you really come here?" Tsuna said, regaining both his composure and his chair. "We both know that it's pointless for you to come yell at me and try to threaten me. That tells me that you're here for something else and you probably started yelling when you became ashamed of yourself."

"I don't need shit from you," Takahashi growled.

"Then why are you still here?" Tsuna asked knowingly. Takahashi's face turned pale and he looked away in shame. "Let me guess," Tsuna mumbled, sitting back in his chair. "You want your job, your reputation, your wife, and your old life back. You couldn't get it back by yourself, so you came to me. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, isn't that how the saying goes? When society turned it's back on you, it became your enemy. And since I am currently society's enemy, you thought you could come begging to me for aid."

"I don't know what I was thinking," the man growled, jumping to his feet to leave.

"You're free to go," Tsuna called after him. "But if you walk out that door, you'll never know if I might have helped you."

"What would it cost me?" Takahashi asked pathetically, coming to a stop.

"We'll discuss that in a minute," Tsuna replied, leaning back into his chair again. "Sit back down. There's something I want you to see." While the man looked at the chair and tried to make up his mind, Tsuna pulled out a laptop from his desk that he'd left prepared in case of this eventuality. "Let me warn you now that this laptop will self-destruct if you attempt to grab it and run out of here," he said before opening it and hitting play on the only file on it.

_"Y-you s-sh-should be dead. My act was perfect," Mochida stuttered_

_"So, you knew you gave me false information. That should make this easier. Do you remember what I told you, Mochida. What I said I'd do if you made Kyoko cry?"_

_"B-but I didn't--" Mochida's words were interrupted by the sound of a slap._

Tsuna reached forward and paused it while Takahashi looked at the laptop with wide eyes.

"Sit down and I'll let you watch the rest of it," Tsuna said with a small, sad smile. "Although, I have to warn you that if you have a weak stomach, you might want to grab a trashcan."

"You did kill him," Takahashi whispered while he walked forward and sat. "Everyone said I was crazy, but I knew it."

"There's one thing you don't know, though," Tsuna interjected, bringing the man's eyes to him instead of the laptop. "You never wondered why I would kill a friend. Isn't that the reason everyone thought you were crazy? It was because you didn't know the motive."

"That's right," Takahashi gasped.

"Would you like to know why?" Tsuna asked softly. When the man nodded, Tsuna reached forward and hit play again. While the former Officer watched the recording greedily, Tsuna turned his chair around and looked out the window at where Hotaru was playing with I-Pin and Lambo in the backyard. In effort to stay calm at the sounds of the recording that he still heard, Tsuna pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it nonchalantly.

"I don't understand," Takahashi whispered while the sound of Mochida screaming his confession played over the sound of blood splattering and broken bones rubbing together. Tsuna turned back around, unsurprised to see Takahashi covering his mouth with a slightly green face. Tsuna heard the sound of a Flamethrower come from the recording and he reached forward and paused the video again.

"What don't you understand?" Tsuna asked. "That there's some things that you can't find out if you stick to the rules and proper procedures? Or that there's people out there who's crimes are multiple times more worse than mine, but I'm the one that brings them to justice?"

"That wasn't justice," Takahashi said, swallowing in effort to keep his stomach down. "That was...was..."

"Torture and Execution," Tsuna supplied. "Believe it or not, my world has rules, too. It's something that I'm sure even your _civilized _brain could understand. You don't harm civilians. You don't betray your Family. There's a third one, but I'll get to that in a moment. The really important one right now is that we don't harm civilians. Believe it or not, I protect them just like you used to. Unfortunately, the underworld isn't that nice of a place and the court system can be pretty damn harsh at times."

"You have a court system?" Takahashi replied in confusion. Tsuna barked a laugh and pulled his Glock out of the holster at his back. He laid it in the center of the table, outside of Takahashi's immediate reach, without letting go.

"Ah," Tsuna confirmed. "I have to be judge, jury, and executioner. Pretty harsh, isn't it?"

"Wait, so you're saying that everyone you killed...?"

"Were all criminals in my world," Tsuna finished. "Take the ones in the U.S. for example. Nineteen people found dead with my bullets in their head. Do you remember how many others were found at that site?"

"T-Two hundred and seven," Takahashi replied hesitantly.

"Damn," Tsuna whispered to himself with a bowed head. "I didn't know there were so many."

"It's okay, Boss," Gokudera soothed. "You managed to save one."

"I know, but still, Gokudera," Tsuna groaned. He looked up at Takahashi with pain-filled eyes. "Nineteen people killed those two hundred and seven, Takahashi. All from a simple information leak, they got plans to a weapon that could have kill millions of innocent people if it was perfected and mass produced. I killed those nineteen people and pulled out the one and only survivor there was. Now tell me, what would have happened if I had just called the police about the lab?"

"They would have raided the lab and sent the survivor to the hospital," Takahashi answered.

"And they would have sent their findings on the weapon to their leaders who would have handed it off up the chain of command until the U.S. Department of Defense got their hands on it and tried to start building it," Tsuna added. "And during the testing for it and the work to perfect it, how many more people do you think would have died? How much more blood would have been shed once they succeeded?"

"That's..."

"Too much," Tsuna answered. "Nineteen bullets saved millions, Takahashi. I wish I could have gotten there sooner and saved more than one, but I'm not going to regret adding nineteen corpses to the rubble. The scientists were too dangerous to let live and too rotten to cry over. They laughed, Takahashi. They laughed when I asked the about the pile of bodies."

"I don't--"

"This is my job, Takahashi," Tsuna said, leaning back in his chair again. "My job is to take out the scum that live in the underworld and protect those around me. Not much different than you, but with a whole lot more pain and much harsher penalties." Tsuna looked at his wide eyes and decided a switch of focus was needed. "Now that you're not so green, what did you think of Mochida's confessions?"

"I didn't know he was so rotten," Takahashi admitted. "He seemed like an ordinary, innocent man from everyone I questioned."

"Kind of like how everyone told you that I was," Tsuna laughed. "A smile on your face or a bullet in your head. With a hitman you never know which you're going to end up with. Mochida was good at that. He even had me fooled for a while. It wasn't until he gave false information that almost killed some of my people that I figured it out. If he hadn't have sided with the Momokyo-kai, I might have even recruited him for my Family. Too bad that he wanted me dead more than anything. That's actually what sent him to the Momokyo-kai. The boss had a grudge against me before I had him killed. He promised Mochida that he'd get me out of his way permanently, since Mochida was scared that I'd take Kyoko away even after I promised that I wouldn't." Tsuna gave a sad, faltering chuckle. "Guess a man's word doesn't go far anymore."

"Why are you telling me all this?" Takahashi asked suspiciously.

"Well, first of all, your testimony wouldn't go far against me, even with all the media riding my ass. The second reason brings me to the price for returning your life back to you. And the third reason is why you only have two choices."

"Price? Choice?" Takahashi replied with wide eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Well, see, by sitting down and watching this video and having this nice talk with me, we've broken the third rule of my world. That is, you don't break the Omerta," Tsuna explained. "I could be executed for telling you all this, which is why you have only two choices. On one hand, you can pay the price for getting your life back. On the other hand, I make you disappear. It's really your choice, though," Tsuna said with a wide smile. He leaned forward across his desk and put his hand up like he was whispering a secret. Takahashi leaned forward automatically to hear his words. "I'd really go with the first choice," Tsuna whispered. "It's a lot less bloody that way."

"W-What's the price?" Takahashi asked with a small shiver.

"Loyalty," Tsuna answered simply, relaxing back into his chair again. "You were a pretty decent cop. You missed one son of a bitch, but you caught me for a little while. That takes some pretty detailed detective work. I could always use another person like you. Especially one that owes me personally instead of merely owing the Family. That doesn't sound too bad, does it? You were probably expecting it when you came here anyway."

"I won't be a dirty cop," Takahashi snarled.

"No one is asking you to be," Tsuna replied with a wide grin. "Even I don't think I could get your job back in the police department after how the media flamed you. What I _can _do, however, is help you set up your own outside detective practice. Occasionally I might send you work, but otherwise you'd be free to follow leads wherever you wanted and take any job that comes your way. I'd be taking care of all your needs and in exchange you'd pass along anything that sounds fishy in an underworld kind of way. Gang violence, large drug deals, that kind of thing. It's all stuff that I need to know about and take care of before the public gets affected by it. I'll help you get your reputation back, too, which should bring your wife running if she's worth anything."

"I-I don't know..."

"You'd still be protecting the innocent like you did as a cop and you'd live a life that's better than the one you have now," Tsuna said knowingly. "What do you have to lose?" The man sank his head down in shame and nodded in agreement. The last thing a man could ever lose was his pride and Takahashi had lost that the moment he'd shown up on Tsuna's doorstep. "Come," Tsuna ordered, pushing his chair back. He could sense the man was already defeated. All that was left was to seal his loyalty to Tsuna in his own mind. The only way to do that was through tradition.

Takahashi rose from his seat without raising his head and walked around to Tsuna's side of the desk at the order. At Gokudera's small prod, he fell to his knees in front of his chair and Tsuna held out his ringed hand in a bored fashion. Takahashi stared at it for a long moment and Tsuna waited for him to make the decision on his own. If either Gokudera or Tsuna forced him into kissing it, the man wouldn't have true acceptance of his own choice. This had to be done by him alone.

Closing his eyes against tears of resignation and shame, Takahashi leaned forward and pressed his lips to the Vongola ring. Once he pulled back, the man touched his mouth like it'd been burned and Tsuna smiled at him. Tsuna leaned forward and kissed his forehead in greeting before leaning down to the man's ear.

"Welcome to the Family," Tsuna whispered.

* * *

"Are you sure about him?" Gokudera grumbled while Tsuna looked over the most recent reports that the Ninth had forwarded him. Tsuna looked up in surprise and put down the paper he'd been looking over that detailed the plans for the New Mafia Row. 

"Why?" Tsuna asked in reply.

"I just figured you'd be more angry at him, Boss," Gokudera answered sheepishly. "I thought you'd punish him for what he did to you. I never expected you to bring him into the Family."

"At first, I thought the same thing," Tsuna admitted. "Then once I had some time to think about it, I realized the man was only doing what he thought was right. Since he didn't have the whole truth, I was just a killer who hadn't been caught. Police are supposed to catch guys like me. He might have been a bit too enthusiastic in his work, but that was only because of his incredible desire to 'catch the bad guy'. Once I realized that, I couldn't be mad at him. He didn't let his chance slip away and it wasn't his fault that it was bad timing for me."

"Still, Boss," Gokudera mumbled. "That's the second time I swore you were going to kill someone and you ended up bringing them into the Family instead. I still don't get why you let Udono join."

"I know, Gokudera," Tsuna said in understanding. He looked down, not wanting to meet Gokudera's eyes for once. "The truth is that I'm trying to think things through more than I used to. I always just jumped in head-first, but I can't do that anymore. If there's a way to keep from killing someone, I want to. I know that it's still necessary, which is why I went ahead and took out Hiko and Suki. Yet, I can't get rid of this nagging feeling that I've been too quick to cause harm lately."

"Maybe it's a lingering effect of the nano-electros?" Gokudera mumbled worriedly.

"I don't think so," Tsuna replied without commenting about the occasional voice he had been hearing. "I'm just trying to look at the bigger picture. Small fries like Udono and Takahashi are better served as men I have in reserve rather than dead. They've learned their lesson and they won't betray me out of fear, having nearly lost everything by my hands already. It's not the kind of loyalty I like, but it's not like I can turn it away either. It's the choice between two hells, Gokudera. I'm just choosing the lesser one."

"I understand, Boss," Gokudera said firmly. "I apologize for questioning you. It won't happen again."

"Question me all you like, Gokudera," Tsuna soothed while he turned back to his files. "That's one of your jobs, remember?"

If Gokudera answered, it was too low for Tsuna to hear.

* * *

"I'm sorry about the shop, pops," Yamamoto said mournfully, looking at the wreckage of Takesushi. 

"It's not your fault, Takeshi," he replied, tossing aside another broken stool. "I'm just glad I wasn't here."

"After the news got hold of Tsuna's identity, we've actually been having a lot of backlash," Yamamoto explained despite his father's words. "I've been able to keep anyone from noticing since it just seems to be normal people doing this stuff, but people aren't happy since they believed in Tsuna and he turned out to be a Mafia Boss. Tsuna's old house got trashed and Haru's Family has come under fire, too. Word is spreading about all the people living with us and our families are the ones taking the brunt of this when they can't egg Tsuna himself."

"It's not your fault, Takeshi," his father repeated.

"Yes it is, pops," Yamamoto moaned, sitting in the remains of a chair. "The media is supposed to be under my control, but I've completely lost it. Even our own men say that since the news is out, there's no point in not running with it. I don't know how to stop them, pops."

"Since when did you start giving up in the bottom of the Ninth?"

"I'm not giving up!" Yamamoto cried. "I just don't know whether to swing or bunt!"

"Sounds like someone needs a group huddle," his father replied with a quirky grin.

"How is it that you're still on my side, pops?" Yamamoto asked softly. "Even after the news started trashing Tsuna's reputation, you haven't raised an eyelash about any of it. Even when we took that trip and you came back to police tape across your shop. You never asked anything and you never turned your back on me."

"Do I need a reason, Takeshi?" He inquired. "You're my son. I raised you to always do your best and to protect your friends. As long as you're doing that, I'm not going to worry about something like a few vandals or police at my door."

"Pops..." Yamamoto mumbled. "I'll send a few guys down here to keep an eye on the shop for you. If anyone tries anything again, the culprits will be caught and taken care of."

"That's fine," he replied warmly. "You tell Tsuna to come down and have dinner on me sometime, too. He hasn't come by once to say hello since you boys came home. I know, I know," he soothed when Yamamoto opened his mouth to explain. "You've all had your hands full. Just ask him to come when he has time. I'll fix you boys a feast."

"Alright, pops," Yamamoto agreed. "I'm going to go have that group huddle with Tsuna and let him know about this since it's spreading. I'll ask him to send some people over to help fix this place up. We'll pay for all the damages since it's our fault that your shop got hurt."

"I'll be waiting," his father replied with a wide grin. "My little Takeshi's all grown up, isn't he?"

"Looks that way, pops," Yamamoto answered sheepishly.

"Well, get on with yourself," he laughed. "You can't keep your boss waiting."

* * *

"Attacks?" Tsuna repeated over dinner. 

"It's just random violence, but it seems to be spreading," Yamamoto confirmed. "Your old house got trashed and the Miura's yard got covered in toilet paper."

"You're not telling me something, Yamamoto," Tsuna said, putting down his chopsticks. "It's not like you to hide something from me."

"My old man's shop got trashed this afternoon," Yamamoto replied softly.

"Mom, thanks for dinner," Tsuna said, jumping to his feet. "But I've got to go. Haru, you stay here with Hotaru."

"Okay, but where are you--?"

"I'm going down there," Tsuna answered, heading for the door. Yamamoto, Gokudera, and Ryohei jumped to their feet and followed, leaving their dinners where they sat half-finished.

"You're not going to prove anything by going down there, Tsuna," Yamamoto objected while he tossed his jacket on while already walking down the path outside the house.

"I can't just do nothing, though," Tsuna called behind himself before breaking into a jog. His three friends traded knowing looks before chasing after him. Within minutes, they came to a stumbling stop in front of the sushi shop and Tsuna hesitantly poked his head inside. He pulled his head back out with a yelp when a broomstick came slashing down with all the lethality of a swordsman behind it.

"Come back for more did you!" Yamamoto's father yelled before leaping out into the dark street, brandishing a broomstick. He paused when he saw Tsuna sitting on his rear under the light of the streetlamp. "Tsuna?" he gasped.

"You almost killed me," Tsuna groaned, standing back up.

"Forgive me," he cried, dusting Tsuna off. "The lights inside got busted and I guess I'm more nervy than I thought after earlier."

"Where's our men?" Yamamoto asked worriedly, peeking inside to find the shop empty.

"We're here," a voice called out before jumping out of a nearby tree. "Your father about killed us when we tried to go in earlier, sir. We decided it would be safer to watch for trouble from across the street."

"Forgive me," Yamamoto's father cried again. "You boys were so large that I thought you were more thugs."

"The lack of suits probably didn't help," Tsuna laughed, looking at his men's version of plain-clothes.

"We were ordered to try to blend in, Boss," the man replied sheepishly.

"I'm sorry, pops," Yamamoto moaned. "I should have brought them down personally."

"It's okay, Takeshi," his father chuckled. "Why don't you boys all come in and have some tea. I'm afraid it'll have to be cool tea, though. All my heating appliances got destroyed."

"Damn," Yamamoto cursed. "You should have told me, pops."

"Why don't you come up to the house, instead," Tsuna interjected. "At least until we get your shop fixed back up."

"I don't want to be any trouble," he replied, rubbing his jaw in thought.

"It's no trouble," Tsuna assured him with a warm smile. "You're Family. I can't just leave you here like this."

"Alright," he agreed before going back into his shop to lock it up for the night.

"Ryohei," Tsuna said softly once the man was out of sight.

"Ah, little bro," he replied, already knowing what Tsuna was going to ask. "I'll go down and ask around the Alley to see if this is being organized. I'll make sure to keep below brown-out level."

"Yamamoto," Tsuna cued with a nod to Ryohei.

"I'll get on the media," Yamamoto promised. "Even if I have to break a few heads, I'll get them in line somehow."

"Gokudera," Tsuna whispered with another nod of agreement.

"I'll check to find out if anyone else has been attacked and has been keeping it from us," Gokudera promised.

"Alright," Tsuna said with a sigh of relief and a final nod. "Just make sure that no one miss school tomorrow." They nodded in agreement to each other and darted off in three directions to complete their tasks. By the time that Yamamoto's father returned back outside, Tsuna and the two guards were the only people left.

"Where did Takeshi go?" He asked curiously.

"He said he'll see you later," Tsuna lied with a smile. "He just got called into work."

* * *

Tsuna ignored the whispers on the street from passerby that came to a halt in front of where Tsuna was working. He ignored the curious glances and the mutters while he ardently focused on getting the saw to cut the wood and not his fingers. Even knowing he was tired, he wanted Yamamoto's father to come down here to check in a few hours and find out that he could live life like the previous day had never happened. Even calling in all the workers that he could in the middle of the night, though, they were still short-handed of people who knew more about construction than deconstruction. 

So Tsuna had rolled up his sleeves and personally helped despite the objections of his men. After a while of grumbling and no response from Tsuna, they left him to cut timbers and wood for a replacement bar that they'd already marked the angles and lengths on. Tsuna might not have known much about using a saw when he started, but he was a fast learner like always. A touch of inner Flame, watch someone else's example, try it himself, and viola! Instant perfectionist at using a damn saw.

But the amount of wood that needed to be cut seemed endless. The tables and chairs all had to be replaced, as did the bar for people to eat on. The whole kitchen area had to be replaced, thanks to one of the vandals having used an axe on the old one. Even the door at the back leading up to his residence on the second floor had been broken down and most of the stairs had deep gashes in them. Fortunately, they'd been scared off before they could wreck that part of the building. The only broken thing on the second floor was the window that they'd escaped from.

"Shit," Tsuna cursed, setting down the saw. He sucked his thumb where he'd gotten yet another splinter and tried to remind himself not to release his gloves. That alone showed how tired he was, since keeping his fingerless 27 Gloves in their X-Form was a simple matter of making his hands 'warm'. He kept forgetting, though, since he _was_ so tired.

"Boss," Ichi called worriedly from where he was repairing Chef Yamamoto's vegetable refrigerators. "We can take it from here. If you don't hurry, you're not going to make it to school on time."

"I'm not worried about that," Tsuna replied. "We've got to get this place fixed for Mr. Yamamoto."

"Why do you care so much about him?" Ichi asked curiously while Tsuna once again took up his saw. "I know he's that Yamamoto guy's father, but why are you here instead of him?"

"Yamamoto's gone to try to end the nightmare with the press so that things like this won't happen anymore," Tsuna replied, once again ignoring the curious onlookers. "Thanks to the press, people get the wrong idea about me and take it out on those that they can reach. But as for why I care so much, it's pretty simple. Mr. Yamamoto never once called me No-Good. Back when I was still in middle school, I couldn't do anything right and was called 'No Good' Tsuna. Anyone else's parents would have thought I was a bad influence and told me to go away from their talented son. Mr. Yamamoto never did though. He's a really nice guy like that and I don't like seeing bad things like this happen to people like that." Tsuna sighed and looked up in surprise at movement coming toward him from the crowd. He set down his saw at the sight of three burly men.

"What happened here?" The biggest of the three asked curiously. "We're some of Takesushi's regulars."

"Someone broke in and trashed the store," Tsuna replied. "We've been up all night repairing it, but whoever did this did it right. We're having to pretty much rebuild everything from scratch."

"Sorry, Tsuna," Ichi interjected. "I can't save this one either."

"Okay," Tsuna groaned. "See if you can go buy some new ones and charge it to me. Same with anything else you can't fix." Ichi tossed him a thumbs up and headed off to go shopping while Tsuna turned back to the visitors. "Like I said," he shrugged, "They busted pretty much everything."

"How long until you think he'll be back in business?" The smallest of the three asked worriedly. "Good sushi is hard to find."

"I'm hoping that we'll have it finished in a few hours," Tsuna replied with a smile. "So whenever Mr. Yamamoto wants to open back up after that."

"Boss," Cortez called from where he'd been refinishing the floors. "This is all done and the guys for the security system are here."

"Tell them not to cut corners," Tsuna replied knowingly. "I want Mr. Yamamoto to feel safe despite what happened."

"Yes, sir," Cortez called before turning to several workers that had just shown up.

"You seem like the one giving all the orders," his tall visitor interjected in confusion.

"So?" Tsuna replied with a raised eyebrow.

"You just look pretty young for everyone to be asking for your permission for stuff," he replied.

"You don't watch much television, do you?" Tsuna laughed. The man shook his head in surprise.

"I work a lot and when I'm not working I'm usually here eating," he said with a smile.

"Well, lets just say that I'm the probable reason that Mr. Yamamoto's shop got trashed," Tsuna replied sadly. "People don't take kindly to hearing that someone they'd adamantly supported is a Mafia Boss."

"You?!" The man laughed. "A Mafia Boss?"

"That's what the papers and news is saying," Tsuna answered with a small shrug. "It's sad that someone would take out their anger on an innocent person."

"Well, I hope the police catch them, then," the man said with a warm smile.

"They will, too," Tsuna mumbled darkly. "If I catch them first." The three men paused and shivered at the suddenly cold atmosphere around Tsuna, then blinked in surprise when it instantly warmed again. "Anyway, I need to get back to work. If I don't hurry, I'm going to be late for school."

"Okay," the tall man replied with a confused look on his face. "Tell Chef Yamamoto that his regulars are waiting and they're hungry," he said with a smile. Tsuna nodded without looking up from his saw and then turned his focus back to cutting the wood and not his fingers. He still had a large stack to go and only about a half hour to get through it all.

* * *

"You're late," Tereshi-sensei stated simply. Tsuna instantly bowed in apology. 

"Forgive me," Tsuna replied. "I was working and I lost track of time."

"Working?" He asked curiously.

"Ah," Tsuna confirmed with a grimace. "Takesushi was vandalized yesterday and I've been working all night to fix it with some help. I didn't realize it was so late until we finally got another squa--err--group of guys to come down and help."

"Did he report it to the police?" Tereshi asked worriedly.

"No," Tsuna replied without meeting the man's eyes. "No one saw who did it, so the most the police could have done is take a report. Getting Mr. Yamamoto's shop back in one piece seemed more important."

"I see," Tereshi mumbled. "Well go take your seat and pull out your English text."

"Yes, sir," Tsuna said softly before dashing back to his desk. He forced himself not to collapse into the chair despite his tired muscles. Gokudera was already there and waiting and he leaned over under the fake pretense of showing Tsuna where the class was in the book.

"Tranne quelli che Yamamoto ha accennato, ci è stato soltanto un vandalismo collegato," he whispered. _Other than those that Yamamoto mentioned, there's only been one connected vandalism. "_Ma quello era giusto un certo graffiti sul Randello 27 quel Responsabile che Uhura già ha preso la cura di." _But that was just some graffiti on Club 27 that Manager Uhura already took care of_. Tsuna sighed in relief and nodded.

"Sawada," the teacher called, "Please read lines 74 through 90."

"Yes, Sensei," Tsuna said while he stood. He reached down and grabbed his book, but it slipped out of his hands. Trying again, he reached down and firmly latched his hands on the sides with a sheepish blush. Once again, it fell out of his hands. "Sorry," Tsuna mumbled, becoming irritated. Why weren't his hands working right?!

"Is something wrong, Sawada?" The teacher asked.

"Um...eh..." Tsuna blushed brightly and looked up at the teacher with a pitiful expression. "I can't seem to hold my book."

"Why is that?"

"I don't know," Tsuna said, running a hand through his hair. "My hands just don't want to work right."

"Let me see them," Tereshi ordered before setting down his own book and walking back to Tsuna. Tsuna held his hands up to show him while blushing over the numerous band-aids that his men had forced him to put over where they'd pulled out all his splinters. "Have you taken off your gloves?" He asked after a quick inspection. Tsuna looked up at him in surprise and shook his head. Tereshi gestured for him to and Tsuna started stripping them off. He hissed in pain when the glove pulled away from his skin and Gokudera jumped to his feet in worry. The reason why Tsuna's hands weren't working correctly was explained the moment he pulled his first glove completely off.

"What happened, Boss?!" Gokudera cried at the sight of his red and blistered palms.

"I guess I didn't notice because I had my gloves on," Tsuna grimaced. "I didn't think sawing wood could do something like this."

"How long were you sawing?!" Tereshi gaped.

"Nine hours," Tsuna answered sheepishly. "At first there was just the wood for the door frame and the bar, but then we realized that all of Mr. Yamamoto's tables and chairs had been hand made. And then we couldn't find the right kind of pre-cut wood to replace where the floors and walls had been damaged, so..."

"You did that all by yourself, Boss?!" Gokudera yelled. "Where the hell was--"

"Calm down, Gokudera," Tsuna soothed. "I wasn't alone and we were too short-handed to get it all done unless I helped."

"Still, Boss," Gokudera grumbled, looking over Tsuna's hands with a Pianist's eye. "You need to get these blisters treated."

"Go ahead and go to the nurse's office," Tereshi permitted. Tsuna nodded and headed for the door. Gokudera followed in order to keep Tsuna from using his hands anymore and unintentionally kept scolding him under his breath. Tsuna tried not to blush when he heard every word and he tried not to groan when he thought how upset Riley was going to be.

Oh well, he thought. It had been worth it.


	91. Chapter 91 Club Times Two

"Let me see," Tsuna asked softly, tilting Ryohei's black eye up into the sunlight.

"It's nothing, little bro," Ryohei mumbled. "I can pass it off as a boxing injury."

"I wish you wouldn't have come back with any injuries," Tsuna murmured.

"Look who's talking," he grumbled. "We leave you alone for one night and you totally screwed up your hands."

"Yes and that's the end of the world," Tsuna said with a sarcastic toss of his head. "How will the world be saved from paperwork without my hands?"

"It's not funny, Boss," Gokudera interjected.

"And neither is Ryohei getting hurt," Tsuna added. With a sigh, he let go of Ryohei's head and sat back against the courtyard's sakura tree. "Now are you going to tell me what happened?"

"I went down to Black Dragon Alley and asked around," Ryohei said softly so no one could overhear. "No one down there has anything to do with the vandalism, little bro. From everyone I talked to, no one wants to screw around with the Mafia. They'd rather stick to their small rackets and stay loyal only to themselves. They could care less about you since you haven't tried to interfere with them. It's basically a 'we leave you alone, you leave us alone' type of agreement they said."

"That's fine with me," Tsuna mumbled softly. "As long as they don't get too big for their hats, I'll let them continue like they have been. But that doesn't help us find out who did it."

"That's what I told them, little bro," Ryohei replied with a wide grin.

"Did you have any luck, Yamamoto?" Tsuna whispered so his voice wouldn't carry.

"Ah," Yamamoto confirmed darkly. "I paid some house calls to a few of our media executives. They still kept saying they were going to run with the stories in order to keep themselves looking respectable, but I gave them some incentive to stop. I taught them the real meaning of 'cutting to the chase' and they quickly promised to cool down the heat. They gave their sincerest of apologies for their insolence and have sworn to fix their errors. They can't retract what's already printed for their own legitimacy's sake, since then people would be sure that they had been bought off or scared. What they did promise to do is to slowly switch the focus of you being a Mafia Boss to the public good that you do with your money and power."

"Good enough, I guess," Tsuna agreed. "I'll have to make more charity appearances that way, but that's not such a bad thing. I did promise the kids down at Hayakeshi House that I'd come visit when I came back. I'm sure once I explained that I needed their help, they'd be willing to take pictures with me. Especially if I promised them all copies, too."

"Let me know when you want to do it," Yamamoto said with a smile. "I'll pass it along to my people and I'll come with you."

"Well, if that's everything, why don't we have actual lunch now?" Tsuna chuckled. Haru sighed in exasperation and finally handed out the bentos for everyone. Tsuna opened his a lot more cautiously than he had the previous day, although he was pleasantly surprised when he looked inside. "Curry?" He asked.

"I showed Hotaru the right way to use the 'powder Fire'," she replied, making him sigh in relief. He dug into it without worry and was happily surprised at the flavors that Hotaru had created.

"I don't know if it's because you're a good teacher or Hotaru is good at cooking, but this is great," he exclaimed in surprise. Haru turned faintly pink with pleasure and opened her own bento to start eating. Tsuna paused, though, and set his aside at the sight of a visitor standing outside the school gates. Jumping to his feet, he dashed over to see what was wrong before anyone else could even see what Tsuna was focused on.

"Mr. Yamamoto," Tsuna gasped worriedly, stumbling to a stop at the school's restraining wall. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh, no, nothing at all," he replied with a wide smile.

"Then why are you here?" Tsuna asked in confusion. "Do you need Yamamoto for something?"

"Actually, no," Mr. Yamamoto answered. "I came to thank you, Tsuna. I just stopped by my Sushi place. I was expecting to start calculating the damage, but it was already all fixed. There was a man there that was installing a new refrigerator and he said it was all your doing, so I came straight down here to tell you how much I appreciate it."

"Don't worry about it," Tsuna said with a sheepish blush. "It's kind of my fault that you were targeted anyway."

"Now, you don't know that for sure. It could have been just some random hoodlums. The world doesn't revolve around you, dear boy," he laughed good-naturedly.

"T-That's true," Tsuna muttered with a deeper blush. "I didn't think about that. I guess I'm too used to everything being connected in some way."

"Either way," Mr. Yamamoto said with a warm smile. "Thank you for fixing it. If you ever need anything, just let me know and I'll return the favor."

"I'll remember that," Tsuna replied before saying his farewells and returning to his friends.

"What did pops want?" Yamamoto inquired.

"He just wanted to thank me for fixing up his shop," Tsuna answered with a smile. "From the sound of it, they finished everything up right when he got there."

"Great!" Yamamoto exclaimed while Tsuna started digging into his warm curry again. Haru had put it in a special box that kept hot things hot no matter what, so the curry still tasted like it had just come off of the stove.

"Oi," Ryohei interjected, putting aside his empty bento. "You never came by the boxing club yesterday, little bro."

"Oh, um, I actually joined the Men's Gymnastics Club," Tsuna said softly with a small cringe, knowing the reaction his words would bring.

"Gymnastics?!" Yamamoto and Ryohei exclaimed together.

"For the High Bar," Tsuna explained hurriedly. "I'm not going to compete or anything. I just need it for a cover so I can still practice air maneuvers."

"You aren't going to be able to do that today, Boss," Gokudera grumbled with a pointed look at Tsuna's lightly bandaged hands. "I don't think that Riley will even let you touch the bar with your hands in that condition."

"T-True..." Tsuna moaned.

"Then that's settled then!" Ryohei yelled. "Little bro is going to join the boxing club with me!"

"Tsu-kun is going to be a Gymnast!" Haru squealed, squeezing onto his arm protectively. "Haru wants to see Tsu-kun practice!"

"He's going to be a Boxer!" Came the predicted roar.

"Gymnast!"

"Boxer!"

"Oi, oi," Tsuna interjected. "Don't I have a say in this?"

"No!" They both shouted at him, making him lean back from the force of their reply. They both stared at him in surprise at their own reactions before busting into a fit of laughter at his red and disgruntled face.

"Why can't he just do both?" Yamamoto asked. "This isn't like Middle School. There's a lot of different clubs here. There's not any reason he can't be in two. Some people are in both the Photography Club and a Sports Club. Or a Charity Club that only meets on weekends and a Martial Arts Club during the week. Then, take me for example. I'm in both Baseball and the Kendo Club."

"You are?" Tsuna asked in surprise.

"Ah," Yamamoto laughed. "I can't let myself get rusty, now can I? Baseball is fun and all, but it's just a game for me anymore. It's not something I can't live without. Kendo is a way of life for me, though. I really can't live without practicing it."

"How do you manage both?" Gokudera asked curiously.

"Starting tomorrow, I'll come in and do Kendo before school instead of target practice. After school, I practice baseball with the team. Since pitching is pretty much exactly like my target practice, I'm not loosing out on anything."

"Extreme!" Ryohei roared. "Why don't you do that, little bro?"

"I'll think about it," Tsuna promised. "For now, I'll just show Riley my hands and tell him I'll be boxing until the blisters heal. After that, maybe I can practice with you twice a week and practice with my gloves the other three."

"Good enough for me!" Ryohei accepted happily. "About time you joined!"

"And I still get to see Tsu-kun three times a week for Club time!" Haru exclaimed in joy with another squeeze to Tsuna's arm.

"Well," Tsuna mumbled to himself. "I guess that settles that."

* * *

"Little bro!" Ryohei yelled enthusiastically across the club-room. Tsuna tried not to turn red at all the faces that turned in his direction. Okari High's Boxing Club had a lot of members that Ryohei hadn't had time to scare away yet. That meant that instead of just them two like Tsuna had absently expected, there were nearly two dozen people in the room. They all paused their activities at Ryohei's yell however. 

"Come one, little bro," Ryohei encouraged. "Go get changed into boxing trunks and let's have an extreme spar!"

"Um...eh...maybe this isn't such a good idea," Tsuna mumbled softly, looking at all the curious faces around him.

"I'm not letting you get away, little bro!" Ryohei warned, jumping out of the ring. "You finally promised to join with me, so I want a match!" Tsuna squealed when he found himself bodily tossed over the man's shoulder and carried to the Boxing Club's locker room. Before he could make it the whole way there, however, Ryohei was stopped by the Boxing Club's Captain.

"Oi, who's that?" He asked curiously. "Seems kind of small for a boxer. What is he? Lightweight class?"

"Maybe Featherweight," Ryohei replied to the man who was obviously a Heavyweight.

"Out-fighter?" He asked, looking over what he could see of Tsuna's small frame.

"I don't know," Ryohei answered honestly. "Are you a out-fighter or in-fighter, little bro?"

"I'll answer if you put me down," Tsuna growled from his shoulder. Ryohei chuckled and carefully put Tsuna down on his feet. Tsuna looked up at the large Club Captain and tried not to laugh. The complete lack of aura made Tsuna wonder how the man had gotten his rank. Then again, maybe he was different in the ring, much like Tsuna was. "What's the difference?" Tsuna asked.

"Out-fighters uses footwork and stays outside the range of punches, only darting in when they see an opening," the Captain answered. "In-Fighters dodge at close range and don't mind going blow-for-blow."

"In-fighter, then," Tsuna said with a wide smile. "I stink at using my feet most of the time."

"Wrap his hands and let me see how he can punch," the Captain ordered. "I don't care who he is. If he can't do a simple punch in ten minutes, he needs to find a different club." Ryohei nodded and led Tsuna over to a bench to get his hands wrapped.

"You can get changed and we can spar in a few, little bro," Ryohei promised. "The Captain is pretty bad about recruiting smaller people for the lighter weight classes. He'll shut up once he sees your potential."

"Should I scare him or just get him to leave us alone?" Tsuna mused.

"Probably just leave us alone," Ryohei answered quietly. "We're only going to be here a few months, so I've actually been trying to keep a low profile. I don't want this club to end up like my old one."

"Big bro..." Tsuna muttered in awe. "That's a pretty extreme bit of thoughtfulness."

"It's all good," Ryohei replied with a bright smile at the compliment. "Since you're here, I can just spar with you and I'll be happy. Neither of us have to hold back that much and once we tell everyone else that they don't have to worry about having a match with us, they shouldn't run away. Everyone wins that way."

"You've matured," Tsuna mumbled in surprise. "I didn't think I'd ever hear you talk about holding back."

"It's just because we're too extreme, little bro," he laughed. "If we didn't, there wouldn't be a Clubroom left!"

"True," Tsuna chuckled. He looked down at his hands after Ryohei finished the wrappings. With a few test squeezes, Tsuna stood and went over to the nearest sandbag while Ryohei waved the Captain back over. "You said to hold back, right?" Tsuna asked Ryohei.

"Ah," Ryohei confirmed, crossing his arms next to the club Captain. "Try not to break it, little bro."

"I'll hold it--" A man offered in regards to the sandbag, but Ryohei quickly yanked him back by his collar.

"You might not want to," Ryohei laughed. "I'm not sure if little bro knows a sandbag's limits. You might go flying."

"Geez," Tsuna chuckled after a few test jabs to the sandbag. "I'm not that bad." Satisfied that he thought he knew the bag's breaking limits, Tsuna thew a powerful jab just under what he thought the bag could take.

"Told you," Ryohei laughed when the bag split and went flying toward the ceiling, raining sand all over him and the floor.

"Sorry," Tsuna moaned with a mournful look back at Ryohei. "I thought I held back enough."

"Y-You held back?" The Captain repeated in shock.

"Ah," Tsuna confirmed with a warm smile. "That was only about twenty percent."

"Come on, little bro," Ryohei said. "Go get changed and we'll spar. I've been waiting for you to come around forever."

"A-Alright," Tsuna agreed, seeing how enthusiastically the man was looking forward to it. "If you don't think anyone will be bothered by seeing me in just boxing trunks."

"Naw," Ryohei laughed. "I've seen boxers in the ring that look worse than you do."

"Thanks, I think," Tsuna mumbled. Ryohei went back to talk to the Captain again and reassure him that no one other than Ryohei himself would have to spar Tsuna. Meanwhile, Tsuna slipped into the locker room and changed into the boxing trunks that Ryohei always kept ready in hopes that he would join. Seeing how Ryohei already had a locker set up for him made him smile despite himself and wish that he'd given in sooner for the man.

He peeked his head out of the door cautiously once he was done changing only to find out that he was being anxiously waited on. Before he could duck back inside to hide from all the curiously watching people, Ryohei grabbed him by his neck and pulled him outside. Thankfully it wasn't as bad as he feared, though. His body got a lot of raised eyebrows, but true to Ryohei's words, none of them acted like it was something out of a grotesque horror movie. Then again, he probably should have expected it. These were men who beat each other for fun and excitement.

"Heh," the Captain murmured, giving him a once over. "You look pretty puny with all your clothes on, but in boxing trunks you look like you've seen some action."

"Maybe," Tsuna temporized. Thankfully, Ryohei tossed him in the ring before he had to say more.

"Alright!" He roared in joy once Tsuna had his boxing gloves on and a helmet. "I'm going all the way!"

"Wait!" Tsuna gasped. "I thought you said you were going to hold back!"

"Be sure and dodge this, little bro!" Ryohei yelled, charging forward at the sound of the gong. Having no alternative, Tsuna increased his inner Flame and dodged like his life was on the line. Which it might have been. Ryohei's punches were much, much faster and sounded much, much heavier than he remembered from middle school. And he was gaining momentum! He continued his extreme rush while Tsuna desperately looked for an opening OR an exit.

Ryohei gave him neither.

"Shit," Tsuna gasped a split second before Ryohei's fist slammed into him and sent him flying. He sat where he landed in a daze, completely understanding why he'd not given into Ryohei before. The man didn't know the meaning of 'holding back', regardless of his words. For him, holding back had probably meant not sparring and only shadow-boxing up until Tsuna showed up. Even so, the fact that Ryohei had gotten a punch through his guard told Tsuna even more how out of shape he was. Hibari would make mincemeat out of him at this rate.

"You're taking it easy on me again," Ryohei admonished unhappily.

"No, I'm not," Tsuna moaned, feeling strangely nostalgic, albeit not in a good way.

"Can you stand?" Ryohei asked worriedly.

"Ah," Tsuna confirmed with a small shake of his head to clear it.

"I forgot you're still not recovered," Ryohei said sheepishly, helping Tsuna to his feet. "I'll try to hold back more."

"Don't worry about it," Tsuna laughed, understanding now that those were empty words where Ryohei was concerned. He might tell himself to hold back for Tsuna's sake, but that didn't mean his mind or body would listen to him. "I won't test my limits if you don't push them. We both know I've got to get my strength back and I'm not going to do it by sitting on my rear in a desk."

"That's the spirit, little bro," Ryohei cheered. He reset himself back in his own corner and this time he at least waited until Tsuna was ready, as well. Then, once again the gong rang and this time they both dashed forward instead of just Ryohei. Determined not to let Ryohei gain his momentum, Tsuna dodged and countered after every punch. He purposely only kept them to testing punches, waiting until he had a clean shot to unleash hell. Which he did once he felt his body start to cry out from the burden he was putting it under. Dodging completely under Ryohei's hook, Tsuna aimed an uppercut at his chin and barely managed to stop himself from hitting Ryohei at the sound of the gong. Ryohei glanced down at the fist barely touching his chin with wide eyes, knowing exactly what Tsuna had intended.

"Extreme, little bro!" He roared, pulling Tsuna into a bear hug. Tsuna gasped and dropped to the mat when Ryohei released.

"I think that's enough for today," Tsuna begged. He fell back onto his back on the mat and tried not to pant too heavily from spending three minutes dodging a very aggressive and very excited boxer. "Dear god," he mumbled yet again. "I'm so out of shape."

"Alright," Ryohei agreed. "If you want, I'll go grab us something to drink and some bananas. You take a breather."

"Thanks," Tsuna mumbled gratefully before rolling back to his feet and heading outside the ring. He paused after he got past the ropes, finally realizing how much attention that they'd drawn for their one round match. Deciding it was probably better not to ask why they were gaping, Tsuna jumped down and headed for one of the nearby benches to rest on.

"You have to join the Boxing Club, Sawada!" The Captain roared, coming over to where he sat. Tsuna blinked at him in surprise and tried not to laugh at the unintentional imitation of Ryohei.

"Alright, I will on a few conditions," Tsuna replied.

"Name it," the Captain snapped. "I want your fists in the Boxing Club!"

"First off, I can only come to practice a few times a week."

"Why?" The Captain gasped.

"I've already signed up for one Club that takes priority," Tsuna said with a crooked grin.

"What's more important than Boxing?!"

"Gymnastics," Tsuna sighed, knowing the reaction he would probably get again.

"Gymnastics?!" The man gaped. "With your talent for Boxing, you joined the Gymnastics's Club?!"

"If you have a problem with it, I could always leave," Tsuna replied, suddenly understanding why Riley had been so riled when they'd first met. The Captain put up his hands in effort to soothe his prospective recruit.

"I'm not saying there's anything wrong with Gymnastics. Right, guys?" The Captain looked around for support and people started nodding their heads belatedly.

"That's good," Tsuna said with a smile. "Because if someone did, I'd be kind of upset and might forget I'm only supposed to have matches with Ryohei. And I might just forget to hold back, too. Half the reason I'm so strong is because of Gymnastics," Tsuna blatantly lied. "People shouldn't underestimate it."

"No, never!" The Captain agreed in effort to placate him. Tsuna nodded in satisfaction and allowed himself to be distracted by Ryohei's return. He greedily took the offered drink, towel, and banana that Ryohei handed him.

"My only other request is that you don't require me to enter any official matches," Tsuna continued after a moment.

"Why?" The Captain asked in shock.

"The truth?" Tsuna asked. When the man nodded, Tsuna sighed softly from heartache. "I don't want to ruin any boxers by accident," he admitted. "You have to have a reputation before the really challenging opponents start appearing. That would mean I would have to fight a lot of people weaker than me. Rather than make a mistake on judging how much strength to hold back, I'd prefer to just not compete."

"I-I see," the Captain said hesitantly.

"But as long as you don't mind me not being here every day and not competing," Tsuna continued with a half-hearted smile. "I'll join the Boxing Club and spar with Ryohei a few times a week."

"Good enough for me," the Captain replied after a little thought. "Even if I wish for more, just watching you two is enough. It's almost as good as a World Championship match."

"Really?" Tsuna asked in surprise.

"Ah," the Captain confirmed with several other people behind him also nodding in agreement. "You two could easily take the Japanese Title Belts for your weight classes."

"Big bro," Tsuna mumbled in shock. "Why didn't you--"

"Do you even need to ask, little bro?" Ryohei replied with a small, sad chuckle. Tsuna clenched his eyes shut and shook his head. No, he didn't need to ask. He knew why Ryohei hadn't went pro. It was the same reason that Yamamoto hadn't with baseball. They'd given up their childhood dreams for him. To help protect Tsuna while he was torn asunder by the world he was forced to live in. The Mafia world.

Sudden inspiration make Tsuna stiffen in surprise at himself. He turned to Ryohei and grabbed his shoulders intently, unintentionally making the man choke on his drink considering it almost looked like Tsuna wanted to confess.

"Ryohei," Tsuna said firmly. "I want you to go pro."

"What?!" Ryohei gasped while everyone around them looked at Tsuna in shock.

"I want you to go pro," Tsuna repeated. "You can't keep holding yourself back for me! The Ninth said we have three months of freedom! There's no reason you have to choose!"

"Tsuna," Ryohei said in surprise.

"Please, big bro," Tsuna pleaded. "Get your professional boxing license and take on Japan! No, the World! A guy like you has to go all the way!"

"Alright," Ryohei replied, easily getting caught up in Tsuna's enthusiasm. "I'll do it if you say so! For the next three months, I, Sasagawa Ryohei, will go all the way!" He paused, however, and the smile slowly left his face despite the cheers around him. "But what about you, little bro?"

"I'll be right there cheering you on," Tsuna promised with a wide grin. "The whole Family will be. But you better make sure not to get injured as much as possible," Tsuna warned. "Otherwise you'll waste time having to recover like me."

"Don't worry," Ryohei said with a large smile. "I'm up to the challenge."

"You better be," Tsuna replied sadly. "Three months of freedom might sound like a lot, but it's still not that much time."

"I'll make it all the way," Ryohei promised. "I won't waste a second!"

* * *

"If that's what you want," Tsuna replied hesitantly while he looked wide-eyed at the pile of stuff that Haru had set down on his office desk. "Although we don't have to plan it ourselves. I could always hire a planner." 

"Ha-hi?" Haru exclaimed. "Haru didn't think of that."

"Why don't I go call my dad," Tsuna offered with another unintentional shiver at the lace swaths on his desk. "I'm sure he'll know someone that's good." Haru nodded and ran out of the room to go tell Tsuna's mother that he'd agreed to the date she wanted. She'd thought long and hard about it with an eye towards how important Tsuna had seemed to be in his world. Accordingly, she'd decided on a date two and a half months away which gave his guests time to prepare and travel, as well as gave them time for a small honeymoon before Tsuna might have to return to Italy.

Although, looking at the pile of stuff she'd forgotten and left on his desk, he wished that she would have just decided to elope.

"What have I got myself into?" Tsuna groaned collapsing into his chair.

"You did promise her that you'd marry her when you got out, Tsuna," Yamamoto chuckled from where he'd dodged the Haru whirlwind. Now that she was gone, both he and Gokudera felt free to once again close the distance on Tsuna' desk.

"I know, but--" He mumbled, reaching into the pile to pull out a neon orange silk rose. Yamamoto laughed openly at the sight and Gokudera smiled widely. "Here, help me clear all this stuff off so I can get some actual work--" He paused in the middle of hearing the phone ring, only to realize that it was hidden under the pile of stuff that Haru had unloaded. Stuff went flying everywhere in his haste to find the damn thing.

"Hello," Tsuna gasped once he finally found it on the fifth ring.

"The Ninth is waiting on line four for a video conference, sir," a woman replied.

"Um, eh," Tsuna mumbled, quickly trying to clear the area in front of his monitor. "Patch him through." Tsuna pushed aside a stack of papers that had fallen back over onto the phone and hit the button to connect line four to his monitor.

"Oh my," the Ninth exclaimed while Tsuna tried to save one of three scale models Haru had brought in of possible churches they could be married in. Giving up, Tsuna let it fall with only a slight grimace at the small crash it made.

"I'm here, Ninth," Tsuna said with a blush, trying not to let the man see how flustered he was.

"Are you okay, Tsunayoshi?" The Ninth replied while he tried and failed to hide a merry chuckle at Tsuna's expense.

"I'm fine," Tsuna said while he tried to clear off enough of his desk so that he could see the monitor from his chair instead of standing over the still-large pile. "Hurricane Haru just broke free, though. She said she's been patient enough and wants us to start planning the wedding."

"I see," the Ninth mumbled. "In that case, I'll make it quick. I was just calling to let you know that the Vendiche have decided the punishments."

"Punishments?" Tsuna repeated, freezing in his effort to clear his desk.

"Ah," the Ninth replied sadly. "Even though they were under the effect of Nano-Electros, a lot of people still turned traitor. If punishments aren't given, the Vendiche fear that Mafiosos will use this incident in the future to try to get out of paying for their crimes. To head off any 'the Nano-Electros made me do it' claims in the future, they must set precedence now."

"No mercy for traitors," Tsuna mumbled, knowing it was one of the many lessons he'd learned from Xanxus.

"Don't worry, Tsunayoshi," the Ninth soothed. "They are giving some mercy which is why I needed to see you face to face. I want to know your real reaction to what I'm about to ask and it's too easy to lie over the phone."

"What is it, Ninth?" Tsuna asked. "You know I'll--"

"Don't say you'll do anything, Tsunayoshi," the Ninth admonished with a mournful sigh. "The truth is that if I wasn't so old, I'd do it myself. But my men have rejected it. That only leaves you, but I know that you're still recovering. I want you to feel free to turn the offer down."

"Offer? What do you mean?"

"The Vendiche have approved the right for Bosses to take one large punishment for their whole Family," the Ninth said, intently looking at Tsuna for a reaction. "They refuse to say what the punishment will be, but they've allowed that much."

"I see," Tsuna mumbled, bowing his head.

"Tsuna, you ca--" Yamamoto objected. He paused, however, at Tsuna's slow gesture.

"How many of our men were turned?" Tsuna asked.

"Four dozen," the Ninth answered softly.

"I'll do it in your place," Tsuna accepted.

"Boss, you ca--" Gokudera repeated Yamamoto's objection. He, too, stopped at Tsuna's gesture for silence.

"I'm going to be punished anyway," Tsuna replied sadly. "I got turned too. At least this way I can take a little extra and keep anyone else from getting hurt over this."

"If that is your choice, Tsunayoshi," the Ninth prompted.

"It is," Tsuna agreed.

"I'll contact the Vendiche, then," the Ninth mumbled before saying his farewells. Tsuna stared at the monitor for a long moment in silence.

"Yamamoto, can you go find Haru a wedding planner, please," he whispered. "And Gokudera, can you go--just go somewhere else for a little bit?"

"Sure thing, Boss," Gokudera replied softly, understanding Tsuna's desire for privacy. Tsuna collapsed into his chair the moment they were gone and pulled out a cigarette with a shaking hand. He was tempted to just let himself break from everything he'd been though. Very, very tempted.

"_You can't give up, child_," the voice encouraged in his head.

"Great," Tsuna grumbled, sticking the cigarette in his mouth and fumbling to get it lit. "Just fucking great. I thought I got rid of you. You're silent most of the time and _now _you want to talk? Just what I need right now. A fucking voice in my head. Just go the hell away. I don't need you and I don't need--"

"_The Day of Reckoning is coming_," the voice warned, making Tsuna freeze. "_You still have time, little one. Don't speak so rashly_."

"Please," Tsuna begged with tears in his eyes. "Please, just go away. I can't deal with you right now. I don't care about the Day of Reckoning or the end of the world or any other things that a voice in my head wants to talk about. I just want some peace and quiet."

Tsuna fought back a sob at the silence he received in return. He was nuts, he decided. He had already broken and just didn't want to admit it. He was hearing a voice talk to him about the Day of Reckoning which made him instantly think of nut-jobs preaching on the street. The Vendiche was probably already en route to punish him for his Family. He'd been hurt in so many ways over the past month that it made him dizzy to think about it all, but he was going to have to take more. He was supposed to be relaxing and recovering!

"Hey, voice," Tsuna called, trying not to feel more insane about talking to himself. "Will the peaceful days ever really come again?"

_"They will, child of Flame_," the voice promised. "_They will_."


	92. Chapter 92 Forest for the Trees

Tsuna stared at the large, cloaked form of the Vendiche towering over him. He'd tried to run. He'd ran as fast and as far as he could, but the Vendiche had only grown taller and bigger the more he fled. Now he was twenty times Tsuna's size and the chains that fell out of his sleeves encircled Tsuna, blocking every escape route with their massive size. He backed against the cold, towering metal at his back in fear. He was but a mouse to the arbiter. He was going to die, all because he'd been too weak to stand firm against his own mind. The Vendiche reached down with cold, gloved hands for Tsuna despite how he cowered.

"Please! Don't!" Tsuna begged, clawing at the metal chains blocking his path in fear for his life. "Stop! STOP!" He screamed when the massive hand plucked him up like he was nothing but a crumb.

"You must pay for the crimes of your Family, Vongola the Tenth," the cold Vendiche said from beneath his hidden and bandaged head. Tsuna struggled against the fingers that held him in panic, but they were so much bigger. So much stronger. It was like a leaf fighting a tree. He couldn't win no matter what he tried. Yet, still he tried while the Vendiche's bandages broke loose around his mouth and revealed a gaping maw. The Vendiche lifted him up like he was a grape and Tsuna screamed while he fell helplessly into the black pit below.

And fell.

And fell.

"_Why are you so terrified, child_?" The voice asked into the inescapable darkness.

"Help me," Tsuna screamed, willing to take any aid he could.

"_This is but a dream, child,"_ the voice soothed. "_You have but to accept it in order to control it_."

"Please," Tsuna begged, fearing what would come out of the darkness that he endlessly fell through. "Save me."

"_No,"_ the voice replied coldly. "_You must master your own fear and accept it or it will forever control you_."

"How am I supposed to master this?!" Tsuna cried while he tried to gain control of his tumbling fall. "Everything is dark and there's no way to fight against it!"

"_This is a dream_," the voice reminded him. "_The darkness and insecurity itself is what you are fighting, child_."

"I don't understand!" Tsuna yelled.

"_How long are you going to fall like this, little one?"_

"How am I supposed to know?!" He yelled in irritation, unintentionally loosing his balance against the wind and tossing himself into a roll. "It's not like I get dropped in a pit ever day. You said this is a dream, right? It might go on forever!"

"_Are you afraid of that?"_ The voice asked with a small chuckle. "_Are you afraid because you can't see what's coming? Don't fear the unknown, child. Accept what you can control and learn to understand what you can't._"

Tsuna decided he had nothing else to loose. The voice said to understand what he couldn't control and at the moment, he couldn't control his fall. Why? He asked himself. Was it because he didn't have his gloves on? That couldn't be it. It was a dream, so it had to mean more.

He couldn't control his fall because he didn't feel stable.

It always seemed to be one thing after another that would take him by surprise, just like the wind that kept pushing him around while he fell. The way the wind pulled and ripped at him had a flow, but he was struggling too hard to really see it. Forcing himself to calm down, he set his mind to seeing that flow. Once he did, he widened his eyes in surprise.

The wind calmed and his fall slowed. He was no longer falling. Instead, he was descending like a balloon with a slow leak.

"_Good_," the voice praised. "_Now try to understand this darkness around you, child_."

Tsuna turned his mind to the dark pit like the voice prompted, not questioning since it had already proved to be helpful once. Tsuna looked out into the darkness of the pit around him, wondering why it was so dark. Normal, he'd automatically assume it was dark because it was a pit, but the voice said that he was dreaming. It had to mean more.

"Is it because I've lost hope?" Tsuna asked softly. "Is it dark because I can't see an end to the pain?"

"_Is it, child of Flame_?" The voice asked.

"I can't see the peaceful days anymore," Tsuna admitted. "Even though you said they would come again, I can't bring myself to believe it. As a Mafia Boss, I'm always going to be dealing with pain and bloodshed."

"_What of your Family_?" The voice inquired. "_Are they not feeling happy and peaceful_?"

"Some of them are," Tsuna mumbled, thinking to Haru and Ryohei.

"_Are the days of peace you wish for merely your own selfish ones_?" The voice questioned knowingly.

"N-No," Tsuna replied hesitantly while he continued to descend deeper into the pit without seeing any light. "I don't think so," he amended. "I want all of us to be happy and live peacefully."

"_Then take what you can_," the voice admonished. "_Those days have returned, child, you are just too blind to see them from the fear you hold for the future."_

"I don't understand," Tsuna replied calmly.

"_Until you do, your dream will remain dark_," the voice warned. Tsuna sighed, realizing the voice had already helped him all that it would. He didn't know why he hadn't already woken up since he now truly believed he was dreaming, but even knowing might not free him. Instead of worrying about it, he decided to do like the voice told him and try to understand on his own.

The days he wished for were filled with snowball fights and fireworks and laughter. It was true that his Family was able to enjoy such things because of their time away from Italy and the Mafia, but he'd been too focused on his work to really enjoy it with them. Yet, couldn't he? Wasn't he the one that always willingly tucked himself into his office after school to work? Wasn't he the one that didn't take a break and continued with what he felt was required to be done? Was there any reason he couldn't be living quietly and peacefully? Maybe...Maybe he could actually enjoy life like his friends were. So what if it wasn't more than a few days or weeks worth? Like the voice said, he should take what he could get.

He had always focused on the work and bloodshed in front of him with the long view toward peace, but that was all wrong. His work and the pain would never end, just like his fall deep into the pit of his dream. He would never see the peaceful days that way. He needed to have the long view toward his work and see the peace that was right in front of him. Because the voice was right. The peaceful days he wanted were already there. If he allowed himself to be blinded from them because of a few interruptions and his responsibilities, he would never find a moment of happiness.

All it took was seeing the days for what they were instead of focusing on what they weren't. They might be temporary, but that didn't matter. They were happy. They were peaceful. They were days that had fireworks and snowball fights and his wonderful Family. He just had to stop himself for a minute and actually enjoy it!

Hope filled him at the thought. He could take a break and enjoy the peaceful days with his Family. So what if he'd been through hell? It had all been for the very days he was too blind to see and enjoy. But he wasn't blind anymore. Tsuna saw the days for what they were. Not a 'happily ever after', but an interlude of rest and joy. That wasn't so bad. If he looked forward to the interludes instead of dreaming on a 'happily ever after' that would never come, then there was still much that he could hope for.

"Can you see, child?" The voice interjected in his head. Tsuna's head snapped up and he looked around himself in surprise. The darkness had receded while he had been thinking. Around him was like a dream, even though he knew he was already in a dream. It was as if someone had tossed him in the center of a Michelangelo painting. The walls of his pit were actually columns of roughened stone carved carefully with portrayals of dancing angels and demons toasting one another, making his eyes widen in surprise. Instead of cherubs flying around, though, birds made from a multitude of different colors of Flame bore streamers of gold and silver through the sky while their tails trailed sparks like fireworks. The columns of his pit slowly tilted apart and beyond he could see waterfalls coming off of the ruins of some ancient Renaissance city.

"Where am I?" Tsuna gasped, having never imagined such a place.

"_You must wake now, child_," the voice ordered.

"Wait," Tsuna yelled, seeing the ground slowly approaching. "Where am I?!" A moment before he would have set foot in the wonderland, the scene disappeared completely.

* * *

"Tsuna, please wake up," Yamamoto cried, giving him another small shake. "Please, just wake up!" 

"How long has he been like that?!" Gokudera asked worriedly.

"He called out about two hours ago," Haru answered tearfully from where she knelt on the bed. "Yamamoto's been trying since then to get him to wake up, but he just won't answer. We've tried everything. Slapping him, yelling at him, even pinching him really hard. He just won't wake up."

"I'll go get Flower-pot," Gokudera offered, dashing for the door.

"Wait," Yamamoto called, seeing Tsuna's eyes clench. Gokudera ran back over to him right as Tsuna's eyes started fluttering open and he hovered over Yamamoto's shoulder until they completely opened.

"Yamamoto?" Tsuna asked tiredly. "Why are you here?"

"Thank God," Yamamoto cried, pulling him into a hug. "Don't scare us like that, Tsuna."

"What happened?" Tsuna asked in surprise.

"You tell us, Boss," Gokudera replied. "Haru couldn't wake you up after you had a nightmare, so she went and got Yamamoto. Yamamoto couldn't wake you, so they went and got me. I was about to go wake Flower-pot to check on you."

"Forgive me," Tsuna mumbled, breaking out of Yamamoto's relieved embrace and sitting up. "I had a dream that was harder than normal to break out of. I'm okay now though."

"Is it because of what the Ninth asked you earlier, Boss?"

"Kind of," Tsuna temporized. "It wasn't a bad dream, though. I mean, it was at first, but it wasn't so bad after I started trying to understand it."

"I'm glad," Haru sighed before latching herself onto him. "We were so scared that maybe you'd gotten hurt from boxing with Ryohei and just didn't tell us."

"Oh, um, no," Tsuna mumbled sheepishly. "I'm fine. Ryohei only managed to get one hit in and it was a body blow. My head is alright." He turned and looked up at both Yamamoto and Gokudera, giving them his most disarming smile. "Go ahead and go back to sleep. I'm really okay." They nodded and left willingly with only a few small, worried glances behind them. Once they were gone, Tsuna turned to Haru and gave her the biggest smile he could manage.

"Why are you smiling?" She asked, seeing his large grin.

"Because I'm happy," he said truthfully. Before she could even squeak, he lunged forward and pinned her to the bed with a passionate kiss.

"Ha-hi?!" She exclaimed, breaking it off.

"Let's go watch some fireworks tomorrow," Tsuna suggested with a smile.

"You mean it, Tsu-kun? You don't have work to do?"

"Ah," Tsuna confirmed. "I want to enjoy the time we have without having to follow orders, worrying about the Ninth, or anything Mafia related. I can always wait and do paperwork some other time." She squealed in joy and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him down into a fierce kiss. "Speaking of enjoying our time," Tsuna mumbled against her lips, "I think we have some unfinished business we never got to deal with." She gasped in surprise at the hard protrusion that Tsuna dug into her leg while he began kissing her neck.

"And here I was wondering if I was going to have to make a costume so that I looked like paperwork to get your attention," Haru panted, tilting her head naturally to give Tsuna more access. Tsuna paused and sat up at the words, giving her a long and deep look.

"No," Tsuna replied with a grin. "If you really want my attention, you could always borrow your old uniform from Pink."

"Did Tsu-kun like Haru's uniform?" She asked playfully.

"Oh yes," Tsuna mumbled while he began to dive for her again. "Let me show you how much I liked it..."

* * *

"I don't have a fever," Tsuna laughed, pushing away Gokudera's hand from his head and turning back to the volleyball game that the Coach had assigned for P.E. 

"It's strange, though," Gokudera mumbled. "Ever since you had that conversation with the Ninth, you seem to have loosened up, Boss."

"I just decided not to worry about it right now," Tsuna said with a grunt, knocking the ball back across the net.

"Still, Boss," Gokudera grumbled. "You're worrying us. First the fireworks last night and now you want to go hiking over the weekend?"

"There's supposed to be snow on Death Mountain," Tsuna explained. "I want to take Hotaru up there and fly a bit. Plus, we can have snowball fights just like we used to."

"What about all your work, Boss?" Gokudera replied with a lunge to save the ball.

"It'll still be there when I get back," Tsuna promised. "None of it is stuff that can't wait."

"B-But--"

"Gokudera," Tsuna said in exasperation. "Weren't you one of the people nagging me to actually take a break so I could recover?"

"It's just so sudden, Boss," he replied. "I makes me worry."

"Well, stop worrying so much," Tsuna laughed before spiking the ball across the next once again. The other team groaned when once again they weren't able to save it and Tsuna's team increased the point gap even more. The two of them walked to the sidelines when the Coach finally called for a substitution so that the game would be more fair and less one-sided.

"What about the Vendiche?" Gokudera asked softly without meeting Tsuna's eyes.

"They'll come when they come," Tsuna answered with a shrug. "I'll deal with it when they arrive. Until then, I'm not going to just sit around and sulk about it. I want to enjoy these days, Gokudera. Even though it's a temporary lull, it's still quiet and peaceful days that I've been waiting for. I'm not going to let them go to waste anymore."

"If you say so, Boss," Gokudera mumbled. Tsuna nodded and turned his attention back to the game only to find that the Coach had brought it to a halt. Tsuna's heart started racing when he saw why.

"Tsuna," Iemitsu called softly, noticing his son's attention on him. "They're here for you and they refuse to wait. If we don't go, they'll come in here."

"A-Alright," Tsuna agreed, walking up to the Coach. "Forgive me," he said with an apologetic bow. "I have to leave class early."

"Since your father is here for you, there's not much I can say against it," the Coach grumbled. Tsuna nodded and began following his father without even bothering to change first.

"Boss--" Gokudera called worriedly.

"Don't worry," Tsuna interrupted with a smile and a wave to signal that he should stay behind. "It'll be over in no time and we can go enjoy that snow this weekend."

"Boss..." came the soft reply. Tsuna gave one final wave and exited the building hurriedly behind his father before Gokudera could decide to chase after him. Outside, no less than six Vendiche waited and Tsuna silently fell in behind them at his father's cue.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Iemitsu asked worriedly. "You know you don't have to, right? You can just let everyone take their own--"

"It's okay, dad," Tsuna laughed. "I know it's not going to be a walk in the park, but it's better this way. This is my job, isn't it? To protect the Family and keep them happy. I've realized something really important, dad. Something that makes it so that it doesn't hurt to do that anymore."

"What's that, son?" He said, pausing at the school gates.

"After the pain is over, I get to be happy, too," he replied with a smile. Iemitsu paused for a moment then looked at Tsuna with pain-filled eyes again.

"I can't go with you from here, son," Iemitsu warned. Tsuna nodded and quietly turned to follow the Vendiche on his own. Behind him, his father watched him go with tears in his eyes and a worried heart for one simple reason. Tsuna was about to be punished by the Vendiche, yet he was smiling about it.

"You seem pretty happy," one of the Vendiche commented softly as they walked down the road. "I must say that no boss has been quite so enthusiastic about taking the punishment for his men like you."

"Hmm, well, you're not going to kill me, right?" Tsuna asked.

"We'll come close," the Vendiche promised darkly.

"But I won't actually die, right?" Tsuna repeated with his smile never faltering.

"No, you won't," another of the six replied.

"Then I'm fine with it," Tsuna said honestly. "If I can take the pain away from my Family by taking it on myself, then I'm happy. I'll heal like I always do and then I can enjoy life with them again."

"You are a mysterious man, Vongola the Tenth," a Vendiche replied.

"Indeed," another agreed, leading the way down a slowly widening road. "Even being told that you will be brought to the brink of death, you show no fear and think only of your Family. I never believed the Mafia had a Boss with such optimism and fearlessness."

"I'm not fearless," Tsuna laughed. "I just don't fear dying. Death is nothing more than a quick and sudden freedom. I would embrace death if I didn't hold such responsibility for the living."

"You have nothing to live for but duty?" A Vendiche asked.

"I have a few things," Tsuna admitted. "But more than having a reason to live, I have no reason to die. It would solve nothing."

"Enough talk," the leader of the group ordered, speaking up for the first time. Tsuna sighed in resignation and followed along in silence, not wanting to anger the people in charge of his punishment. After a while, Tsuna realized that one of the Vendiche was hiding the group's presence. No one seemed to see them at all despite the fact that they took up most of the street. People neither dashed out of their way or looked at them in curiosity. It was as if they weren't even there.

Nearly twenty minutes later, the group of Vendiche paused in front of their assumed destination. Like Tsuna had partially expected, they had managed to secure a place in Black Dragon Alley where they wouldn't be disturbed. They led him to the second floor which seemed to be one large room in which the walls had all been removed in preparation. Seeing only one corner of the room curtained off, Tsuna looked around the empty space in curiosity.

"Vongola the Tenth," the leader said, gesturing for him to take his place in the center of the room. Once he did, the six Vendiche encircled him with all the atmosphere of a ritual. "Vongola the Tenth," the leader repeated, this time with the tone of someone giving judgment. "You and many members of the Vongola Family are guilty of breaking the Omerta and becoming traitors to their own Family. Your Family has been offered leniency if you, heir of Vongola, choose to take a greater punishment on behalf of Vongola the Ninth and your Family. Do you accept or do you choose to take merely your own punishment?"

"I accept," Tsuna snapped immediately. "I will take the punishment for all of Vongola."

"So be it," the spokesman intoned. Only the slight jingle of chains gave him any warning that the punishment was already going to begin. They flew out from the hands of four of the Vendiche, binding to their targets within moments. Tsuna looked at the manacles around his wrists and ankles in surprise, wondering what they were for, when the fifth Vendiche moved and another thick chain latched on around his neck. Before his mind could understand why they felt the need to bind him, his legs were pulled out from under him and all five chains were pulled tight.

Previously hidden weights appeared in the room as if they'd been magicked there and the Vendiche continued to pull their chains taunt until they could be attached. Tsuna grunted from the feeling of being pulled apart, but otherwise tried not to react while he was raised higher and higher into the air. He heard five chains click into place almost simultaneously, telling him that he was stretched out as much as they planned to.

Deciding that he didn't need to see what was coming and therefore fear it, Tsuna let his eyes fall shut in resignation when they walked forward and ripped his shirt off. He knew there would be pain. That much was a given. He didn't really care about the how. Either how much or how they were going to cause it. Instead, he turned his mind to what would come after this was over. He would take Hotaru and the rest of the Family out to Death Mountain--

Tsuna hissed as something very, very hot hit his left forearm, burning his flesh. His eyes snapped open and he looked at the Vendiche standing over him with a branding iron that had been heated until it was red.

"The first mark is for your betrayal to your Family," the Vendiche explained. "The punishment is a nonlethal injection." Tsuna closed his eyes again in acceptance.

--After everyone else was tired from snowball fights, they could have a snow-picnic with hot chocolate. I-Pin and Lambo could teach Hotaru how to make snowmen after that and maybe a snow fortress.--

Tsuna gasped and opened his eyes when he recognized the injection that they gave him. Of all the things that he'd expected, he never thought they would use Flare on him. His skin began to take on a familiar burn and his muscles quivered where they were held taunt. His inner Flame started spasming in effort to burn it off, only increasing his pain with every surge.

Despite himself, Tsuna cried out when they branded his other forearm. It felt a hundred times worse than the first one due to the torture drug rampaging through his body. In a natural reaction to protect himself, Tsuna pulled on his bindings to get free. The Vendiche had prepared for him, however, after their last encounter. The chains were strong and the weights held firm.

"The second mark is for your betrayal to the Mafia for allowing traitors to live," the Vendiche stated, handing the branding iron off again. "The punishment is ten lashes for each one." Tsuna groaned, remembering that the Ninth had said four dozen of their men had been turned. That meant around four hundred and eighty lashes to account for them all. Once again in acceptance, he let his tears run free against the pain and closed his eyes.

--After they made snow fortresses and snowmen, Tsuna would go free-flying with Ho--Hotaru and Tsuna would be able to--to spend time with his s-s-son in a way that no--no one else could. G-G-Gokudera would probably ge-get in a s-s-snowb-b-ball fight with Yamam-m-moto and H-Haru and his m-m-mother could ta-talk about w-w-w-wed-wed-wedding p-p-pl-pl-plans.---

Tsuna stopped trying to think and instead focused his entire being on purely surviving. They weren't breaking the skin, but every blow felt like he'd been hit with a jackhammer, sending shocks down his spine and up into his brain regardless of where they hit. He wasn't sure if he should be grateful that they didn't waste time between lashes or not. While it meant that he couldn't prepare for the next blow, it also meant that the pain would be over much sooner. The only problem was that four hundred and eighty was a much larger number than it seemed. Even at the speed with which the Veniche in charge continued to hit him, it didn't seem to end.

And then, as abruptly as it began, it did end. Tsuna sagged in relief as much as his bindings allowed, but he was only allowed a moment to rest. He screamed at the pain of the third brand hitting his chest, easily three times the size of the previous ones.

"The final mark is for the sins of your Family," the Vendiche spokesman explained when he pulled the red-hot iron away. Tsuna clenched his eyes shut against the pain and against the tears that continued to flow from it. "The punishment is one Phantom Bullet for each sin." Tsuna's eyes snapped open on the word 'Bullet' and he pulled against the chain around his neck in effort to look over at the Vendiche. He only managed a glimpse before he ran out of strength and his head fell backwards again. The Vendiche was loading a weapon that had an aged look to it with bullets.

"Don't worry," the Vendiche said to his panicked breathing. "We have sworn that you will live pass the punishment. The Phantom Bullet is the Vendiche special bullet. It will be painful and it will feel like it is real, but your body will stay intact." To show Tsuna that he meant what he said, he held his hand in front of the weapon and fired where Tsuna could see the effect. Tsuna stared wide-eyed at the pierced hand...which hadn't been pierced. There was no blood, no wound, yet Tsuna was positive that he'd seen a bullet pass through it. "Let us begin," the man intoned before Tsuna could understand.

Pressing the weapon against Tsuna's shoulder, he fired. Tsuna gasped at the feeling of something penetrating deep into it, feeling exactly like he remembered from being shot there before. Before he could come to terms with it, the Vendiche picked a new spot and fired again. Tsuna's breathe caught in his throat and he clenched his eyes, feeling that his lung had just been ripped through. Coughing from the impact, Tsuna felt blood in his mouth. And still the Vendiche didn't stop. He felt his arms get pierced, his legs. The Vendiche hit every one of his major organs at least once and both his lungs and stomach got hit twice. The worst was his eye. The feeling of penetration ended before it reached too deep into his skull, but he instantly lost sight in that eye.

With all the precision of a trained hitman, the Vendiche fired again and again without even a shudder at the powerful recoil. After the twentieth shot fired, Tsuna lost the power to fight. His body still lurched against the force of the Phantom impacts, but his mind felt nothing. It was too much. The Flare combined with the beating combined with being shot forty-eight times was just too much. He could taste blood welling up into his mouth from his mind and body believing the wounds were real. He didn't doubt that the tears in his left eye weren't simply tears, either.

Unable to feel anything anymore, Tsuna absently turned his mind back to the only thing he cared about.

--Dino would forget about Enzio again and drop him into melted snow. While everyone ran, Gokudera would try to appease the Mountain God and Bianchi would admonish him for it. Enzio falling over would cause an avalanche and Ryohei would find it extremely entertaining to try to take it head-on. Then Tsuna and Hotaru would melt the avalanche before it reached everyone. After that, everyone would decide it was time to return home and would hike down the mountain while Tsuna helped Dino retrieve his pet. When Tsuna got home, Haru would be waiting with a warm blanket and everyone would laugh about all the fun they had. He'd probably catch a cold from it, but he'd be just as happy. And then he'd wrap himself up warm in bed with Haru and Hotaru beside him and he'd sleep. He'd sleep the sleep of the satisfied and content.--

Tsuna didn't even groan when his back thudded to the ground and his manacles were released. The Vendiche looked at him in surprise when he crawled to his knees and stood. Tsuna clenched his left eye shut and wiped the blood from his mouth. He was wavering on his feet, but he still managed to ask the one question he needed to.

"Are we done?" He croaked painfully.

"Yes, Vongola the Tenth," the Vendiche said, not bothering to keep the awe out of his voice. Tsuna nodded and stumbled to the door. One of the six followed him after a moment of surprise in order to cover his return home with illusions. Tsuna ignored him, too intent on the only thing in the world he cared about.

The pain was over, so now he could go enjoy some peace with his Family.


	93. Chapter 93 Repair

Yamamoto grinned when yet another ball went flying over the fence for a home-run. Baseball wasn't even a challenge anymore except that he had to hold back so that he merely hit the ball instead of slicing it in two. Chuckling at the memory of his classmates faces when he'd done it twenty times in a row by accident, Yamamoto lobbed another ball into the air and hit it toward first base this time. The boy standing there dodged the ball in fear and Yamamoto tried not to grumble.

"Don't be scared of it," Yamamoto called. "It's not going to bite you!"

"Yes it will!" The boy squealed.

"Che," Yamamoto spat. "Grow some backbone! Do you think you can go to the Major Leagues if you're scared--" Yamamoto froze at the sight of Gokudera running up in a panic. "Oi," he yelled. "What's wrong?"

"Vendiche," he gasped with wide eyes, clutching the fence instead of taking the time to run around it. "I've been looking everywhere for you! The Vendiche came and took the Tenth!"

"Shit!" Yamamoto screamed, throwing his bat aside. He ran for the dugout where he'd left Shigure Kintoki in a baseball bat carrier. "Don't tell me you just let him go?!"

"Oi," the Baseball Captain called, seeing the growing commotion in the dugout when Yamamoto started throwing empty carriers around in search for his own. "What are you doing? We're still in the middle of practice."

"Shut up," Yamamoto snapped. "Where the hell did my--"

"It's right here," Iemitsu said from behind him, holding up the missing item. Yamamoto leaped forward to retrieve it, but Iemitsu backpedaled out of his immediate range without handing it over. Yamamoto froze and narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

"What are you playing at?" Yamamoto growled. Iemitsu backed up onto the field with Yamamoto's hidden sword-carrier in his hands. Both he and Yamamoto ignored the ignoring yells from baseball players upset over their practice being interrupted.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Gokudera added, finally running around the fence. "We don't have time for this! We have to go--"

"I can't let you go after him," Iemitsu said mournfully.

"You're his own damn father!" Yamamoto yelled. "And you're just going to let them--"

"Yes," Iemitsu interrupted, leaving both Yamamoto and Gokudera gaping.

"Gokudera," Yamamoto asked with narrowed eyes.

"Ah," the silver-haired man agreed to the silent question. After a single moment, they both darted forward toward Iemitsu. Iemitsu backpedaled easily against their blows, but unintentionally lost his grip on Yamamoto's sword-carrier, which had been the whole purpose of the attack.

"Heh," Iemitsu mumbled, running his hand through his hair while Yamamoto pulled his sword out of his case. "I didn't think you boys would be so quick to fight."

"We're going after our Boss," Gokudera yelled irritably. "We'll be damned if you're going to stop us."

"Don't make me fight you two," Iemitsu asked softly. Yamamoto and Gokudera ignored him, turning toward the entrance to the baseball field. Yamamoto paused at the sight of Basil armed and prepared for combat.

"It is not permitted for thee to follow," Basil warned.

"Get out of our way," Gokudera ordered.

"It's no use," Iemitsu called, bringing their attention back to him. "I've already destroyed their tracks and the Vendiche are covering their passing. No one but me can tell you which way they went."

"Bastard!" Gokudera yelled, tossing several sticks of lit dynamite in his direction. At the same moment, Yamamoto lunged forward to cross weapons with Basil in effort to remove their obstruction.

"We're going after Tsuna!" Yamamoto cried, hoping that there was some trace that they could still follow. "Just get out of our way!" Everyone froze at the sound of gunfire and the sound of Gokudera's dynamite falling to the ground with their fuses snuffed.

"Enough," Reborn yelled, holding up his smoking gun. "I know you two want to follow him, but it's too late. Put your weapons down! Gokudera, you were there! Did Tsuna ask for any of you to go after him? Did he give you a single signal that it was what he wanted?"

"N-No," Gokudera admitted, lowering his hands full of dynamite. "But Boss has been acting strange. I'm worried about him."

"It doesn't matter if wanted us to," Yamamoto called, slashing at Basil who barely managed to counter the blow. "He needs us to!" Yamamoto automatically reacted to a bullet fired in his direction and deflected it with his sword. "Little guy..." he breathed in shock, lowering his sword.

"That's enough," Reborn repeated. "If you two keep it up, the Vendiche will be after more than just Tsuna. Their tracks are completely gone. I can't even trace them. Give it up, Yamamoto. The only thing you can do right now is wait."

"Damnit!" Yamamoto shouted in defeat. He turned to Iemitsu with a dark glare, wanting something to take his rage out on. "How can you call yourself his father?"

"Sometimes I can't," Iemitsu answered softly with tears in his eyes. "I tried to tell him he didn't have to, but he said he wanted to. Even if I'm his father, I'm still just the Outside Advisor and he's Vongola the Tenth. I don't have the right to stop him in things like this, no matter how much I want to."

"Forgive me," Yamamoto said softly, sensing the unbearable heartache that Iemitsu was hiding under his words. He flipped the hilt of his sword, releasing it's transformation with a nod of apology to Basil. With Gokudera beside him, the two walked off the baseball field. This time, no one tried to stop them.

* * *

"Oi," Ryohei called into the packed gymnasium. "Has anyone seen Sawada?" 

"No," a man in a sleeveless shirt called back. "Although if you see him, tell him to at least warn me when he's going to miss practice. I wanted him to meet Juno today." The man pointed to the other gymnast doing stretches in the corner.

"You're Riley, right?" Ryohei asked, getting a nod in return.

"Ha-hi?" Haru exclaimed with wide eyes. "Tsu-kun missed both Gymnastics and Boxing?"

"Shit," Ryohei spat, walking closer so their conversation wouldn't be so public. Curious, Riley and Juno both came closer too. "Something is wrong. Little bro wouldn't miss both Clubs. Not without saying something first."

"Maybe we should go look for him?" Riley asked. "See if maybe he's in the nurse's office or something?" Ryohei nodded in agreement and the group dashed out of the gymnasium together. Riley and Juno stumbled a few steps when they noticed that both Ryohei and Haru had frozen right outside the door.

"What happened?!" Ryohei yelled, charging forward to where Yamamoto was walking downcast with his sword with Gokudera just as sullen beside him.

"They took him," Gokudera said simply. "He went with the Vendiche."

"What?!" Ryohei roared. "How could you--"

"Shut up," Yamamoto said softly with unnatural coldness. "It's too late to go after him and stop him. If Reborn can't track him, neither can we."

"What's the Vendiche?" Haru asked into the following silence.

"Mafia Enforcers," Gokudera growled. "We tend to solve our own problems, but the Vendiche show up when the shit hits the fan or when a Boss requests them to involve themselves."

"Did Tsu-kun ask for their help?" She asked hesitantly.

"No, Haru," Yamamoto moaned, sinking to his knees and digging the tip of his bamboo blade into the ground for support. "They didn't take him to help him. Tsuna went to take everyone's punishments. They're going to rip him to shreds again." Riley reached forward and steadied her when she got literally dizzy from the thought. Not that anyone could blame her. Even the three men who'd seen Tsuna at his worst were feeling faint at the thought.

"Who are you?" Yamamoto asked darkly, suddenly realizing they had two extra people with them.

"I'm Riley," he said in surprise over the sudden hostility. "I was worried about Sawada since he didn't show up for either of his Clubs.

"Riley is okay!" Haru exclaimed, sensing how her friends were bristling over having let him hear so much. "He won't say anything to anyone about anything! Right, Riley?"

"Why would I?" Riley asked with a small shrug. "I owe Sawada one. Ever since he joined, I haven't had a single person look at me funny and I've had more and more people asking about what it takes to be a Gymnast. Even if he doesn't come to practice, he's helped me incredibly. I'm not quite sure what he did, but I even apologies from a few of the boxers that made fun of me before. When I asked them about their change of heart, they all said it was because of Sawada." Ryohei nodded knowingly but didn't comment.

"Lets head home," Gokudera suggested at the sound of the school chimes signaling the end of the day.

"Mind if we come with you?" Riley asked with a toss of his head to Juno. "I'm still pretty worried about him and nothing you guys have said made me feel any better." Yamamoto and Gokudera traded looks, but both shrugged.

"Why not," Yamamoto said softly. "Just promise that you'll keep your lips sealed."

"Sure thing," he replied. Rather than return inside and get their things, the group turned and headed to the front gates of the school. Having heard the final chimes ring, Tsuna's usual escort was already waiting with Hotaru. Albeit a softly sobbing Hotaru.

"What's wrong?!" Haru cried, darting forward and pulling him out of Sangia's arms.

"I don't know," she replied while he began to wail against Haru's shoulder. "I just got back from class and he said he wanted to play. Since I didn't have any homework, I said okay and then he just started crying all of a sudden."

"How long has he been like this?" Gokudera snapped.

"About half an hour," she replied.

"Che," Gokudera spat before breaking into a run. "We need to get home right now!"

"Where's the Boss?" Enrico called after him.

"The Vendiche took him for punishment," Gokudera yelled over his shoulder, causing a mad scramble of people to run after him. "The only reason for Hotaru to be crying like that is if he sensed something was wrong with the Boss' Flame."

"Flare!" Yamamoto gasped in sudden understanding. "Those sons of-- Of all the rotten things to give him!"

"We have to get Sakura to prepare the counter for when little bro gets home," Ryohei agreed, carrying Haru under one arm and Hotaru under the other while he ran. The group made a mad dash for the estate, barely avoiding multiple collisions in their rush. Many of them didn't understand the reason for the sudden hurry, but they did understand one thing.

Their boss needed them to get home.

* * *

"Thank you," Tsuna croaked to the Vendiche beside him. The man bowed and walked away, having done his part in getting Tsuna home safely. Tsuna watched him go in a haze before turning back to the estate's back entrance and stumbling through the door. The media had still been staking out the front gate still and Tsuna hadn't felt like going all the way to Manager Uhura's home in order to get to his own. That had left the back gate as the only viable option to get onto the grounds. Fortunately, it was one that only required a pass code to unlock. 

Tsuna stumbled across the deck outside the Guardian's Parlor and slid the door open with relief. The moment his foot his 'safe' ground, though, his body completely gave up. He collapsed onto the floor in a heap while his muscles twitched from the pain still wracking his body. Content to just lie there, Tsuna stared with one eye at the growing stream of blood that was collecting on the floor.

_Am I going to die after all?_ Tsuna asked himself, wondering if his internal organs had been more damaged by his mind than intended.

"_No_," the voice in his head soothed. "_You are quite damaged, child, but it will heal_."

_Why do you only pop up when I'm thinking negatively or I'm about to do something wrong? _Tsuna asked tiredly.

Tsuna tried not to be disappointed at the silence he received in return. Rather than worry about it, Tsuna shut his eyes and tried not to think while his body continued to twitch outside his control. A sudden though made him finally push himself to his feet and stumble toward the Family Room. First of all, no one would know he was home unless he told them. Second, he'd left his cigarettes in his school-bag, but he had an extra pack in his desk. The painkillers in it sounded pretty damn good.

"I'm home," Tsuna croaked when he passed the Family Room on his way to the public wing. He cried out automatically when Haru lunged forward and latched herself onto him in relief. She unintentionally hit the burnt skin on his chest along with numerous bruises underneath it, making his cry turn into a sudden scream. Not that she could see it under the shirt that the Vendiche had given him. The hands pulled away hurriedly, but not before Tsuna fell to his knees from the pain. A hand on his shoulder steadied him before he could fall forward on his face from dizziness.

"Shit," Yamamoto cursed, proving himself to be the one holding Tsuna steady. He knelt down in front of him and provided support when Tsuna couldn't regain his strength enough to lift his head.

"That hurt," Tsuna mumbled painfully while he continue to waver in Yamamoto's arms.

"Lay him out and pull off his shirt so I can get to his arm," Sakura ordered.

"Not in front of the kids," Tsuna groaned, hearing Lambo talking to what sounded like a crying Hotaru.

"Don't start," Sakura snapped. "We know you were hit with Flare. Just sit still and I have the counter agent ready for you."

"I forgot about the counter," Tsuna mumbled, letting Yamamoto and Gokudera carefully lay him out on the floor. He hissed when they kept hitting his wounded chest unintentionally while they attempted to unbutton his shirt. After three consecutive hisses in a row, Gokudera ripped it off to see what was hurting him so much.

"Boss," Gokudera mumbled with a small shudder.

"Tsuna..." Yamamoto breathed in shock. "What the hell did they do to you?"

"Counter first," Sakura demanded, pushing them out of the way. Without wasting a second, he used a scalpel to cut up his shirt more in order to gain access to his arm without moving him. Tsuna tried not to cry at the feeling of a tourniquet wrapped around his upper arm. With the Flare still inside him, it felt more like someone was cutting his arm in half instead of merely cutting off the blood flow. He did groaned a bit when Sakura finally found his vein and injected him. Sakura pulled the tight rubber band off of his upper arm when he was done and Tsuna tried not to black out in relief. It was like a cool, soothing sensation was washing over him, wiping away the itchy, painfully burning one. His muscles slowly stopped twitching and he let out a small sigh.

"Now, what are these?" Sakura asked, inspecting him.

"What are what?" Tsuna asked dazedly.

"You've got a dagger on your left arm and a bullet on your right," Sakura informed him. "And you have a very large, black 'X' across your chest. Did they tattoo you?"

"Brands," Tsuna replied once he comprehended what Sakura was talking about. He tried not to cry out when Sakura moved the skin around it while he continued his inspection. He tried to cover the need with a cough, but only ended up sending more blood flying onto his chin.

"What all did they do to you, Tsuna?" Reborn asked, coming up next to his head.

"The first mark is for my betrayal to the Family and the punishment was the Flare," Tsuna replied, feeling more and more content now that the drug was no longer eating away at him. "The second mark is for my betrayal to the Mafia for allowing traitors to live and the punishment was ten lashes for every one. The final mark is for the sins of my Family and I got shot once for each one."

"Che," Reborn muttered. "They used the Phantom Bullet on you?"

"Ah," Tsuna replied with a small shiver. "Forty-eight times. The worst one was the eye. Definitely the eye. Now I know why so many people screamed the worst when I took out the eyes."

"Check out his eye and you need to get him down for internal scans," Reborn ordered when Tsuna began coughing blood again.

"They're just phantom wounds, right? Not real?" Sakura asked in effort to understand.

"They hurt, but they're not real," Reborn said with a nod. "Since he got hit so many times, though, it's likely that his mind tried to make it real."

"Speaking of which," Tsuna mumbled. "Can someone go get the cigarettes out of my desk? Walking home hurt like hell and I really don't want to move until it stops." Gokudera immediately went flying out of the room in effort to answer his request and Sakura began gently putting some kind of cold cream over his skin that helped ease the pain.

"Papa," Hotaru said softly from across the room. Tsuna tilted his head toward him and smiled despite the pain his body was in.

"What is it, Hotaru?" Tsuna asked.

"Can Hotaru share his secret?" Hotaru asked with a small glance at the person standing over by Haru. Tsuna's eyes widened when he saw Riley and someone he didn't recognize, but decided that he would worry about their presence later. But it explained why Hotaru called it his secret instead of his yellow. He'd remembered the promise he'd made to Tsuna about his Flame and strangers.

"No, Hotaru," Tsuna replied. "You can't share without taking away the marks that I have, so I couldn't let you even if it wasn't a secret."

"Why, Papa?" He asked curiously.

"These marks are proof that our Family has paid the price that was asked, Hotaru," Tsuna explained. "Without them, a lot of people would get hurt."

"Is that why Papa has all those other marks?" Hotaru asked innocently.

"Ah," Tsuna temporized sadly. Before Hotaru could ask any more questions, Gokudera returned with his cigarettes. He reached up and took one, but his hands shook too much to hold it. In effort to help, Gokudera lit it for him and lowered it to Tsuna's lips to be gratefully sucked on. "Thanks," Tsuna mumbled after several deep drags. He held the smoke inside himself for a few long moments in effort to let the painkilling drug get into his system. Smoke and a damaged lung shouldn't be combined, however. Realizing it, Tsuna let out the smoke in a fit of bloody coughs and curses.

"Baka-Tsuna," Reborn muttered.

"Oi, Reborn," Tsuna called while he tried to keep his right eye open. The growing lack of pain made him feel his weakness more and more by the moment.

"What is it?" The small hitman replied.

"You want to come with us for snowball fights this weekend?" Tsuna asked sleepily. "It wouldn't be the same without you." Tsuna fought to keep his right eye open, waiting for Reborn's answer.

"If you're healed up enough that Sakura lets you go," Reborn replied softly in agreement. Tsuna smiled at the promise and mumble something incoherently before letting his eye fall shut in the rest that his body craved. The moment that he was out, Sakura started snapping orders to the people standing around and quickly got everyone moving with the same focus.

"Don't worry," Sakura said, pausing in front of Haru while Ryohei and Yamamoto carried Tsuna to the nearest room with an elevator. "I'll fix him up as good as new."

"Promise?" Haru asked, fighting tears that she refused to release.

"Ah," Sakura confirmed.

* * *

"Are you sure you should be doing this?" Riley called worriedly while Gokudera silently grumbled next to him. 

"I'm fine," Tsuna laughed before somersaulting into the air with the help of a little momentum and the High Bar. "Sakura gave me painkillers, so it doesn't hurt at all. It's a little hard to judge my timing with one eye, but I'm managing."

"Still," Riley mumbled. "You looked pretty beat up yesterday. Are you sure--"

"Don't be such a worry-wart," Tsuna laughed after completing a roll. With a flourish, he dismounted using a hidden amount of Flame boost to soften his landing. "I've already got Gokudera for that. I'm a bit bruised, but it's just flesh-wounds except for my eye. My bones are still intact and my organs weren't hit as badly as we thought. Sakura said all the blood had been from a bleeding ulcer that I hadn't noticed. He's already treated it and he said as long as I don't get stressed out for a few days and stay on the stuff he gave me, it'll heal up just fine."

"What about your eye?" He asked, pointing at Tsuna's eye-patch.

"We'll know in a day or two when Sakura lets me take this off," Tsuna replied.

"Are you Hercules or something?" Riley gaped. "I saw those..." He looked around to make sure no one was listening before leaning forward to whisper. "I saw the burns. You've got to be freaking crazy to even move around with those!"

"Don't worry," Tsuna laughed, pinching the man's cheek. "They're all bandaged up and Sakura numbed them. I don't feel a thing."

"Which is why you shouldn't push yourself, Boss," Gokudera grumbled. "If you accidentally cause more damage, you won't be able to feel it."

"Fine, fine," Tsuna replied in resignation. "Just take all my fun away."

"Fun?" Gokudera repeated, looking up at the High Bar. "You actually like this stuff, Boss? I thought it was just for training...?"

"Ah," Tsuna confirmed with a soft smile. He, too, looked up at the High Bar. "There's nothing better than the feeling of freedom you get when you fly."

"Isn't that the truth," Riley laughed.

"I could really get to like you, Riley," Tsuna said with a wide grin. "Why don't you come hiking with us tomorrow? We're heading up for the snow on Death Mountain."

"Boss--!" Gokudera gaped.

"Don't worry," Tsuna replied yet again. "I just think Riley might have fun with everyone. Most people can't make it up Death Mountain, but we're going to be with him. Plus, I think it'll be nice to have more people."

"You've already invited seventy percent of the Family in Japan, Boss," Gokudera grumbled.

"So what's one more person?" Tsuna laughed. "What do you say, Riley?" When the man hesitantly nodded in agreement, Tsuna grinned broadly despite Gokudera's quiet groan. "Well in that case, I'm going to do one more set to celebrate. Lift me up, would you?"

"Boss..." Gokudera growled in warning.

"Just one!" Tsuna promised with pleading in his eye. Gokudera looked like he wanted to stomp in dissatisfaction, but gave agreement for Riley to lift him to the bar again. "Put me back down," Tsuna asked softly after reaching up for the bar. Gokudera stiffened in worry and chased after him when he started running for the locker rooms the moment that Riley let his feet hit the ground.

"Boss," Gokudera called worriedly into what seemed to be an empty room. He started darting down to check the other isles of lockers with Riley right behind him.

"I'm back here," Tsuna replied sadly from the last one. Both Gokudera and Riley paused when they darted around the corner and Tsuna was already digging into a medical kit and pulling out bandages. "Sorry for running," Tsuna said softly. "I didn't want Haru to see."

"See what, Sawada?" Riley asked. In answer, Tsuna pressed his shirt to his chest and it was instantly dyed red.

"I should have listened, Gokudera," Tsuna whispered before he started stripping it off to get access to the bloodstained bandages wrapped around his body. "The scab must have broke when I reached up. It doesn't hurt, but I could feel the tickle of the blood on my stomach."

"Boss," Gokudera cried, dashing forward to help him.

"Please don't be mad, Gokudera," Tsuna begged softly while his friend unwrapped the old, bloody bandages and Gokudera began replacing the thick pads that had been bandaged over the burns. Tsuna hissed softly when several of them were removed and the scabs unintentionally went with them.

"You're a mess, Boss," the silver-haired man replied, gently guiding him down on the bench so that Gokudera could tend to him properly.

"I'm sorry," Tsuna mumbled. "I'll be more careful, Gokudera. Just please don't be mad at me."

"On one condition, Boss," Gokudera offered with a small grin.

"Anything," Tsuna promised.

"When we get back from hiking, you have to say in bed all day and let us take care of everything for you," he replied, making Tsuna's jaw fall open. "No working, no getting up, and no complaining."

"B-But--"

"You asked what my condition was, Boss," Gokudera growled. "That's it and I'm not changing my mind. You've been going non-stop when you should be resting."

"Alright," Tsuna mumbled, feeling strangely like he'd just been played the fool. "If that's what you want, I'll stay in bed on Sunday like an invalid." Gokudera grin widely from having won and continued to gently tend to Tsuna's chest with Riley's help. Meanwhile, Tsuna closed his eye and tried not to think too deeply about what a whole day in bed would be like.


	94. Chapter 94 Day of Rest

Author's notes: I apologize for taking so long on the upload this time around. I know most of you are used to me uploading a lot faster than I did this time, but I had a LOT of trouble deciding on whether to keep in a scene I wrote. I finally decided to cut it after a very long and very hard deliberation. Adios! It won't be missed. (In case you're wondering, I was out of Miracle Whip. And if you don't get that reference, don't ask.)

In other news:  
Big THANK YOU! to Lizeth for the wonderful Fanarts on Deviantart! --does another happy dance--  
Big THANK YOU! to Gintan for the wonderful Fanart on Deviantart! --does another happy dance--

Seriously, between the two of you, I had to stop for a little bit and call a friend because I was close to tears. I thought I had been touched before from all the reviews that everyone has given me. Having someone be inspired by my writing was unexpected and a completely new experience for me, though. I was squealing for joy on the first one. I was amazed by the second. I'm close to crying on the third.

I have never been so moved in my life, so thank you!

* * *

Tsuna grinned widely despite his situation. The snow on the Mountain had been everything he could have wished for. Hotaru had enjoyed his first experience with snow to a huge degree. The Vongola vs. Cavallone snowball fight had been insanely crazy. This year, Dino had won due to a incident involving a tree, snow, and Ryohei deciding to see how much he could knock off with one hit. Tsuna had tried not to laugh too much when he had to be pulled out of the middle of the crowd of instant-snowmen that had resulted. 

The next morning, Tsuna had found himself stuck in bed. Literally. To make him keep his promise to Gokudera, Reborn had attached a sensor to his ankle while he slept. One foot outside of his bed would trigger loud alarms throughout the house. When he'd gotten up before realizing it, it had caused the whole house to come running. His face had ended up looking like he'd eaten Hotaru's first attempt at bento again. After that, Tsuna had to call for permission from Gokudera or Reborn every single time he wanted to go to the bathroom!

But that wasn't what made him grin so widely. Haru had decided to make use of his forced rest to bring in the wedding planner. At first, Gokudera had grumbled about it, but he'd finally allowed it since it wasn't technically work. For the next three hours, Tsuna had listened to Haru and the wedding planner talk and discuss like he wasn't even there. Not that he minded!

"I know you want a traditional Japanese wedding up at the shrine, Haru," Tsuna mumbled when Ms. Oregano, the woman his father had sent,finally asked what kind of wedding they wanted. "But I always imagined getting married in a church."

"Haru knows and Haru doesn't mind," Haru agreed readily, making Tsuna look up in surprise. "That's why Haru brought Tsu-kun the models! It's not just my happy day! It's Tsu-kun's, too!"

"Haru..." Tsuna mumbled with a warm smile, touched by her thoughtfulness.

"I'll start looking for ones that would be suitable," Oregano offered. "For now, have you decided what your colors are going to be?"

"Orange and white!" Hotaru squealed, jumping onto the bed and into Tsuna's lap. "Papa's is orange and Mommy's is white!"

"We're not talking about those colors," Tsuna laughed, tickling his son until he fell over giggling.

"Let's do orange and white, Tsu-kun!" Haru exclaimed, making him pause. "Everyone always picks colors like blue and red. Haru wants an exciting color!"

"Alright," he agreed with another smile and a laugh. Oregano marked the choices down on her notepad.

"Any thoughts on where you might want the reception?"

"Club 27 is probably the only place big enough," Tsuna mumbled. "Either there or the backyard here."

"Big enough?" Haru repeated. "How many people are we inviting?"

"Hmm," Tsuna said in thought. "There's your family, everyone here in the estate, the Vongola from Italy that can make it, our friends from school here in Japan, our friends from school in Italy, all the Allied Bosses and their escorts, the kids from Hayakeshi House, everyone from Pink's, everyone from Club 27, the Ninth will probably want me to invite a few of our legitimate contacts, plus there's--"

"We're inviting all of them?!" Haru gasped, her eyes becoming unfocused at the thought of all those people. "Will they all fit in Namimori?!"

"Will they all fit in a church?!" Oregano added.

"Good point," Tsuna mumbled with a small blush. "But I can't cut anyone out. They're all important people to me."

"It's either cut the guest list down or you'll have to settle for something other than a church," Oregano replied with a small grimace.

"How about we get married on the beach, Tsu-kun?" Haru suggested when he became crestfallen over the realization. "We can set up chairs and a walkway just like it was a church!"

"Papa can marry Mommy under the pretty sky!" Hotaru added, clapping in happiness over the idea. "Then Hotaru can ask Chirp Chirp's friends to come!"

"Alright," Tsuna agreed with a small smile for their enthusiasm. "I can't say no when you two team up on me."

"I'll see what I can't set up," Oregano offered. "About the reception, though. Do you two want a formal dinner or just have catering tables set up?"

"Catering," Tsuna replied with a small shudder over the thought of trying to find somewhere big enough to formally dine everyone.

"Haru wants a big cake!" She squealed. "And a chocolate fountain!" Oregano looked at Tsuna with a raised eyebrow, but he just shrugged in agreement.

"Whatever she wants," he replied.

"Alright," Oregano mumbled. "This is almost enough for me to get started. I just need to know who you plan on having for your wedding party."

"Eh?" Tsuna mumbled.

"The Bridesmaids, Bridegrooms, the Best Man and Maid of Honor, Flower Girls--"

"One at a time!" Tsuna gasped at the list.

"We'll start with the Best Man," Oregano prompted.

"Gokudera," Tsuna replied in relief.

"Any bridegrooms other than him?"

"Yamamoto, Ryohei, and I'll see if Mukuro and Hibari want to take part," he answered.

"Okay," Oregano replied, writing the names down. "Maid of Honor?"

"Kyoko," Haru answered with a wide smile. Tsuna used every ounce of willpower not to react to her choice.

"Bridesmaids?"

"Hana, Sangia, Bianchi, Cheri and Chrome," Haru replied.

"Wait," Tsuna interjected, seeing a major problem. "If Chrome is there, then Mukuro can't be."

"They never do seem to be in the same room together," Haru mused. Tsuna flushed at the words, but decided it was simpler not to explain. "You go ahead and ask Mukuro, Tsu-kun. Then we'll each have four!"

"Alright," Tsuna agreed in relief.

"Flower girls," Oregano prompted.

"I-Pin," Haru answered.

"Hotaru wants to help with flowers!" Hotaru squealed. "Sakura-sensei taught Hotaru all about flowers!"

"That's fine," Oregano replied when Tsuna looked at her in askance. "Flower boys aren't that strange in today's world."

"In that case," Tsuna mumbled. "Let's let I-Pin take the lead with Hotaru and Lambo behind her and then we'll let all the kids from Hayakeshi House help, too. They'll probably get a kick out of being able to take part."

"Okay," Oregano agreed with a small chuckle over Haru's and Hotaru's combined squeals of excitement for the suggestion.

"All that leaves is the Ring Bearer," Oregano prompted.

"The only one left is Fuuta," Tsuna replied. "He's old enough to be trusted with them."

"Alright, then," she said with a smile, closing her notebook. "I'll get to organizing and I'll start bringing you choices by the end of the week."

"Just take them to Haru," Tsuna ordered with a small sigh. "I'll let her pick out everything unless she has trouble deciding."

"That was the plan," Oregano agreed with a wide smile. She said her farewells and left the room, leaving Tsuna alone with Haru and Hotaru.

"Are you getting hungry?" Haru asked, noticing that it was almost dinner-time.

"A little bit," he admitted, leaning back against his headboard. Hotaru snuggled up with him, careful not to touch where he'd been hurt on his chest.

"Do you want to come help, Hotaru?" Haru asked the little boy.

"Hotaru wants to stay with Papa," he replied with a large smile. Touched by his open caring, Tsuna ruffled his hair and hugged him against his stomach while Haru went to go find something for them to eat.

"Did you have fun yesterday in the snow?"

"Hotaru loves snow! It's like ice cream made with Mommy's color!"

"What did you think about our flying?" Tsuna asked, happy to simply be able to talk to his son for once.

"Papa flies different than Hotaru," Hotaru replied with a small crinkle of his nose. "Papa doesn't make himself light."

"Nope," Tsuna agreed. "But I'm still not that bad, am I?"

"Papa flies like a bumblebee," Hotaru giggled, waving his hand around in effort to explain how a bumblebee flies.

"If I'm a bumblebee then you must be a little firefly,"Tsuna repliedwith a small laugh.

"Hotaru is Papa's firefly," he objected. "Hotaru flies like the Firebirds, though."

"Fire...Birds...?" Tsuna repeated.

"Grandpa Fire showed Papa the Firebirds when he came to visit again," Hotaru said with a wide smile, snuggling deeper against Tsuna's stomach. "Firebirds make pretty fireworks when they fly, but their fireworks don't burn Hotaru."

"You know about my dream, Hotaru?" Tsuna asked softly, remembering the birds flying around in it.

"Grandpa Fire took Papa to the other place," Hotaru said with a wide smile.

"Who's Grandpa Fire, Hotaru?"

"Grandpa Fire is Grandpa Fire," Hotaru replied. Hotaru sat up in Tsuna's lap, sensing his quiet unease. "Grandpa Fire visits Papa when Papa's Fire is crying. He talks to Papa and helps him understand why his Fire cries so that Papa can make it happy again."

"You know about the voice I've been hearing?" Tsuna inquired in shock.

"Hotaru always knows," the little boy replied. "Hotaru can see Papa's Fire and Hotaru can see Grandpa Fire's Fire."

"Where are the Firebirds, Hotaru?" Tsuna asked quietly. "I want to see the place with the Firebirds again."

"Papa can't go there," Hotaru mumbled unhappily. "Grandpa Fire said Papa isn't ready to go there yet. Papa still can't hear his Fire sometimes. Papa would get ouchies if Papa went there by himself."

"Do you go there, Hotaru?"

"Hotaru goes there all the time, Papa!" He exclaimed. "Hotaru can't wait until Papa can go with him!"

"How do you go there?"

"Hotaru goes through his room," he said with a smile.

"You mean your ring?!" Tsuna yelled, feeling like he'd just been pinched. He reached out and grabbed his son, finally understanding. "You get to that place with the Demitirus Ring?!"

"Yes, Papa," Hotaru answered softly, slightly scared with the force that Tsuna had asked his question. Tsuna eased up on him and pulled him into a hug to soothe him.

"Sorry, Hotaru," he mumbled. "I didn't mean to yell. I'm just trying to understand. The voice doesn't tell me anything about itself."

"Grandpa Fire loves Papa like Hotaru does," he mumbled from Tsuna's chest. "Grandpa Fire gave Papa his favorite Fire."

"I don't understand, Hotaru," Tsuna replied. The boy froze in his arms, though, and didn't answer. "Hotaru?"

"Grandpa Fire says Hotaru can't talk to Papa about the other place anymore," he said unhappily. "Grandpa Fire says it's not time yet."

"When will it be time, Hotaru?" Tsuna asked softly.

"Grandpa Fire says the Day of Reckoning will be time, Papa," Hotaru answered innocently. Tsuna froze at the words and tried not to let Hotaru see how the words affected him.

"When is that?"

"I don't know, Papa," Hotaru answered softly. "Grandpa Fire says it's a secret."

"I see," Tsuna mumbled to himself. "Could you go tell Haru that I'm not hungry anymore? I think I want to sleep some, so you go ahead and go play."

"Alright, Papa," Hotaru replied, slipping off the bed at Tsuna's urging. Tsuna tried not to let the little boy see how confused and unsettled his emotions were. The moment he was gone, though, Tsuna didn't bother to suppress the urge to hide under his covers and shiver.

"Who are you?" Tsuna whispered in hopes that the voice was listening. "You don't just talk to me, you've been talking to Hotaru, too! How are you talking to us?! Who are you?! _What _are you?! What was that place that you showed me?! Is it a world inside the Demitirus Rings that no one knows about?! And what the hell is the Day of Reckoning?!"

Only silence answered.

"Answer me!" Tsuna yelled into the room, ripping his covers off of his head in irritation. "Why won't you answer me?!"

"T-Tsuna...?" Tsuna's eyes widened and he paled at the sight of Yamamoto holding a tray of sushi at his door. "Who are you talking to, Tsuna?"

"No one," Tsuna mumbled, looking down so that he didn't have to meet the swordsman's eyes.

"Who were you talking to?" Yamamoto repeated, not believing his lie.

"No one," he said again. "Just drop it, Yamamoto, please."

"No, Tsuna," Yamamoto replied firmly before shutting the door and walking over next to him. He sat the sushi tray down on the side table and forced Tsuna to look him in the eyes. "You've been strange lately, Tsuna. Not just the sudden desire to enjoy yourself like old times. You're acting like the Vendiche never laid a finger on you and you forgave Takahashi. Two months ago, you wouldn't have done either of those things. Then there's the dream we couldn't wake you from and the fact that you've smiled more in the past few days than you have in the past year. Genuine smiles, too, and not the fake ones you like to use to try to make us feel better."

"Is that a bad thing?" Tsuna asked in hopes to distract him.

"Normally, no," Yamamoto admitted. "But a lot of us are worried that you've got lingering affects from the Nano-Electros, Tsuna. You can't blame us when you're in here talking to yourself."

"I'm not talking to myself," Tsuna mumbled.

"Then who are you talking to?"

"The voice in my head," Tsuna admitted quietly, seeing how Yamamoto wasn't going to let it go.

"I'm going to go call Pink and see if she can loan us White," Yamamoto said, jumping to his feet.

"If it makes you feel better," Tsuna replied in resignation. "But I'm not crazy or broken, Yamamoto. Even if you call White here, she's not going to find anything that needs to be fixed."

"I'm still calling her," Yamamoto growled.

"Fine," Tsuna snapped. "Call her here and then maybe you guys will stop worrying about me and actually listen to what I'm trying to tell you. Just don't let anyone else know. I don't want to have to go through another damn dinner party if word gets out that my Family thinks I'm crazy."

Tsuna gaped when Yamamoto left the room without agreeing. He'd expected some kind of response, but the swordsman had completely ignored him! His friend actually thought he was nuts!

"Yamamoto!" Tsuna yelled after him in panic while the door slowly swung shut. "I'm not crazy! Don't actually call her--!" He barely stopped himself from putting a foot off the bed and therefore stopped himself from bringing the whole house running from the alarms. Yamamoto was already gone and Tsuna looked at the closed door of his room in a mixture of shock and resignation.

"This is all your fault," Tsuna grumbled at the silent voice.

Once again, silence was his only reply.

* * *

"I need to talk to you," Yamamoto said with a sigh. 

"Is it something that needs to be talked about in private?" Gokudera asked, looking up from where he'd been teaching Hotaru some more piano on a child-sized keyboard.

"Probably," Yamamoto replied with a grimace. With a toss of his head, he lead the way to Gokudera's room and found the switch to turn off surveillance. After it was off, Yamamoto leaned against a table, trying to decide how to ask. "I need to know how to contact White," Yamamoto said softly, making Gokudera freeze. "With Mafia Row gone," he continued, "I have no way to contact her. I don't know her real name or her Family name, so I need your help."

"Wait," Gokudera gasped. "Why do you need to contact White? Are you having that big of an issue that I'm interested in Sangia? If so, we can talk that out between--"

"No!" Yamamoto blurted with a large blush. "It's not for me, you numb-skull! It's for Tsuna."

"Why would Boss need White?" He replied, completely uncaring of how flustered he'd made his friend.

"I caught him talking to himself," Yamamoto said.

"You, too?" Gokudera asked, sinking down on the bedside.

"So you already knew and you didn't say anything?!"

"Ah," Gokudera confirmed. "Ryohei mentioned something about him stopping the bus and talking to himself during the prison break. Right afterward, he said he watched Boss closely and that he'd kept mumbling to himself. He had one of his visions right after and that's when heknew how toturn Ichi. Since it ended up okay, I told Ryohei to keep his mouth shut about it."

"Were there any other times that I need to know about?" Yamamoto asked, crossing his arms.

"Ryohei said he agreed with himself after he killed Hiko, too," he replied with a grimace. "And I personally saw him talk to himself for a little bit after Takahashi left. It was like he was asking questions randomly to test to see if anything was going to answer. I know they weren't meant for me because I couldn't hear more than one word out of five."

"So it's only when he's doing stuff Mafia-related," Yamamoto commented, seeing a pattern. "We need to get White here to check him over. Do you--"

"No," Gokudera interrupted softly. "The worst thing we could do right now is call White. Boss needs peace and quiet to get his balance back. Once he has that, the voices in his head will go away."

"You don't know that," Yamamoto objected. "He could get worse. He's already accepted that he's talking to a voice in his head. Peace and quiet isn't going to help him overcome that!"

"Fine," Gokudera grumbled in dissatisfaction. "I'll help you get contact with Ana and Eve tomorrow. They're vacationing here while Pink went to oversee the building of her new bar. They should be able to contact White since you're so dead-set on calling her."

"Ana? Eve?" Yamamoto repeated, making Gokudera blush for some reason.

"They go by Red and Blue down at the Club," he replied.

"How do you know their names?" Yamamoto asked in confusion, knowing that everyone had went by code names.

"Well, that is..." Gokudera gave a sheepish smile and for some reason, couldn't meet the swordsman's eyes. Realization of why left Yamamoto goggling for a few long moments.

"Gokudera!" Yamamoto gaped.

"What?!" He exclaimed with a shrug. "It was a long time ago while we were still working up in Italy. Me and Ryohei went out for drinks after a job and one thing led to another and well, you know where that kind of thing goes."

"And that's how you got their names?!"

"Well," he mumbled sheepishly with a scarlet blush. "Not the first time, no."

"Gokudera!"

"Gokudera! Gokudera!" He mocked. "Che, you sound like a jilted lover."

"Don't even try that," Yamamoto growled. "I just can't believe you actually slept with someone you were working with!"

"Why not?" Gokudera asked with a sigh. "It's not like we got into a relationship or anything. It--"

"Say it," Yamamoto ordered, knowing exactly what his friend had been about to admit.

"It was a lot like what I had with you," he finished with a bowed head. "What happened in the room, stayed in the room."

"You make it sound like I was a repeating one-night stand," Yamamoto chuckled.

"One I could still look at the next day," Gokudera agreed with a fumbling smile.

"Just to make it clear," Yamamoto said with a sigh. He sat down next to Gokudera and wrapped an arm around his back in effort to get the two of them to connect like they always had. "I'm happy for you," he continued. "It might mean I have to find myself someone new to scratch that particular itch, but I think you and Sangia go well together."

"I think so, too," he admitted with a small smile. "It's a little strange because I've never tried an actual relationship before, but I want something more with her than just a bed-mate."

"Heh," Yamamoto grinned. "I've been thinking that I want the same thing. After watching Tsuna and Haru together, it's been getting harder and harder to settle for less."

"Well," Gokudera said with a mischievous smile. "After you get in touch with White through Ana and Eve tomorrow, you could always take them out for drinks. I could send word for Manager Uhura to set aside the Baseball Party Room for you and then--"

"I think I can manage on my own," he laughed.

"Damn," Gokudera smiled. "I was hoping I could make you owe me one."

"What for?" Yamamoto asked, sobering up from his laughter.

"I have no clue how to break the ice with Sangia," he admitted. "I've never dealt with a girl that wasn't for hire. At least, not dealt with one that I actually liked. There was a moment at Mafia-Land, but she's been a little more distant now that she's living with us. I'm not sure what to do."

"I'll help," Yamamoto offered quietly. "All you ever had to do was ask."

"Me?" Gokudera scoffed. "Ask for help? Who are you kidding?"

"Apparently myself," he laughed. "But who was it that always came crying to me in the middle of the night because he ran out of rash ointment?"

"I have no clue who you're talking about," Gokudera replied with a crooked grin.

"Of course not," he mumbled with a patronizing nod.

"Well, I need to get back to teaching Hotaru," the silver-haired man said while he stood. Yamamoto stood with him, but paused with a strange expression on his face. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Yamamoto laughed. "It's just that I came in here for Tsuna and the conversation somehow got turned into a heart-to-heart about us."

"Well, I'm glad," Gokudera sighed with a sad smile. "I was actually kind of worried how you were going to react if I started going after Sangia more aggressively."

"Do I seem that much like a jilted lover type?"

"No," Gokudera replied with a wide grin. "But your head isn't full of only baseball anymore."

"I have you to thank for a lot of that," Yamamoto admitted sadly. "More than just scratching that itch, I think I'm going to miss our talks."

"You know," the dynamite-specialist replied softly, not meeting Yamamoto's eyes. "Even if I get into a relationship with someone and we stop fooling around, we can still meet up and talk. Instead of friends with the same goals and the same pain, we can be brothers in the same Family."

"Brothers," Yamamoto repeated, testing the word out on his tongue.

"I can still be there for you as a brother, can't I?" Gokudera asked quietly.

"If you let me return the favor," Yamamoto agreed with a soft smile. Gokudera sighed in relief, making Yamamoto's eyebrows fly up in surprise before looking at Gokudera in a new light. "Being a Right Hand is harder than you thought it'd be, isn't it?"

"Yes and no," he admitted. "Some things are easier because I don't feel like I'm fighting an invisible _something _anymore, but other things are harder because I don't want to fail the Boss even more. Every time he gets hurt is when I'm not beside him. I've only kept that from happening once, but it almost put me out of commission all together. I'm always scared that I'm going to wake up one day and say 'I should have done more', but it will be too late."

"You're not alone," Yamamoto soothed like he always did. "Tsuna's protection is a burden we all bear because we choose to. Do everything you can to keep him from getting hurt, but don't take the blame alone for when he does. You're only one man, Gokudera. Remember that."

"Alright," Gokudera said with a relieved smile.

"By the way," Yamamoto asked with a crooked grin. "Am I the little bro or the big bro?" Taking that as his cue to leave, Gokudera opened the door and walked out into the hall in a rush.

"That's the last time I ever say something like that to you," he yelled darkly over his shoulder while hiding a small, secretive smile. Behind him, he heard Yamamoto openly laughing at his words.


	95. Chapter 95 Heart to heart

It was quiet. Almost too quiet. While Tsuna had been forced to stay in bed all day, someone had finally managed to get the media to stop staking out the estate. Even better, no one else had been vandalized over the weekend. School the next morning had been calm, too. It was enough to make him think that he was back to being a normal person.

"Okay," Sakura prompted. "Go ahead and open your eye."

"I'm kind of scared to," Tsuna admitted.

"We won't know if you got your sight back or not unless you open it."

"What if I didn't get it back?"

"Don't worry about that yet," Sakura soothed. "Just open it and let me see."

Tsuna took a deep breathe to prepare himself for the worst and slowly began to open his injured eye. He clenched it back shut when light painfully hit it for the first time in several days. Seeing his reaction, Sakura dashed over and darkened the room, making the only lights that of the small strips of emergency lighting around the base of the floor. Tsuna opened his eye again and blinked several times while it watered.

"Can you see?" Sakura prompted while he used a penlight to inspect the eye.

"A little," he mumbled, looking around the gently lit room. "It's blurry though, like my eye isn't focusing."

"It's better than blindness," the doctor replied in relief. "I'm going to give you some eye-drops for it and I want you to come back to let me check on it tomorrow. If it still isn't focusing then, I'll run some tests on it. Your brain might just be having trouble believing it's still in one piece. Don't use it if you read or watch television, but otherwise let it readjust itself to being used."

"Alright," Tsuna agreed with a warm smile.

"Hold out your arms," Sakura ordered before flipping the lights back on. Tsuna's eye watered from the sudden brightness, but managed to keep it open. He held his forearms up since he knew Sakura wanted. For the first time, instead of looking elsewhere, he watched as Sakura pulled the bandages off. Rather than be shocked at what lie underneath, he looked at the brands carefully.

"I see why you thought they were tattoos," Tsuna mumbled, looking at the black marks.

"Ah," Sakura confirmed while he reached for a tube of burn ointment. "The Vendiche must have put something on the tips of whatever they burned you with. Even on the areas that have already healed, the black isn't going away. I was thinking about--"

"Don't worry about it," Tsuna interrupted. "It's probably just something to make sure that I don't get them removed. Just fix them up so the skin is healed and don't worry about the marks."

"Why a dagger and a bullet, though?" Sakura asked while he gently rubbed the creme into Tsuna's branded skin.

"I'm a boss, so I know better," Tsuna explained, inherently understanding the message that the Vendiche had given him. "Bosses don't receive warnings, they give them. The Dagger is a reminder that the Vendiche had rights to take a trophy from me and the Bullet is a reminder that I should be dead. After trying to kill the Ninth, I'm insanely lucky to get off with the punishment I did receive."

"You say that," Sakura grumbled, "But at first it was hard to tell the brand on your chest from the bruises."

"The bruises and the brand will heal," Tsuna soothed. "I'm just happy that I can't feel them."

"Speaking of which," Sakura said while he motioned for Tsuna to pull his shirt off. Tsuna did and the doctor helped strip the bandages from his chest while he continued. "I made you some new cigarettes like you asked, but are you sure you wanted me to increase the potency again?"

"Ah," Tsuna confirmed. "They're good at killing the pain when I need them to and they help me relax. The only problem is that my Flame keeps adjusting to them. It's getting easier and easier to burn the effects away."

"I'm worried that you're becoming addicted to them," he murmured. "You went through a pack in just a few days this time."

"What's a Mafia Boss without a few vices," Tsuna shrugged. "It's not like they're hurting me. I just like how calm they make me."

"Addiction alone can hurt you, Tsuna," Sakura replied worriedly as he gestured for Tsuna to lie flat to be tended. Tsuna obeyed the silent command after a quick glance down at his bare chest. At first he'd been confused when he heard that he'd been branded with an X. Then his father had mentioned that only three other bosses had chosen to take the punishment for their Families. All three of them ended up with the Roman numeral for their generation branded into their bodies. It was a reminder of the years worth of secrecy that they were supposed to protect. Tsuna had an X to represent ten generations of the Vongola Family that had been betrayed.

"That wasn't how I expected to get my first tattoo," Tsuna said with a quirky smile. "But I guess it could be worse."

"Are you even listening to me, Tsuna?" Sakura asked in exasperation. Tsuna blushed and realized the doctor had been talking while Tsuna had been thinking.

"Addiction is bad. Right?" He replied, sheepishly.

"Exactly," Sakura reaffirmed. "If you keep having me make your cigarette more potent and keep using them as much as you have, you're going to end up with a problem."

"Like what?"

"Like when you start asking for the pure stuff," Sakura growled. "Tsuna, maybe you don't realize this, but the stuff I've been letting you have is drugs. It doesn't matter if it isn't legal or illegal! It affects you and therefore it is an honest to goodness drug!"

"But it's one you gave me," Tsuna replied nonchalantly with a small smile. He put his hands behind his head and relaxed while Sakura continued tending to his chest. "It's not going to eat my liver or my lungs or harm my body like something else might have. I don't smoke enough at one time to have to worry about overdosing or becoming loony from the effects. It's just like aspirin for normal people with the added bonus of helping me relax. Aspirin is a drug, too, isn't it?"

"You're all done," Sakura said, wiping the excess ointment from his hands. He gestured to tell Tsuna that he could get up. "You can keep the bandages off now. Thanks to the cream I've been putting on it, the skin has healed enough that it shouldn't break open anymore. Just try not to do anything to irritate it." Sakura sighed and sat down while Tsuna redressed with a smile.

"What I'm giving you isn't aspirin," Sakura said, turning back to their previous discussion. "But I see that you're not going to take my warning seriously. Just don't come crying to me when I decide you should be cut off." Tsuna froze at the warning, but continued buttoning his shirt in silence after a moment. When he was done, he looked up at Sakura with dangerously cold eyes.

"Alright," Tsuna agreed with a fake smile. "Just don't come crying to me when your neck gets broken for trying to do something like that." Sakura froze and his jaw dropped in shock. Tsuna walked over to him and gently placed a hand on the base of his neck, pulling him closer. "Sakura," Tsuna whispered down to him. "I don't think you realize how nice it is not to hurt or worry or feel pain sometimes. If you even think about taking that away from me, I won't be held accountable."

"T-Tsu-na...?"

"Maybe you're right," Tsuna mumbled. "I am addicted to what you've given me, but it's an addiction I want to have. I like not having nightmares because I can calm my mind before I go to sleep. I like not panicking over things outside of my control. I like being able to give orders and do what I have to without feeling like my heart is getting ripped out. You gave that to me, Sakura. Don't think about taking that away. Don't _ever _think about taking that away. Understood?"

"Y-Yes," Sakura trembled and agreed when Tsuna tightened his grip in warning.

"Good," Tsuna replied with a wide smile. He let go of Sakura and went back to buttoning his sleeves. "I'm glad we had this little talk. If you hadn't warned me, who knows what could have happened in the future. I might have even done something I would regret. But now that that's out of the way, I think I'm going to go see if Yamamoto is back from his errand." With a small wave of farewell, he left the room and headed for the elevator like nothing had happened. Behind him, Sakura sat in his chair and tried to come to terms with the fact that Tsuna wouldn't be denied for once.

* * *

"Did we ever find out who broke into your father's shop?" Tsuna asked on the way to school. Nearly two weeks had passed since Yamamoto had walked in on him talking to himself and White had yet to show up. Not that Tsuna minded. The voice hadn't spoken to him but a few times in the interlude, each time only making a single comment before disappearing again. Neither the voice or Hotaru answered any of his questions, no matter how many times he asked.

When time passed without Tsuna turning into a psychotic mental patient, they backed off and began acting normally again. Both Yamamoto and Gokudera still occasionally gave him worried looks, but neither acted on their fears. Although Yamamoto refused to call White back and tell her not to come. She'd said she would take a trip to Japan when she could, but had yet to show. Knowing how highly-valued her services were, no one commented on it.

"No," Yamamoto grumbled. "But we've started organizing the neighborhood watch around there. It's likely that the vandals decided to find a new place to make into their playground rather than get caught."

"Well, if you do catch them, let me know," Tsuna said warmly. "I want to talk to them personally, whoever they are. Oh, and Gokudera," Tsuna snapped, turning to his other friend while they walked down the road. "Did you call and tell dad about Parent's Day for me?"

"He agreed to come, Boss," Gokudera replied. "He promised to run interference with your mother, too."

"Thank goodness," Tsuna mumbled. "We had Boss' Day in Italy, which weren't that bad, but I still remember how mom always used to embarrassed me. What about that French negotiator that showed up in town?"

"I told him to wait until this weekend to have the talks, Boss," Gokudera replied. "He was a bit fussy because you didn't immediately reply to his request, but I think I put him in his place."

"Thanks, Gokudera," Tsuna sighed. "I knew that it wouldn't take long for people to find out about my transfer, but I didn't expect them to start showing up so soon. They assume that they can get me to agree to their contracts since I'm not under the Ninth's thumb right now. It's going to be a while before they all realize that I'm not just some brainless high-school kid that they can sweet talk." Tsuna paused at the school gates long enough to wave to his escort before turning to cross the courtyard with Haru on his arm.

Like he had for the past two weeks, Tsuna tried not to blush at all the girls watching them like they were a parade. They were bunched up in several small groups with very visible signals for who they'd chosen as their object of affection. He had to force himself not to go chasing after the Haru fan club, though. Her popularity had skyrocketed compared to when she had been going to school alone. The sight of guys holding up 'I love Haru' banners and flags naturally made Tsuna incredibly jealous. Only the fact that Haru clutched his arm possessively kept him from chasing every single one of them down.

Ryohei's fan club all wore bandannas much like the one he wore when he was boxing. Tsuna faintly remembered that he'd received it from Colonello during their first serious training session. Yamamoto's group of fans all wore baseball hats and carried around kendo sticks, which they waved around in effort to get his attention. Gokudera's fans had decided to prove their love for him in the most daring way, however. Every single one of them had bleached their hair silver and pulled them back into matching pony-tails, making Gokudera want to spit every time he looked at them. This, of course, only made the girls like him more for some strange reason.

Then there was the joint club for both Toshi and Tsuna. It was easily three times the size of the other groups. Like always, Tsuna pushed Toshi in their direction to head them off before they got over their hesitation. The other groups took that as the cue and started to dart forward with bento boxes for the objects of their affection. With what had somehow become normal routine, Yamamoto sheepishly paused to accept his, Ryohei practiced his footwork while he dashed around to accept his, and Gokudera just kept walking with Tsuna and Haru beside him. One guy actually dared to come forward in hopes that he could talk to Haru, but decided to quickly scuttle away at the glare that Tsuna gave him.

"Tsuna," Toshi called while girls began tossing boxes into his arms. "What do you want me to do with yours?"

"Give them back or eat them," Tsuna called over his shoulder while he tried to cross the courtyard despite the crowd. "Hotaru made hamburgers." Tsuna tried not to groan at the adoring and irritating sighs he received for his statement. By now, there wasn't a single one of his classmates that hadn't met the little boy at least once and all of them adored him. That part Tsuna didn't mind. It was that regardless of how much he told them no, they still thought they could bribe him with a bento to make them, instead of Haru, into Hotaru's mother. He tried not to let it disgust him too much. As if Tsuna was going to replace the person he loved because of a lunch.

He sighed in relief when the appearance of Hibari sent people running. Without having to raise a hand more than he wanted to, Hibari had been given the title of Disciplinary Head and had taken control of the school's Committees. He'd even managed to get Kusakabe as his second again. All without saying a word to Tsuna about it.

"You're looking well, Sawada," Hibari murmured in pleasure.

"I'm getting there," Tsuna agreed. "A few more weeks at this rate and I'll have regained enough weight for some serious training again."

"I'll be waiting," Hibari promised.

"Oi! Wait a second," Tsuna called when Hibari turned to leave. "I wanted to ask you something."

"What is that?" He replied with a raised eyebrow and a finger twitching for his sheathed tonfas.

"Well, actually," Tsuna mumbled sheepishly. "I was wanting to know if you might be interested in being one of the groomsmen for my wedding."

"I don't find your joke amusing, Sawada," Hibari said with a dead-pan expression.

"I'm not joking!" He blurted. "From what the planner mentioned, the groomsmen are the ushers and are in charge of keeping order with all the guests. But aside from that, you are my Cloud Guardian, aren't you?"

"I claim no such thing, Sawada," Hibari snapped despite the small ring on his finger.

"Even so," Tsuna replied with a hurt expression. "I really want you to be part of my wedding." Hibari looked at him for a long moment like he suddenly didn't understand the nature of the beast before him. Tsuna merely looked at him with pleading eyes, hoping in the corner of his mind that Hibari didn't decide to draw his weapons.

"Very well," Hibari said, turning away. He paused and called back over his shoulder, "_If_ I don't bite you to death before then. I haven't forgotten what I was promised, Sawada."

"I know," Tsuna confirmed softly. "I will defeat you when that time comes, Hibari, and then our transaction will be complete. Even though I might have to hurt you, you won't actually die, though. You will still be able to take part in my wedding."

"With such sentiment," Hibari spat, "You show your weakness, Sawada. Don't think you can win without--"

"I know," he interjected. "When the time comes, I will hold nothing back. I'll be going for the kill, but I'm trusting in your ability to survive."

"You underestimate me, Sawada," Hibari growled. "You should be thinking about your own ability to survive instead of mine."

"We'll see," Tsuna replied unhappily. The sound of the chimes signaling that he was late rang and Tsuna looked around to see that the courtyard had been cleared. Haru yelped at the sound and went running inside, leaving Tsuna, Gokudera, and Hibari as the only people left outside. Hibari walked away without another word and Tsuna hurriedly raced inside with Gokudera beside him.

Fortunately, the teacher had yet to appear, so Tsuna sat down in his seat in relief over not having been caught being late. Tsuna pulled out his Russian and English texts like normal and started reading through them despite the teacher's absence. It took him a few tries to ignored the admiring stares he was getting, but he managed.

"Sensei!" Someone exclaimed, breaking Tsuna out of his focus.

"Sawada," the teacher snapped. "Will you please tell your visitor that he can't just barge into school when class is in session? He refuses to leave!" Tsuna looked up to see his teacher trying to bar the way of someone that Tsuna didn't recognize.

"My visitor?" Tsuna repeated in confusion. "I don't know him."

"Monsieur Vongola!" The man called, forcefully pushing Tereshi-sensei out of his way. He dashed forward before anyone could stop him and knelt down next to where Tsuna was sitting. Tsuna clenched his teeth and seethed in understanding when the man repeatedly began kissing his ring.

"I thought you were told that I wouldn't see you until this weekend," Tsuna growled to the French negotiator.

"Forgive me, Monsieur Vongola," the man begged. "My rudeness and haste is most unseemly, but my master requires me to have his answer today."

"Tell him the answer is no," Tsuna said firmly, yanking his hand away from the man.

"But Monsieur Vongola--!" The man objected. "Ze Minister will no be pleased with me. I beg you, please at least look--"

"No," Tsuna snapped. "If the Minister wants me to look at his contracts, then tell him to be patient. If he wants an answer today, he'll have to--"

"Sawada," Tereshi-sensei interjected.

"I'm sorry," Tsuna said with a blush, finally standing up. "It seems I do know him after all. I apologize for his rudeness and he'll leave now." Tsuna looked down at the man still kneeling down next to his desk with all the force of a silent command. The man wasn't one to give up so easily, though.

"Forgive me, Monsieur Vongola's teacher," he said quickly, turning to Tereshi-sensei. "I am Monsieur Teirre of ze French Ministry sent here on behalf--"

"Enough," Tsuna snapped, finally having reached the end of his patience. He switched to French in effort to keep anyone from understanding his words. "How dare you be so insolent. It doesn't matter who you are or why you were sent. You barged in here and have rudely interrupted my class--"

"Forgive me, Monsieur Vongola," the man pleaded, also switching to French. He held out a thick packet of papers, obviously the contract that he'd been sent to get Tsuna's agreement over. Tsuna turned red in anger at the sight and clenched his teeth shut in effort to control himself. "Please, Monsieur Vongola," he begged. "Just look at these and I will leave post haste."

"Gokudera," Tsuna said softly while he restrained himself from punching the man. Gokudera reached over at the signal and took the contracts from the Teirre's hands. Curious, he looked over them for a moment before ripping the whole stack in half, making the negotiator gasp.

"He's a fucking idiot, Boss," Gokudera said in French while he continued to tear the contract into small pieces. "Although I see the reason he thought to come here to get you to look over these. If you'd seen them with no one else around, you'd probably have killed him."

"Why?" Tsuna asked curiously.

"They want Gola Mosca, Boss," Gokudera replied softly, tossing the papers into the negotiator's face and gaping mouth.

"Get out," Tsuna ordered in French while he began shaking with rage. He looked at the man while he tried to keep himself from doing something he'd regret in front of his classmates. "Get out right now," Tsuna repeated softly when the man froze. "You have until I get out of school to get out of Japan. So help me, if you're still here when I leave this building, your master is going to have to find a new representative."

"I'd start running before he changes his mind," Gokudera warned when the man tried to object. "Even the stupid know not to ask him for Gola Mosca. The last person that tried ended up in the hospital for four months. You've got your answer and you still have your life. Leave unless you want to loose both." The man stood with wide eyes at the sound of Tsuna clenching his gloved fists.

"Stop," Tsuna ordered softly when he began to back out the door. His eyes filled with hope for a moment before Tsuna completely dashed them away. "Use the window. Scum like you doesn't deserve to use the door." The man trembled but did like he was told. He used the window instead of the door.

Tsuna commended him for only looking down at the two-story drop for a single instant before attempting to jump down. Then Tsuna tried not to be too satisfied by the sound of a crunchy landing followed by the sound of the negotiator grunting in pain. Tereshi-sensei went over to look out the window in shock, as did nearly all of Tsuna's classmates.

"Hey, I think he broke his leg," someone exclaimed.

"Why did he jump out the window?" A different person asked. "Is that a French thing?"

"Sensei," Tsuna asked softly over their curious whispers to each other, finally switching back to Japanese. "May I go to the restroom?"

"Go ahead, Sawada," the teacher called absently, still curiously and worriedly watching their guest limp across the courtyard. With a nod to Gokudera, Tsuna walked down the hall and shoved the door open to the restroom. The moment he was inside, he began reaching for his pack of cigarettes in effort to calm himself. Shaking so badly from rage, however, he dropped them.

"Damnit!" Tsuna yelled, punching the nearest thing he could in effort to let out some of the anger he was holding in. A stall door went flying off it's hinges from the blow and landed loudly against the wall with a hole in its center.

"Calm down, Boss," Gokudera soothed before picking up his cigarettes for him. In response, Tsuna let out a stream of curses spanning six languages and clutched his hair like he wanted to pull it out.

"Why, Gokudera," he asked, still heaving in anger. "Why is it that they always want weapons and selfish favors? It's never a donation to feed the hungry that they want. No, they want a donation to help bribe someone or to pay off gambling debts. It's neverinformation on how to help protect their people that they want!No, they always wantdirton someone they want to blackmail! And it's never devices to protect that they want, it's fucking ways to kill! I can't stand it, Gokudera! Why would anyone want the blueprints to Gola Mosca?!"

"I know, Boss," Gokudera mumbled in sympathy. "Most of them have no clue of Gola Mosca's true potential for destruction."

"But I do, Gokudera," Tsuna cried. "It's not about the weapons that it carries! It's about th...the price that's paid to make them work. All the...corpses..."

"Boss?" He asked worriedly when Tsuna's face turned green and he trailed off. Gokudera's eyes widened in surprise when Tsuna ran into a stall and started throwing up. "What's wrong, Boss?!"

"Oh, God," Tsuna mumbled, clutching his stomach after he finished heaving. He crumpled to the floor and held his head with one hand while he trembled. "It getting harder, Gokudera. Its getting harder to stay dispassionate about it all. I remembered all those bodies from that lab I destroyed and I just can't deal with it."

"Here, Boss," Gokudera replied quietly, handing him back his cigarettes. Tsuna took them gratefully and sighed in relief once Gokudera lit it for him.

"_The price of failure is often paid in the blood of innocents_," the voice in his head commented. "_Their misery and pain should not be ignored for your personal comfort_."

"Go away," Tsuna whispered under his breath. "You don't want to answer my questions and you don't want to tell me what you are, so stop popping into my head and giving me your version of 101 Quotes of Wisdom. Whether I'm ableto ignore it so that I can keep on living normally or not, it's none of your concern!"

"Boss?" Gokudera asked worriedly. "You're talking to yourself again."

"Sorry," Tsuna mumbled irritably. "I don't choose when I go crazy."

"Are you crazy, Boss?" He asked hesitantly.

"No," Tsuna snapped. "But you all think that I am."

"You're hearing voices," he pointed out.

"Not voices," Tsuna corrected. "Just one voice that doesn't seem to want to answer my questions. It's not bad, it's just--" Tsuna paused, seeing the look of worry deepening on Gokudera's face. "Che," he spat. "Nothing I say is going to make you think differently. I'm starting to wish White _would _show up so that you, Yamamoto, and Ryohei will stop looking at me like that."

"You can't blame us, Boss," Gokudera replied. "You went through a lot and this started right after you were unfrozen."

"Actually, when I was still under the ice," Tsuna commented sadly. "It kept me from going insane." Despite himself, Tsuna barked a laugh and took another drag from his cigarette while he leaned his head back against the wall of the restroom stall he was sitting in. "Then again, you guys think it's a sign that I'm insane, so I'm sure that those words are meaningless to you."

"I don't think you're insane, Boss," Gokudera mumbled. "I'm just worried that you're still unbalanced from everything that's happened."

"I'm really okay, though," he replied. "Except for the voice that keeps trying to give me advice, I feel just fine. I'm getting my strength back and I don't even need painkillers for my wounds anymore. With the exception of incidents like what just happened, I'm happy almost every day because I get to spend it with all of you _without _having to do distasteful work. I've already got my balance back and I've already recovered where it matters. I just wish that you guys would see that."

"I'll try to look harder, Boss," Gokudera promised. Tsuna nodded, accepting the only offer he was going to get. He tossed his cigarette into the toilet and flushed it before standing up, once again ready to face others.

* * *

"Tsuna-nii?" Fuuta asked cautiously, peeking his head into Tsuna's office. Tsuna looked up in surprise at the teenager, knowing that the Family knew that he'd set aside Mondays and Fridays to get his work caught up. 

"What is it, Fuuta?"

"I'll come back later," he replied quietly, slowly inching back out the door.

"Wait," Tsuna called worriedly. "It's not like you to be so timid. Come on in and tell me what's wrong."

"Is it really okay, Tsuna-nii?"

"These reports can wait," Tsuna lied. Encouraged, Fuuta finally entered the office and crossed over to Tsuna's desk. Once there, he sat down in one of the chairs around it and became strangely quiet. "What's bothering you?" Tsuna prompted.

"Tsuna-nii has always protected me," he replied softly. "But I..."

"But...?" Tsuna prompted worriedly when he trailed off.

"I want to learn how to use a weapon," Fuuta mumbled.

"Eh?!"

"Mamman said no, but I thought that Tsuna-nii--"

"Why do you want to learn how to use a weapon, Fuuta?" Tsuna asked quietly while he came around the desk and sat on the edge. "Weapons are dangerous and are only meant to hurt people."

"T-There's this bully at school," Fuuta answered. He clenched his hands together in shame and bowed his head. Tsuna waited patiently for him to gain his courage to say more. "He's really scary and he carries around chains in his bag, Tsuna-nii. A week ago, he caught me doing a ranking and got caught in my aura. At first, he just wanted me to do it again and again so that he could fly around, but then he started trying to make me do rankings for him. I told him no, but he keeps catching me and threatening to beat me up, Tsuna-nii. Yesterday he locked me in my locker for two hours and today he kept tripping me when we were running in P.E."

"Have you told your teachers?"

"They scolded him, but he just got more scary and told me that he was going to hurt me if I ever told on him again," Fuuta replied.

"Have you tried just staying with your friends? Bullies like that tend to be scared of groups of people."

"They can't be with me all the time," Fuuta objected with tears in his eyes. "And they're scared of him, Tsuna-nii! He threw Takumi in the trashcan and beat up Souta with his chains!"

"And that's why you want a weapon?" Tsuna asked mournfully. "Because he has one?"

"Yes!" Fuuta cried. "A weapon is the only thing that can stop someone--"

"No," Tsuna interrupted. "I'm not letting you learn how to use a physical weapon, Fuuta."

"Why?!"

"Because you already have a different one," Tsuna answered with a sad smile. "You just need to learn how to use it for your own sake and for your friends instead of just for the Mafia."

"Tsuna-nii...?"

"I'm talking about your rankings, Fuuta," Tsuna said. He knelt down in front of where the young man sat and reached up to wipe away his tears. "You probably don't realize it, but your special abilities are a weapon if that's how you choose to use it. Anything can be a weapon if that's how you choose to use it. Even the chair you're sitting in. The average person doesn't think of their mind as a weapon, but it can be if it's sharpened enough. You need to sharpen yours and learn how to use your rankings for more than just to let mom know what to make for dinner or what the latest stat changes are in the Mafia."

"How can rankings save me from getting hit in the head with spitballs during class?" Fuuta asked unhappily.

"Here, Fuuta," Tsuna replied. He reached back and snatched a blank tablet from his desk. He handed it over to Fuuta while the teenage boy looked at him in confusion. "This is going to be your record book for people that aren't in the Mafia," he explained. "What's the first thing you'd rank if some Mafioso tried to kidnap you?"

"Places to hide...?" Fuuta answered.

"Okay, and what if they caught you? What would you rank then?"

"I usually just run away to one of the other places on the list, Tsuna-nii," Fuuta replied.

"But what if there wasn't any places left to hide?"

"I run home," Fuuta mumbled.

"I see," Tsuna said with a sigh. "Okay, let me try something else. Remember that time that you helped distract those Mafiosos when we first met?"

"Yes."

"What were you thinking then?"

"I was thinking that if I ranked them, maybe Tsuna-nii would rank higher in something. But Tsuna-nii used to always be in last place."

"Arg," Tsuna grumbled with a crooked grin. "This is going nowhere. I'm trying to get you to think about what you need to know in order to fight back, Fuuta."

"Like what weapon they would be weak against?" Fuuta asked hopefully.

"No, like what their number one thing that they're scared of. Or what their number one biggest secret is."

"What good would that do?"

"Fuuta," Tsuna said, looking deeply into the teenage boy's eyes. "Everyone has something they're scared of more than anything else. Everyone fears that the things they hide will be uncovered. If you have those two things, even the scariest bully won't bother you. For example, say that he's scared of hamsters and his biggest and most embarrassing secret is that he still wets his bed," he explained, making Fuuta chuckle. "If you tell him that you're going to put a hamster down his shirt if he bothers you or that you're going to tell everyone that he wets his bed, he'll be too scared to think of hurting you."

"I see!" Fuuta exclaimed. "I just have to rank him and find out the things he doesn't want anyone to know about!"

"Exactly," Tsuna replied in relief. "Information is the biggest weapon there is, but it takes a sharp mind to know when and how to use it. Anyone can learn how to use that kind of weapon and it's one that leaves no traces when it's used. But you have to be careful to use it only when you absolutely need to. Weapons, even one like information, can hurt friends along with enemies. Just sharpen your mind and think long and hard before you do anything with the information you get."

"I will, Tsuna-nii," Fuuta promised. Tsuna smiled at him and led him out of his office. He ran down the hall happily, armed with a plan to deal with his problem. Tsuna shut the door behind him and tried not to weep once he was alone.

"I know you're there," Tsuna said softly into the empty room. "I'm starting to be able to tell when you come and go. You started watching when Fuuta asked for a weapon."

"_Your Flame cried out, child_," the voice in his head said softly in agreement.

"It's not my Flame that's crying," Tsuna replied sadly. "It's my heart. The thought of Fuuta with a gun or a physical weapon... I can't let him go down that road. Ever."

"_He is still an innocent_," the voice agreed.

"I don't want him to ever become anything else. He might be part of the Mafia because of his special talents, but that doesn't mean he has to be corrupted by it."

"_Stained hands does not mean a stained heart, little one_."

"But I don't ever want to see Fuuta's hands or his heart stained!"

"_You can not choose another person's path_," the voice admonished. "_It is for him to decide_."

"Can I do nothing then?" Tsuna asked softly.

"_You have already done what was needed. That child has chosen his path from your words."_

"He did?"

"_Information is indeed a strong weapon, child of Flame_," the voice commented. "_You have armed and prepared him well_."

"Don't say that," Tsuna groaned, leaning against the door for support. "You make it sound like I've given him a gun."

"_A gun is but a weapon, much like the information you showed him how to use_," the voice replied. "_He is armed now, no differently than if you had handed him one that would tear flesh instead of hearts and minds_."

"Did I do the wrong thing?" Tsuna asked worriedly. "Should I have stepped in and scared away the bully for him instead of showing him how?"

"_Do you Regret your choice?" _The voice asked. Tsuna paused at the heavy note he noticed in the question.

"N-No," Tsuna answered hesitantly. "At least I don't think so. Fuuta is a good kid. I feel that he won't use what I taught him in the wrong way."

"_Then all is well_," the voice soothed. "_You are beginning to trust your Flame, child. Heed those feelings so that you may never come to regret your choices. It cries out for you more often than you are willing to listen_."

"Is that what you've been trying to teach me?" Tsuna inquired quietly in effort to grasp some more understanding of the voice's goal. "Is that why you show up when I'm hurting or in need of help? You've been watching to see if I listen to my feelings and you've been speaking up when I don't. Haven't you?"

"_Your Flame cries out to you more often than you are willing to listen_," the voice repeated.

"But how am I supposed to tell those feeling from my own?" Tsuna asked, pleading for answers. "And why are you so intent in making me listen to my Flame? Does it have something to do with that Day of Reckoning that both Hotaru and Mukuro mentioned?! Does it have something to do with that place from my dream?! Can you--" Tsuna snapped his mouth closed at the feeling of sudden silence in his head. True silence instead of merely patient listening that had been there previously. The voice had departed again.

"That's not fair," Tsuna grumbled into the empty room. "You come and go when you please and I can't get you to go away _or _stay put when I want. I wish you'd just do one or the other. You're starting to drive me actually insane!" Tsuna snarled at the following silence and walked to his desk to return to his work. "You've even got me talking to myself!"


	96. Chapter 96 School Visitation

Author's notes: Another long chapter. I wish I could say that the length is the reason I took so long (for me), but the truth is yesterday was pub crawl. Green beer. --grin--

Hope you like!

* * *

"Well, let's go get this day over with," Tsuna sighed as he and his friends walked toward the school gates.

"Come on," Yamamoto laughed. "It's not that bad! You don't have to worry about getting in trouble with you mother afterward like you used to."

"That's true," Tsuna mumbled. "But I can't help but think back to all those times she showed up for Parent's Day and was disappointed."

"It'll be okay, Tsu-kun!" Haru encouraged.

"Maybe you're--" Tsuna froze at the entrance to the school and paled. Behind him, he felt Gokudera, Yamamoto, and Ryohei freeze, as well. A car had pulled up into the center of the school's courtyard and it had scarily recognizable flags on the front grill. Even scarier was the man stepping out of it with White on his arm. He turned and caught sight of Tsuna's group, causing Tsuna to belatedly dart forward.

Uncaring of the curious looks they received, Tsuna knelt down and kissed the Ninth's ring the moment he reached him. Behind him, his three friends also knelt in silent respect and obeisance, knocking the rest of their escort down with them. Haru stood at the back of the group, watching in curiosity and confusion. 

"You honor me, Ninth," Tsuna mumbled from where he knelt with his head bowed. 

"I was curious how you were recovering," the Ninth replied easily. "Reborn happened to mention that your school was having a Family Day, so I decided to come check for myself. I admit I was worried when I heard that Ms. Lilith had been requested to visit."

"My men wanted me to have a checkup," Tsuna temporized. "It's nothing to be worried about, Ninth."

"So a little bird hasn't been whispering in your ear lately?" The Ninth asked knowingly, making Tsuna flush.

"It's nothing to be worried about," Tsuna repeated softly.

"Is that so?" The Ninth mused. For once, Tsuna was glad for the formalities. It meant that he wasn't supposed to look up and meet the Ninth's eyes. Even so, he stiffened and looked up in surprise when he felt the Ninth lay a hand gently on his head. "I'm glad you're doing well then, Tsunayoshi. Stand and show me to your class. I wish to meet the man that's been teaching you while you've been recovering."

Tsuna stood and gave a silent signal for his escort to leave. Gokudera fell in beside him while Ryohei and Yamamoto kept curious people at bay. Including Haru. Reborn jumped up onto Tsuna's shoulder at the door while Iemitsu cleared their path to the classroom. Tsuna tried not to tremble in worry over what his Boss would think of it considering that it was so radically different in scale of luxury compared to Don Girarde. 

"Don't be so tense," the Ninth admonished, sensing Tsuna's unease. "I'm not so far removed from the world that I don't know what a normal school is like."

"Forgive me," Tsuna mumbled. "I've just rarely seen you outside of your Office, Ninth. The only occasions we met outside was related to business."

"Very true," the Ninth chuckled warmly. "Perhaps I should stay and visit longer than just today. It's been a while since I've taken time to relax and enjoy myself."

"I'll have a room prepared for you, Ninth," Tsuna offered softly. The Ninth smiled again and nodded in acceptance. They paused outside Tsuna's class and Iemitsu slid the door open for them. He walked in first and stood to the side, then Tsuna led the Ninth inside while White, Ms. Lilith, trailed behind. 

"Good morning, Sawada!" Tereshi-sensei greeted. "You're early today!"

"Good morning, Sensei," Tsuna replied with a small blush. "I'd like you to meet..." Tsuna blushed even deeper, unsure of how to introduce one of the most important people in the Mafia world.

"You may call me Timoteo," the Ninth supplied while he grasped the man's hand in a firm shake. 

"Are you his Uncle? Grandfather?" Tereshi-sensei asked.

"I could be considered his patron," the Ninth replied while he looked curiously around the room. Other parents had begun arriving already to watch the morning classes as had the actual students. "We'll just watch with everyone else," he said with a smile before the teacher could ask more questions. Iemitsu led him to the back of the room while Tsuna hesitantly found his desk and started nervously pulling out his materials. 

"You could have warned me," Tsuna whispered to the little hitman still on his shoulder.

"Where would the fun be in that?" Reborn replied with a wide smile. Before Tsuna could think of a retort, Reborn jumped down and disappeared. Trying to calm himself, Tsuna pulled out his study materials and forced himself to read like normal. He didn't see a single word on the page, however. He was too busy wondering if the Ninth would be upset that he wasn't studying what the rest of the class was. By the time that the teacher called the class to order and began the lesson, Tsuna was sweating in panic, wondering if perhaps he shouldn't read over reports like normal during the other lessons.

"Sawada," the teacher called.

"Yes!" Tsuna replied, jumping to his feet in instant panic. 

"I was just telling our guests about how bright some of you are," he said with a small smile, obviously used to nervous students on Parent's Day. "I asked how your Russian studies were coming along."

"Oh," Tsuna said with a bright blush. "I'm actually done with Russian."

"You are?" The teacher asked in surprise. "Then what are you studying along with your English today?"

"Greek," he muttered sheepishly, feeling the attentive stares of the people behind him. More than anything, he wanted to look back and see how the Ninth had reacted to his answer, but decided to keep his eyes on the teacher instead.

"Amazing," the teacher praised. Tsuna blushed deeply again and tried not to listen to the appreciative murmurs of the people standing at the back of the room. He faintly recognized his mother's voice among them, but couldn't take pleasure in it because of the fact that the Ninth was back there as well. Deciding that he couldn't continue to wonder what the Ninth thought of his supplementary studies, Tsuna took the opportunity to glance back at him while he sat back down. He nearly collapsed in his seat instead of sitting when he saw a small, approving smile on the man's face.

Then he froze when he happened to overhear a few of the parents in the back-corner of the room in a whispered discussion.

"Isn't that Sawada's son?"  
"It is!"  
"Looks like they finally beat some decency into him. Always running around in his underwear like he was a toddler."  
"I still haven't been able to forget what happened to my poor Osamu-chan. To this day, he still has difficulty studying when he remembers the traumatic incident in middle school because of that Sawada boy."  
"Poor child. Perhaps you should request that he's put in another class."

Tsuna glanced over at Osamu in curiosity, remembering how the boy had taken chalk to the forehead when Reborn had taken over Parent's Visitation Day back at Nami-chuu. While it had been an incident, calling it traumatic was a little much. Then Tsuna noticed the sheepish blush on the boy's face while he sank down into his chair and the worried glances he sent toward Tsuna. Suddenly comprehending, Tsuna gave him a wide grin of understanding, making the boy relax. Osamu had used the 'traumatic incident' to get his mother off his back whenever he didn't manage to live up to her outrageously high expectations of him.

"Well, that's enough talk," Tereshi-sensei prompted. "Lets get started with some participation. Gokudera, why don't you read the first three lines of page sixty-two."

"Yes, Sensei," Gokudera replied, immediately getting to his feet. Both the teacher and Tsuna failed to hide their surprise at his respectful manner. Tsuna overcame his after only a moment, knowing that his Right Hand was trying to help him look good in front of the Ninth. That support alone helped Tsuna overcome his fear and finally start feeling normal again. 

Once he regained that balance, he was able to quietly study the supplementary things he'd brought like normal. Tereshi-sensei ignored him like usual except for a few times he was called on to prove that he was still paying attention to the teacher's lesson. Tsuna didn't bother to hide his smile at his mother's squeal of joy that he actually could finish the problem that the teacher put on the chalk-board. Nor did he hide his amusement when Gokudera quietly finished a different one without a single rude comment. By the time that the teacher dismissed the class for lunch, Tsuna barely even noticed that he was being watched. 

"Is there somewhere we can have some privacy, Tsunayoshi?" The Ninth asked once parents started snatching up their kids to talk and to go eat. 

"I can probably get use of the reception room," he replied despite his curiosity. The Ninth nodded in agreement and Tsuna led the way while Iemitsu ran interference with Nana like promised. Understanding dawned on him when Lilith followed quietly behind. "Are you wanting--"

"It's best to get it over with, Tsunayoshi," the Ninth interrupted gently. "Ms. Lilith has her own schedule to keep, as well."

"Yes, Ninth," Tsuna replied in resignation. After a soft knock on the reception room door, Tsuna opened it and entered without waiting for a reply. Several of the Disciplinary Committee jumped to their feet at the intrusion, but didn't immediately attack once they saw a short student, an old man, and a woman.

"Is Hibari here?" Tsuna inquired softly into the dangerous silence.

"Have you come to fulfill our bargain?" Hibari asked from his spot by the window.

"Sorry, not yet, Hibari," Tsuna answered. "I came to ask if I could use this room."

"Oh?" He replied, finally turning to look at his guests. "I see you brought an interesting surprise with you."

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Cloud Guardian," the Ninth replied with a merry smile. Tsuna stiffened in surprise, but didn't ask when they'd previously met. 

"Do you want me to get rid of these brats, Boss?" One of the Committee members asked from where he stood aggressively in preparation for attack.

"Do you wish me to bite you to death?" Hibari answered. His men froze at the threat, knowing that Hibari showed mercy to no one. That was the very reason they followed him. 

"Please, Hibari," Tsuna asked softly. "We need somewhere for White to work and this is the only place that few would dare enter."

"Why should I help you?"

"Once she's done working," Tsuna replied, "I'll be one step closer to being prepared enough to fulfill my end of our agreement."

"I'm growing tired of waiting, Sawada," Hibari growled.

"Then please, have your men leave so that this can be done."

"Very well," he relented. "Any of my men that are still here in thirty seconds will be removed by force." At the warning, his men started clearing the room. One man tripped in his haste and was batted out a window effortlessly by Hibari's tonfa. Tsuna tried not to grimace at the crash he heard when the man landed.

"Thank you," Tsuna said softly before gesturing the Ninth and Lilith inside. They both took a seat on opposite couches while Hibari regained his comfortable position on his favorite window-sill.

"So," Lilith said in effort to break the ice, "Yamamoto sent word that you've been talking to a voice in your head."

"Yes," Tsuna admitted before taking a seat next to her. He bowed his head, knowing that he couldn't hide anything from either her or the Ninth. "It's not what they think though. I haven't--"

"I know, Tsunayoshi," the Ninth interjected. Tsuna's head snapped up and he looked at the Ninth with wide eyes. "Let me guess," he continued. "It's only been coming to you when you have to make a choice or when you're unsure of yourself."

"How did you know?" Tsuna whispered.

"You failed, Tsunayoshi," the Ninth said softly, making Tsuna freeze in body and mind. "You failed the Vongola Trial without ever being confronted in spirit. You made the choice to accept Vongola's bloodstained history by knowingly adding to our Family's sins."

"Wait! What are you--"

"You failed," he repeated. "But all is not lost. You still have a chance to redeem yourself, Tsunayoshi. You would not be the first Vongola Boss to have chosen such a path."

"I don't under--"

"The voice is preparing you, Tsunayoshi," the Ninth interrupted. "I'm sure that you've had at least a few hints that a certain Day was coming."

"T-The Day of Reckoning," Tsuna supplied softly.

"Indeed," he replied. "Your deeds of sin will be accounted for, as will your deeds of virtue. If the scales are balanced or if the virtues weigh more, then you will gain the power you need to succeed me. If not..."

"If not?" Tsuna asked after swallowing the lump in his throat.

"I honestly don't know," the Ninth whispered sadly. "Even soaked in blood, no Boss has yet to fail their second and final chance."

"So the voice..."

"It is real," the Ninth assured him. "No matter what your Family might fear or think, you must heed that voice, Tsunayoshi. Your salvation depends on it."

"My...salvation..." he mumbled while all the blood rushed out of his face. "What if the scales aren't balanced? What if my...crimes...outweigh the good that I've done?"

"Don't worry too much about it," the Ninth soothed. "Just continue as you have been. You have a good heart and a pure Flame, Tsunayoshi. I'm sure the judgment will favor you. For now, let Lilith check you over so that we can tell your Family truthfully that you are fine."

"Y-Yes, Ninth," Tsuna mumbled, trying to come to terms with what the Ninth had told him. He stripped off his shirt at Lilith's direction and set it aside. The Ninth gave a small grimace of sympathy at the sight of his scars and the large X etched onto his chest, but didn't comment.

"You've had me touch your mind before," Lilith said softly while she prepared her Delving Flames. Tsuna nodded and sat back, giving her license to work. With a small nod to herself in satisfaction, she touched his head and his chest like he remembered from so long ago. Despite his complete lack of desire to sleep, Tsuna's eyes slowly flickered shut and he felt himself pulled into the depths of his own mind.

After that, it was nothing like he remembered before. Instead of a large dark room with shadowed corners, he was in a well-lit�hall that he didn't recognize. The left side of the hall was covered in cold, frigid ice and the right side was burning in bright flames. Tsuna looked over in surprise when he felt a presence beside him.

"Your mind has matured," Lilith praised gently. Tsuna looked at her ghostly blue figure, trying to understand what he was seeing. "This makes it both easier and harder," she continued without seeming to mind her own ghostly form. "Along this hall is the doors to your memories. We have to break through the ice and the Flames to access them, though. Unlike last time, you've put up barriers inside yourself. Only you can take them down intact."

"Can't you?"

"I can," she replied. "But if you take them down, you will be able to put them back up if needed. If I were to break the walls and doors down, you would have a much harder time rebuilding them."

"I thought it was your job to break down walls?" Tsuna asked in confusion.

"We are in the Mafia, Tsuna," she answered softly. "Some walls need to stay intact."

"I understand," Tsuna replied. At her gesture, they walked forward down the hall until Tsuna felt need to pause. "There's something here," he murmured, looking at the wall of ice. 

"Open the way," she prompted. Curious, Tsuna looked at the wall and willed himself to see what lie beyond. When he saw what was beyond it, he fell to his knees and shut it back off as quickly as he could while he tried to keep his bile down. "So the ice is protecting you from the things that would otherwise hurt you." Tsuna nodded and clenched his eyes against what he'd unintentionally pulled to the surface of his mind. 

"Oh God," he muttered while he tried to regain control of himself. "I hated doing that."

"Who were they?" Lilith asked gently.

"Slavers," Tsuna replied while he forced his stomach to stop churning. "They had already killed what they couldn't sell when we reached them."

"You punished them?"

"Ah," he confirmed before standing again. "I couldn't let them live after what they'd done."

"Was such force necessary?" She asked, having glimpsed the horrible scene that had been behind that particular section of wall. 

"I thought it was," he answered softly. "I wanted them to feel the pain they'd caused before they died. I punished them for every wound they'd put on Renfry and Ira's bodies and then--"

"I saw," she interrupted. Tsuna looked up in surprise, having been lost in the memory, only to find the ice had grown in thickness around that particular memory. "Let's continue," she said, turning to walk down the hall again. Tsuna followed more cautiously this time but almost immediately paused again. This time, Tsuna looked to the wall of fire in curiosity and opened the way before Lilith even finished turning to look at him.

"I don't understand..." Tsuna mumbled, staring at the same scene from before. He closed it off the moment he recognized it despite his confusion.

"I do," Lilith said once he finally closed it off. He looked at her with pleading eyes, wanting her to explain. "These are the two sides of yourself. One is your cold and clinical side and the other is your warm and passionate side. Look at the memory again, Tsuna."

Hesitantly, Tsuna opened the path again and forced himself to watch the memory. Unlike the first time when he'd watched from the icy path, Tsuna felt every emotion he'd not noticed while he punished the slavers. When he'd watched from the ice, there had been none of the emotional fury, only the cold and hard determination to do what was needed. This time, however, he felt what he hadn't then. The hate. The rage. The wounds to his own heart that he created with every strike.

"Enough," Lilith whispered, making him pull back. Tsuna closed the path to the memory again and noticed that the Flames had surged larger around that section of wall. "Depending on whether you look at something with your cold side or your warm side, the barriers around it strengthen. Look how the ice has weakened around the same memory on the other wall." In surprise, Tsuna looked over at the wall of ice again to find that the barrier around that particular section had cracked and thinned. "It's only when the barrier is completely destroyed that the memory will not affect you at all. Until then, you can either look at it with cold objectivity or the heat of your passion. Either way, though, the memory still affects who and what you are."

"Is it a bad thing?" Tsuna asked. "Is it bad that I have these two sides?"

"No," she soothed. "It's actually quite simplistic compared to some of the mental labyrinths that I've traveled. It's the crevasses and�fissures that I need to look for, though. So let us continue. I don't need to see anymore of your memories unless there's a sign of disturbance." 

Tsuna nodded and continued to walk down the line between fire and ice behind Lilith. Dozens of times he felt that something was hiding behind the walls, easily within reach of his mind. Other times he almost paused to delve behind the walls at things he felt were heavily buried in ice or things that were surrounded in blazing infernos. It was only the fact that Lilith kept walking that he kept moving instead of seeing what he could be so cold about or what he got so passionate about. 

Abruptly, the hall opened up into a large room and Tsuna stared at what he saw in complete shock. Even Lilith came to a complete stop. Like the hall, the room had been split in two with one side etched in fire and the other etched in ice. What surprised him, however, was what lie inside it.�In the center of the room was his own Flame, surging like a volcano out of an icy valve inset into the floor. But that wasn't why he was so shocked. 

It was crying.

Crying was the only word to describe the way sparks flared around the base of the Flame. They poured out around the valve and spread through the room like a flood before dissipating. While Lilith stood at a complete loss, Tsuna slowly walked forward to the outer edge of the sea of sparks. Curiously, he reached forward to touch one before it disappeared and was instantly overwhelmed with sadness.

"I'm sorry," Tsuna whispered with tears of remorse in his eyes. "I didn't know you were hurting so much. I'll try to listen to you more often, so don't cry." In response to his words, the flood of sparks eased to a dribble and Tsuna could almost feel his Flame sigh. 

"_I'm glad you finally understand, child of Flame_," the voice boomed. Tsuna clutched his head at the force of the voice, which seemed to be yelling in his head instead of talking softly. After a moment, Tsuna realized it was because he was so close to the source.

"Where are you!" Tsuna yelled into the room, trying to see where the voice was. 

"_I am here, little one_," the voice boomed again. Tsuna looked up at the high ceiling of the room, feeling that it was the direction the voice was coming from. He gasped in surprise at the sight of a bird flying around the tip of his Flame, diving in and out of it without being burned. 

"It's gorgeous," Lilith murmured, coming up beside him. "So many colors..." In response, the bird flew down and came to a landing in front of them. Up close, Tsuna could see that it's feathers burned brightly in a rainbow of Flames with more colors than he could have ever believed existed.

"What are you?" Tsuna asked, finally face-to-face with the owner of the voice.

"_I am merely a guide sent to prepare you_," the voice answered a bit more softly this time. Tsuna had a feeling that it was whispering despite the great volume it still produced. "_Do not be misguided by the form you see. This is only what your mind has given me in order to understand_."

"But I don't understand," Tsuna blurted. "Who are you? Who sent you!"

"_Those questions will be answered on the Day of Reckoning, child_," the voice said with a tone that suggested Tsuna was being scolded for something. In response to that, his Flame flicked forward toward him and enveloped him for a moment, overwhelming him with a feeling of foreboding and the knowledge that the Firebird was more than it seemed.

"What are you...?" Tsuna repeated while he stumbled a bit from the force with which his Flame had touched him. "My Flame...my intuition...says that you're more than just a guide. You're something dangerous and--"

"_Enough, child_," the Firebird admonished. "_Any more and my aid will no longer be permitted_."

"Your aid!" Tsuna exclaimed in irritation. "You've done nothing but--"

"_But try to prepare you_," the Firebird interrupted, once again raising it's voice to a booming level. "_Your mind is out of balance, although you have yet to acknowledge it. Things that you should allow yourself to feel, you've put behind walls of ice. Things that should be frozen and locked away have been permitted to flourish. Worst of all, you still have yet to learn to listen to your Flame without interference. At this rate, child of Flame, your Day of Reckoning will be your last_."

"W-What--?"

"_You lock away the pain of the innocents which you should always feel and you wallow in your own pain to a unsightly degree_," the voice continued. 

"That's not true!" Tsuna yelled. "Others always come--"

"_Do not lie to yourself, child_," the Firebird interrupted with a shake of its feathers. "_Or did you not lock away this memory_?" Tsuna gasped as the memory of the bodies from the Gola Mosca lab that was flung into his face, blinding him to everything else for a moment. He fell to his knees at the sight and covered his mouth from the need to retch. It was as if his nose and mouth was suddenly overcome with the smell of death and blood and misery that he remembered. "_Until I burned away the ice you had surrounded it in, this memory was nothing but another thing you ignored. And this_," the Firebird said, flinging another memory into his face. Tsuna shivered at the rage that overwhelmed him while he saw himself crush the skull of the man that had attacked Haru.

"Those were exceptions," Tsuna objected shamefully. "I-I didn't--"

"_You did_," the Firebird said sadly. "_You let the value of your own pain overwhelm that man's value. Do you know how loud your Flame screamed at you while you ignored it?" _The Firebird sighed with another shake of its feathers and looked at Tsuna with mournful eyes. "_You must re-balance your mind or you will be judged Guilty on the Day of Reckoning. Your sins will never outweigh the value of your existence at this rate_."

"I understand," Tsuna replied in defeat. He looked down at the floor in shame, confronted with the reality of himself. He had known that the man he'd killed was a pawn, but he hadn't cared. He _had_ allowed his own pain to overwhelm the things his Flame had told him.

"_Go, child_," the Firebird ordered sympathetically. "_You have much to think on. Heed my words and reevaluate your own mind. Learn to listen to your Flame, otherwise Vongola's days will be over_. _You are the last heir. If you fail, Vongola will be destroyed and the Chains along with it_."

"Chains...?"

"_Go_," the Firebird snapped. Tsuna gasped and he heard Lilith yell in surprise from the large wind that the Firebird stirred up with his wings. Both of them went flying backwards down the hall they'd initially journeyed down until finally they reached the point that they'd entered. Before Tsuna could even think about fighting back against the incredible force, the world went completely black.

* * *

"Tsunayoshi," the Ninth called worriedly. Tsuna grunted and opened his eyes when he felt Hibari's tonfa connect with his stomach.

"He's still alive," Hibari commented, once again sheathing his weapons.

"How's White?" Tsuna asked while he sat up and held his battered head and midsection.

"I'm fine," she said from where she was sitting and blinking owlishly. 

"I feel like I hit a wall or two," Tsuna murmured, deciding that his head hurt worse than his stomach. He clenched his temples at the spasming headache that was building. "He didn't have to be so damn forceful."

"_It was for your own good_," the voice mumbled, sending another lance through his temples. 

"Don't talk to me right now," Tsuna moaned. "It hurts and we both know that you're not going to answer any of my questions." Tsuna groaned again at the sound of agreeing chuckles before he lost sense of the voice again.

"Were you talking to the voice, Tsunayoshi?" The Ninth asked worriedly.

"Ah," Tsuna confirmed with a small blush. "He said it was for our own good that he kicked White out of my head."

"But I haven't went in your head yet," Lilith interjected. Both Tsuna and the Ninth looked at her for a long moment before understanding. 

"Yes, you have, White," Tsuna said softly. "I'm guessing you don't remember because you saw something you shouldn't have."

"What do--"

"Please, do not question his words," the Ninth said firmly. "I fear that your services have been concluded. There's nothing that you can do now."

"But I have to check him out to reassure his Family," Lilith objected.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to lie," the Ninth replied. "Even if you don't remember, you have already delved into his mind. I cannot permit you to touch him again nor can I permit you to say anything other than that he is in perfect health."

"I'm can't do that," she reasserted. The Ninth sighed and looked up at Tsuna for a long moment. "Go ahead and go back to class. Lunch ended a long time ago. I'll take care of this, Tsunayoshi."

"Yes, Ninth," Tsuna replied, snatching up his shirt. He hastily threw it on and left the room, dashing down the hall to his own classroom while he re-buttoned it. The teacher paused in surprise at his overly-late arrival and his unkempt state. Gokudera automatically jumped up at his arrival, but sat back down at his silent gesture. "Forgive me," Tsuna said with an apologetic bow. "I came back as soon as I could."

"I'll let you off with a warning this time," Tereshi-sensei replied despite the whispers from the parents at the back of the class. Tsuna took a moment to glance over and wilted in relief when he saw that his mother had already left for the day. Only the parents who kept a tight leash on their offspring were left, all of whom took to Tsuna's late appearance with disgust.

"Thank you," Tsuna murmured before heading back to his desk. He barely managed to regain it, however, when the teacher dismissed everyone for P.E. Everyone grabbed their bags and started filing out to head for the locker rooms while Tereshi-sensei gathered up the parents to show them where they could watch from. The moment that Tsuna was safely in the Coach's office to change, Gokudera opened his mouth to ask the question he'd obviously been holding back.

"I'm fine," Tsuna said before he'd uttered a single syllable. "My head hurts like hell, but White checked me out. There wasn't any abnormalities other than a visitor we had at the end. It turns out that the voice is a Firebird, at least in my head, and it's preparing me for something called the Day of Reckoning that is some kind of Vongola rite of passage. The Ninth didn't really tell me anything about it other than that I'm screwed if I fail it and the Firebird didn't tell me anything other than Vongola is screwed if I fail it."

"Boss?" Gokudera asked, understanding nothing of what Tsuna had just told him. Tsuna patted his shoulder and smiled reassuringly.

"I'm not crazy," he said softly. "That's all that matters. Just ignore me when I start rambling to myself, okay?"

"If you say so, Boss," Gokudera replied, content to leave things as they were. Tsuna smiled at him and finished changing in a rush. Once outside, he paused at the sound of angry parents yelling at the Coach.

"Why does that boy get to change in private while my son has to change with everyone else!"  
"Are you showing Sawada favoritism?"  
"I can't believe that this school would be so--"

"Coach," Tsuna called, interrupting the endless complaints. The other students had started appearing and were hesitantly watching instead of interfering with their parents. 

"Yes, Sawada?" The couch replied, momentarily ignoring the angry glares he was getting.

"If no one is going to speak up against it, I'll be happy to go back to changing in the locker room," he offered. Tsuna felt his classmates stiffen and turn green at the thought. Like he'd intended, they instantly overcame their fear of their parents and rushed forward to pull their parents away from the Coach with quiet and urgent pleas. Tsuna tried not to smile too openly at the shocked and confused looks the parents suddenly had, although he sent the Coach a wink when the man openly sighed in relief.

"Alright," the Coach announced, calling the class to order. "Ten laps to warm up for everyone. Sawada, you know the drill."

"Yes," Tsuna agreed with a small smile. Before the watching parents could once again accuse the Coach of favoritism, Tsuna darted off at a high speed. Before anyone else even got on the the track, he'd already completed one lap to warm up and was circling the outside track at his top speed. The Coach held up a speedometer and began marking his lap speeds down on a chart that he'd agreed to keep. Tsuna took special pleasure in seeing the parent's jaws drop more and more when his speed continued to increase. For the final lap, Tsuna decided to give them a true show and began to release his Flame in order to use his glove boost despite his headache.

A blinding spasm through his temple shocked him and made him loose his balance in surprise. He tripped over his own feet and went into a head-first lunge. With a gasp, he hit the grass lining the side of the track and rolled for several long seconds before coming to a stop. While people started running toward him, having seen his crash, Tsuna laid on the ground in complete surprise. 

"Showing off, Tsunayoshi?" The Ninth asked with a wide grin. He leaned forward over Tsuna on his weapon-turned-cane, having appeared while Tsuna had been running laps. "I think you might want to wait a few days to release your Flame again."

"It hurt me!" Tsuna blurted.

"You weren't thinking when you tried to use it," the Ninth admonished. "It's there for more than to just let you unlock your potential."

"It hurt me!" Tsuna repeated while he sat up and clutched his aching head.

"Because if you had used it, I would have smacked you until you learned your lesson, Tsunayoshi," he replied calmly. "It was warning you."

"It hurt me!" Tsuna repeated a final time.

"It probably didn't intend to," the Ninth laughed. "Your head is just raw from dear Lilith's little mental journey."

"So it'll be back to normal in a few days?"

"Ah," the Ninth confirmed simply when his worried Coach and classmates started arriving. "Don't waste your energy, Tsunayoshi," the Ninth admonished.

"Then how am I supposed to train and get stronger?" He asked while he pushed away his worried Coach.

"If you raise your normal levels, your potential will rise accordingly," the Ninth said with a smile while Gokudera began picking the grass out of his hair. "I think I've seen enough, Tsunayoshi. I will be at the estate when you return."

"Y-Yes, Ninth," Tsuna replied, suddenly realizing that the Ninth was really going to take him up on his offer to stay at the Japanese Headquarters. "I'll return as soon as school--"

"No rush," the Ninth interjected. "I'm sure Nana will be preparing a feast in response to my arrival. Today I will just be relaxing. We'll deal with business tomorrow."

"Yes, Ninth," Tsuna agreed, once again batting away the worried people hovering over him. He reached over and grabbed Gokudera before quickly bowing his head in respect and bowing Gokudera's for him as well. They stayed that way, despite the curious looks they were receiving, until the Ninth had left the area.

"I think we can get up now, Boss," Gokudera mumbled. Tsuna took the cue and let him go before rolling back to his feet.

"I'm okay," Tsuna assured the hovering Coach while he rubbed his aching head. "I just pushed it a little too much and lost my balance."

"Did you hurt anything when you fell?" He asked worriedly. "It looked like a pretty nasty crash."

"I'm fine," Tsuna murmured. "But I think I'm just going to walk for the rest of class."

"That might be best," the Coach agreed. Tsuna nodded and began circling the track at a slow pace with Gokudera worriedly beside him. The first chance he got, he slipped away from everyone else and pulled out a cigarette while he hid behind the bleachers. 

"Hell," he said to himself while he smoked. "I'm in hell. A bird in my head, the Ninth is going to be staying with me, and Hibari is getting impatient. If this isn't hell, I don't know what is."


	97. Chapter 97 Standing Firm

Tsuna felt strange looking across his office desk from the supplicant's side. The Ninth had taken it over temporarily in order to take care of the Family's business and Tsuna couldn't help but feel out of place. It reminded him that although he was a leading figure in Vongola, he wasn't the Boss yet. Even in Japan, the Ninth held control before he did.

"I've only been receiving written reports until now, so I want to hear from you, Tsunayoshi," the Ninth said, leaning back into Tsuna's former chair. "How have things been?"

"Decent," Tsuna replied noncommittally. "It took me a while to get used to the inactivity again, but I think I've adapted."

"By working, from what I hear," he commented knowingly. Tsuna blushed and reminded himself not to underestimate the Ninth's ability to retrieve information. Even in the Japanese Headquarters, he was still under the watchful eyes of Vongola. "I thought I told you to pretend that the Mafia doesn't exist, but you've been asking for more reports than I've been sending you."

"I tried, Ninth," Tsuna mumbled sheepishly. "But I was worried about the aftermath of the latest incident, especially since I couldn't take part in the main operation. Then I started worrying about how Pink was doing, which made me look into how Mafia Row was--"

"Excuses, Tsunayoshi," the Ninth admonished. "I told you that I would take care of everything."

"Am I not supposed to be worried?" Tsuna asked softly. "If I'm going to succeed you as Boss, I need to stay on top of things. Even when I'm recovering, I can't forget my responsibilities."

"Are you in such a rush to replace me?" The Ninth inquired quietly.

"No!" He blurted. "I never thought that, Ninth! I just want to--"

"It's alright, Tsunayoshi," the Ninth laughed. "I was just testing you. I'm glad to see you still have that endearing honesty and caring that I feared would be lost in your training. I'm also actually very happy to see that you weren't willing to give up and go back to normal life so easily. You are growing quite well as my heir."

"T-Thank you, Ninth," Tsuna mumbled with a small blush, wondering how he'd went from being scolded to being praised.

"Since you are so greedy for information, I've brought all of my reports for you to look over," he replied, pushing a laptop across the desk. "There's quite a bit of information there that I wouldn't allow outside my control before. Look it over and bring it back when you're done."

"Thank you, Ninth," Tsuna repeated fervently, snatching the laptop off the desk before the Ninth could change his mind.

"Records from Dr. Sinsanko's questioning is in there," he warned. "A Vendiche oversaw it, but I had Xanxus take care of the actual session. There's video or just the transcript, whichever you prefer." 

"I'll probably watch the video even though I know Xanxus' methods," Tsuna mumbled unhappily, clenching his hands around the laptop. "There's too much extra information that you can't get from just transcripts."

"I know," the Ninth said with the weight of experience. "That's why I left it on there for you."

"How's Dr. Shamal?" Tsuna asked in effort to change the topic.

"He's fine," he replied. "Dr. Sinsanko had flooded his system with Nano-Electros, but they were almost completely destroyed by all the conflicting diseases in his body. We gave him the counter agent just to be on the safe side."

"That's good," Tsuna mumbled. "So was Reborn right on his theory? Did Dr. Shamal go to Sinsanko for help and was captured?"

"Actually, no," the Ninth replied with a sad smile. "It turns out that Dr. Sinsanko was a woman and lured him there with plans to talk him into using his mosquitoes as a new delivery system. She was still trying to get him to submit when we raided her facility. The official story is that Shamal was there willingly and claimed that he had no clue about the Nano-Electros or that she was even trying to use him. Although, her focus and failures on turning Shamal was what allowed us to catch up with her."

"Shamal knew," Tsuna said, _feeling _that his words were right. "Shamal purposely let her lure him in so that he could distract her. He wanted to give us time to catch on, but couldn't tell us about the problem for some reason."

"Exactly so," he replied with another sad smile. "Dr. Sinsanko is actually his wife, although the title means nothing with that man. Given enough to drink and he'll give a woman anything she wants." Tsuna jerked in surprise at the claim, but the Ninth continued mercilessly. "He actually remembers marrying Dr. Sinsanko, however. The marriage contract was invalidated years ago, not long after he married her, but he still felt responsibility toward her. He went to attempt to talk her out of her scheme while pretending to fall for her bait. When that failed, he bought us enough time to catch up before she figured out that we were on to her."

"What were her reasons?" Tsuna asked softly.

"That's the truly sad part," the Ninth replied, clenching his hands together on the desk. "Her first goal was to destroy the world that Shamal had fallen into. When they'd first met, Shamal was merely a researcher trying to find a way to control the diseases within him. He was already developing the Trident Mosquitoes at that time, but wished for some way that didn't require having insects to bite him on a regular basis. It was originally for him that they began researching nanobot technology. They had hoped that they could programmed nanobots to remove any strains of disease from his body that were on the verge of mutating."

"But the research failed," Tsuna supplied. "And Dr. Shamal turned to the Mafia to help fund more in-depth development of the Trident Mosquito."

"Precisely," he agreed. "Dr. Sinsanko was completely fanatical about Shamal and hated that he'd turned to me for help instead of her. She swore that she would destroy the Mafia that had taken Shamal away from her. Other than that, she had two other goals. First, to find a way to control his mind so that he would no longer be willing to be a hitman. Second, to take the Mafia's money to fund their new life together."

"She almost achieved everything," Tsuna murmured unhappily. "She got the money from those that succumbed to her brainwashing nanobots and she got many of us to try to destroy our Families with the mind-control ones."

"So you got that report?" The Ninth asked with a raised eyebrow. "There were two types of Nano-Electros in the saline drips. She was triggering the second type remotely from her facility."

"Yes," Tsuna replied. "Although I'd still like to know how she knew to trigger the ones in my head."

"Planning," the Ninth answered. "The Nano-Electros were transmitting information to her, although we didn't know it until after the fact. The moment she saw that a Nano-Electros had invaded someone with a Vongola blood-profile, she triggered it in hopes that you would kill me. The fact that you were infected also made her think that we were completely unaware that something odd was going on until it was too late. Between you and Trident Shamal, she was kept busy until the raid squads broke in."

"But Shamal is alright, correct?" 

"He's fine," the Ninth reaffirmed. "When Dr. Sinsanko developed the nanobots, she was using Shamal's disease profile from many years ago. They weren't able to adapt to all the new ones that he's gotten since then."

"What about Sinsanko's punishment?" Tsuna asked. He paused and shook his head to himself, already knowing the answer to his own question. "Xanxus executed her after he finished questioning her, didn't he?" 

"Ah," he replied with sad eyes. "Shamal buried her in a private cemetery in his hometown. After that, he said he wanted to take a trip to the Alps and left word that he would check in after a month or so."

"Damn," Tsuna mumbled under his breath. He looked down, feeling the same pain he was sure that the Ninth held. "Even if she was only one of his passing fancies, Shamal probably feels like her death was his fault."

"Actually," the Ninth mused, "I think he's hiding more in effort to clear the air. I don't doubt that he's hurting over Sinsanko's death, but he's probably hurting even more over what happened to the Family because of her. In a way, he's to blame for the brands you bear." 

"No way!" Tsuna exclaimed. "He didn't do anything but love her! I could never blame him! Sinsanko obviously wasn't in her right mind and Dr. Shamal hadn't even seen her in years! She was the one that went loony and didn't try to understand his feelings!"

"I'll pass that along," the Ninth replied warmly. "I'm sure he'll be relieved that you hold nothing against him for his womanizing ways."

"That's just who Shamal is," Tsuna said with a crooked smile. "If I didn't accept that, there's no way I could accept Xanxus' irritable nature or Reborn's secretive one. Nearly everyone in the Family has either a dark secret or a personality quirk. It's part of what makes our Family so... unique."

"Exactly so," he laughed in reply. "Well, if that's all, I'm going to borrow your office for a while longer. I need to have a conference with Nubo to see how they're doing on rebuilding their Family."

"Yes, Ninth," Tsuna replied, taking the dismissal for what it was.

"Wait, Tsunayoshi," the Ninth called, making him pause at the door. "You don't plan to rest, do you?" Tsuna flushed, but nodded in agreement. He couldn't rest, no matter what. Cutting his work back to class-time and two days a week had been the most he'd allowed himself. The thought of just putting everything down seemed impossible anymore. The Ninth sighed in understanding and nodded to himself, having come to some decision. "Very well, Tsunayoshi. In that case, we'll pick up your training again. We're still working at brown-out level, but the work never ceases completely. If you are willing, you can report to me tomorrow after school."

"Actually, Ninth," Tsuna replied hesitantly, "I have something I need to take care of first. If you would permit us to start again on the day after...?" The Ninth waved absently in agreement and began dialing for the Nubo Boss. Tsuna bowed himself out, then headed for the nearest conference room with every intention to read over every single bit of data the Ninth had given him before morning. He paused once he was inside at the feeling of patient listening once again in his head.

"Alright, voice," Tsuna said, sitting at the empty conference table and opening the laptop in front of him. "You said you were here to prepare me. Lets start with you pointing out any time that I think about this new information in the wrong way. I have a feeling that I don't have time to completely change how I look back at my past, but you can help keep me from making any new mistakes. Fair enough?"

_"It's a start_," the voice agreed.

"Let's hope it's a good one," Tsuna replied. "That feeling that I'm completely screwed is getting stronger. I don't like it and, even worse, I can tell that it's my intuition instead of just a normal feeling." 

"_You can tell that your Flame is calling to you?"_

"Ah," Tsuna confirmed. "Ever since it 'yelled' at me yesterday while I was running, I have a better sense of it."

"_That's an even better start_," the voice praised.

"Well, let's get to work," Tsuna murmured, pulling open the first of dozens of files on the laptop. The voice fell silent, but Tsuna sensed that it was delving through the hallway of his mind to see where Tsuna placed the new information he received and to see how he dealt with it. Purposely taking it all in more slowly than normal, Tsuna tried to work out whether he should feel anything over it or not. This turned out to be harder than he imagined. Much, much harder. "I hope you're prepared for a long night," Tsuna sighed, rubbing his eyes.

"_I'm here for as long as you need me_, _child_," the voice promised. "_Your salvation is our only hope_."

"I would ask you about that statement, but you wouldn't answer. Would you?" 

"_You are finally coming to understand, little one_," the voice chuckled. "_So return to your work_."

"I know, I know," Tsuna grumbled. "I'm starting to feel like I have another Reborn in my head. Between you and him, I don't think I know how to stop working anymore."

"_He taught you responsibility well_," the voice praised. Tsuna rolled his eyes and turned back to the file, feeling strangely like Reborn had stopped tutoring him too soon. Perhaps if Tsuna had turned down the Ninth's offer and stayed under Reborn's teaching instead, he wouldn't be in such a dire predicament.

"Okay," Tsuna muttered, turning his mind back to the file he was reading. "Am I dealing with this correctly...?"

And so the lessons began.

* * *

"Tsuna, you can't be serious," Yamamoto cried, jumping up from his seat in the Guardian's parlor. "You're not--"

"I'm as good as I'm going to get without six months of rest, Yamamoto," Tsuna sighed. "I don't have that kind of time, though, and I can't start training under the Ninth again with this hanging over my head. Plus, what would Haru say if I had to wear a neck brace to our wedding? I'm going to need a little bit of time to heal in case something does happen."

"Still, Boss," Gokudera interjected. "I have to agree with Yamamoto here. It's still too soon for you to think about fighting Hibari."

"What about you, Ryohei?" Tsuna grumbled. "Are you going to tell me it's a bad idea, too?"

"Well, little bro," Ryohei replied sheepishly. "Your injuries are healed and you've gained a lot of weight back, but I have to agree, too. I don't think you're ready to confront Hibari yet."

"Why are you so adamant about fighting him now?" Yamamoto asked, making Tsuna sigh. Tsuna sat down with a drink, trying to think of a way to explain without making them think he was nuts again. Then again, White's report hadn't made them stop thinking that in the first place.

"It's a feeling," Tsuna replied. "There's something big coming my way and I'm going to be in trouble if I don't deal with the things already on my plate _now_."

"Your hyper-intuition, Boss?" Gokudera asked softly.

"That about sums it up," Tsuna agreed. "So no matter what you guys say, I'm still going to fight Hibari."

"When are you wanting to do it, little bro? At least we can--"

"In an hour," Tsuna interrupted, making three jaws drop simultaneously. "I set it up this morning at school and I'm leaving in a few minutes to make it to Death Mountain on time. Between the cover of night and being in the middle of nowhere, our fight will be as hidden as it can be. Plus, we shouldn't have any interruptions out there."

"What if something happens!" Yamamoto yelled. "You should have told us sooner so that we can get support squads--"

"That's exactly why I didn't tell you," he said softly, looking down into his glass. "The agreement was that no one would interfere. From sunset to sunrise or until one of us falls, whichever comes first. No one can interfere or my promise would be broken."

"But, Boss! He barely helped at the prison!" Gokudera objected.

"But he did help," Tsuna pointed out. "It doesn't matter if it was once or a dozen times. He came to help me on the agreement that I would give him the battle of a lifetime. If I broke that promise, my word would mean nothing anymore."

"What do you think your chances are?" Ryohei asked softly. Both Yamamoto and Gokudera goggled at him for a second, unbelieving that the boxer would be the first to give into Tsuna's rash decision. Then again, Ryohei was never one to turn down a fight. 

"I honestly don't know," Tsuna laughed sadly. "Hibari was already strong and I barely kept ahead of him enough not to get killed. I'm hoping that if I put every ounce of determination I can into the fight and actually go for the kill, maybe I can injure him enough to satisfy."

"But what if something happens!" Yamamoto shouted again. "This is reckless Tsuna! He's going to be going at you all out and you haven't given us time to--"

"Enough, Yamamoto," Tsuna begged gently, silencing him. "I've already made my decision and it's not like I'm going completely alone. Reborn is coming as my second and Kusakabe is going to be there for Hibari. If anything happens, they'll be able to call for help."

"Just like a real duel," Gokudera murmured.

"Ah," Tsuna confirmed. "I'd take you, Gokudera, but Reborn is lighter to carry. I don't want to waste energy just getting there."

"It's okay, Boss," Gokudera soothed. "Reborn is the best there is. I can trust him to take care of you for a little while. J-Just promise not to get hurt. You tend to when I'm not around."

"You know I can't promise that," Tsuna laughed. "This is Hibari I'm going to be fighting. The best I can give you is a promise that I won't do anything to purposely hurt myself."

"I'll take what I can get," he grumbled.

"I still don't like it, Tsuna," Yamamoto interjected, finally regaining his seat. "I don't like it one bit. It's not like when you fought Xanxus and trained with that in mind. Hibari knows all your moves already and you're not even at full strength yet. He's going to--"

"Don't worry," Tsuna interrupted softly. "I have a few tricks up my sleeve that I haven't used before because I wasn't sure I could use them in combat. But with Hibari going full out on me, I think I'll be focused enough to use them."

"If you have tricks, he probably does, too," Ryohei warned. "Watch out for a hook when you think he's going to throw a straight."

"I will," he promised warmly. "I want both of us to walk down that mountain in the morning. I'm not going to let him beat me with a surprise attack." His three friends fell silent at his words, having ran out of objections. Tsuna smiled at them while he stood, trying to put them at ease. "I won't lose," he said firmly. "I might not win, but I definitely won't lose."

"You better not, little bro," Ryohei replied, standing with him.

"Of course he won't lose," Gokudera snarled, also standing. "No one is stronger than our Boss."

"You better come back in one piece," Yamamoto added while he also got to his feet. "I don't want to have to tell Haru that we let you do something like this on your own."

"I need to get going," Tsuna interjected, looking at his watch. "Tell her and Hotaru that I love them, okay?" 

"Tell them yourself in the morning, Boss," Gokudera snapped, feeling uneasy at such words. Tsuna smiled at him with a hint of sadness in his eyes before slipping out the back door. Reborn jumped onto his shoulder and Tsuna lurched into the air without a single step of hesitation. Within seconds, the two were out of sight in the setting sun.

"Does anyone else have the feeling that we should have tied him down and not let him go?" Gokudera asked.

"Ah," Yamamoto confirmed while Ryohei nodded agreement in an oddly subdued fashion. "I still do."


	98. Chapter 98 Sunset

Author's notes: Yay for double posts!

* * *

"I've been waiting," Hibari murmured from beneath the shadows of a tree. He stepped out into the fading light of the sun and grinned from anticipation. "And here I was wondering if you'd gotten scared and ran like a herbivore."

"I stopped being a herbivore a long time ago," Tsuna replied lazily. Reborn jumped off his shoulder the moment he fully landed and headed for cover. Kusakabe was already no where to be seen, having long decided on his place to wait and watch from. 

"You are still a herbivore," Hibari corrected with a small smile twitching at the corner of his lips. "But I will admit that you are one with carnivorous tendencies. A red fish disguised as a blue fish in a pond of green fish."

"So no matter what, I don't fit in?"

"No matter what," Hibari replied, "You aren't what you seem."

"Is that a compliment?" Tsuna asked in surprise.

"Perhaps," his opponent murmured, no longer bothering to hide his pleased smile at the setting sun. "I'm going to enjoy this, Sawada."

"Enjoy it all you can," Tsuna warned as the sun finally began to dip below the horizon. "You're not going to see it again."

In response, Tsuna felt Hibari's aura surge in anticipation. As the sun sank lower and lower, Hibari's aura grew frighteningly with his lust for battle. Tsuna tried to ignore it while he prepared himself. He tossed off his shirt, knowing that it wouldn't survive and would possibly hinder him. He checked his gloves to ensure that they were in perfect condition. He even did a few stretches to warm up his muscles, knowing that Hibari would strike hard and fast right off the bat.

Then, finally, the time came. They turned to one another as the final rays of the sun spiked across the landscape and disappeared. Like he had expected, the moment the sun was gone, Hibari lunged into action. He was like a demon incarnate, with his dark hair shadowing his face and his eyes gleaming out with his heartfelt desire to spill blood. Tsuna flinched from the force of that open desire, but managed to dodge before the man took his head off with the first blow.

This was the real Hibari, Tsuna realized while he continued to scrape out of the way of the man's howling tonfas. Even while training together, Hibari had held back for the sake of Discipline. This was the very reason he held Discipline as so very important. Without it, he was nothing but a rampaging demon who's thirst for blood controlled him. He no longer wanted to simply defeat Tsuna; he wanted to destroy him. Hibari wanted to see Tsuna's blood run and stand over his corpse in dominance. Nothing less would satisfy the beast that he had always tried to keep leashed within himself. Nothing less would allow him to regain Discipline of himself.

The realization left Tsuna saddened. Even while he dodged, he could hear what his Flame was telling him. Hibari--strong, invincible Hibari--was hurting. Having always left him to his quiet and drifting ways, Tsuna had never opened his eyes enough to see it before. Hibari had been battling himself long before Tsuna had entered his life. Always staying alone in order to control his emotions and keep himself from lashing out. Always forcing himself to keep a tight leash on his desire for blood. Always seeing the crowds of people that he could never be part of due to the fact that they were full of weaklings who couldn't hope to withstand him.

"Your Flame is crying, Hibari," Tsuna murmured softly while he dodged another blow. Hibari didn't even respond to the words, too intent on his focus to fulfill his hearts' desire. Sadness hit Tsuna again from another surge from his own Flame. Hibari was crying inside. He was crying out to find someone that he didn't have to fear would be hurt by him. Someone that could befriend him and withstand his surges of blood lust. Someone that could keep him in check when his own Discipline failed him. He'd been searching for someone like that this whole time, but Tsuna had been too blind to see it. Hibari wasn't an emotionless monster. He wasn't the demon that he seemed. No demon would have mercy for innocent children. No monster could befriend a harmless bird.

He was a loner, but he didn't want to be alone. He wanted a Family. He'd been searching for a Family. People that would accept him despite his incredible power and danger. People that would accept him as himself rather than try to change what he, himself, couldn't. And he'd found it. He'd found it with Tsuna and Tsuna's Family, but he was still unsure. He was still hesitant despite his calm and Disciplined exterior. 

Tsuna was being tested.

Hibari was testing him to see if he was worthy and strong enough to withstand Hibari at his worst. That was the true meaning behind the battle that Tsuna was fighting. That was the true reason for the fury that Hibari was unleashing at him. Hibari needed to know that Tsuna wasn't weak, because he would never be able to accept the thought of them being Family if he wasn't.

"Are you going to just keep running away, Sawada?" Hibari snarled with another sharp swing while Tsuna dodged yet again without attempting to counter.

"I won't run away from you anymore, Hibari," Tsuna answered softly to not only Hibari's words, but to the knowledge his Flame had given him. To prove it, Tsuna began his counterattack. Rather than dodge Hibari's tonfas, Tsuna grabbed them and managed to hold on for a single instant before Hibari flung him fifty feet to the side.

"What are you playing at, Sawada?" Hibari asked in disgust. The sound of sizzling made him look down to find one of his tonfas had been liquefied and was dripping molten metal into the grass below. He dropped the now-useless weapon before looking back up at Tsuna with a wide smile. "I see," he murmured. "You think that without my weapons, I am powerless."

"Not even close," Tsuna panted while he once again regained his feet. "I just thought it couldn't hurt to get rid of one of your bags of tricks. I almost got both of them, but you're too damn quick." Hibari raised his other tonfa with a smile and inspected the fingerprints melted into the side.

"Too bad for you that you didn't get them both at once," he commented. Before Tsuna could understand the danger of that statement, Hibari hit two hidden catches on his remaining tonfa. The ball and chain dropped out of the bottom before the whole thing completely broke in two. Tsuna looked at the two halves in surprise. One held the ball and chain that Hibari began to twirl playfully, while he laid the other half against his forearm like a shield.

"Shit," Tsuna groaned. "We're back where we started."

"Not quite," Hibari replied with a dark grin. "You made me pull out one of my tricks much earlier than expected."

"That doesn't make me feel any better," he mumbled from his defensive stance. "It looks like I'll have to pull out one of mine, too."

"Oh?" Hibari asked while he began to lazily advance. "And what might that be?" In answer, Tsuna quickly switched his Flame into the negative Dying Will state and began to focus. 

"Just a trick I learned," Tsuna replied to buy a few moments of time. "Do you know what compression is?"

"It means to put something under pressure to increase it's density," Hibari answered curiously. Tsuna nodded, relieved that he was willing to pause for the necessary moment. Before he could understand that Tsuna had purposely delayed his attack, Tsuna released the negative flame he'd been compressing in his hand while he focused on a single, simple image.

"I see," Hibari said in open pleasure. Tsuna panted and grabbed the long spear that he'd created from his own ice, hoping that it was strong enough to counter Hibari's reach with his chains. There was only one way to find out though. Both he and Hibari seemed to come to the same conclusion at the same time. They both darted forward at incredible speeds and Tsuna focused on the wall of pain that was approaching him. The chain and ball on the end of his tonfa whistled against the night air, it's speed and force sounding its danger upon its approach.

The chain and the spear met and the spear lost instantly in a flash of shards and debris. Having prepared himself for the possibility, Tsuna took the opportunity to grab the chain in the instant it slowed from the impact. A single surge of Flame through his glove melted the chain and the ball went flying to the side to come to a crashing halt in the center of a tree.

"Not bad." Hibari praised. "But you forgot something." Tsuna gasped when Hibari's other tonfa half impacted his unprotected side, cracking his ribs before momentum from the blow sent him flying to the side. He barely managed to land on his feet and gain his balance when the man was back on him, sending blow after blow toward him like their initial fight. His Flame surged in warning, making him dart for the sky at the same instant that Hibari hit another secret catch in his split weapons, releasing hooks that would have torn into him with the unexpected extra reach.

He panted from where he hovered, needing a moment to catch his breath from Hibari's merciless attacks.

"Don't think you're safe just because you can fly," he heard whispered in his ear. He yelped in surprise and began to turn to the sound. Hibari only gave him a second to recognize him before putting all the momentum from his jump into hitting Tsuna's back and knocking him forcefully into the ground. "I agreed to this place for a reason, Sawada," Hibari called from his landing perch in a tree. Tsuna groaned and shook his head, forcing himself to get back up despite the power that he had been hit with. "I know of your tendency to run like a herbivore when threatened. You can't run from me here, Sawada. While you were lazing around with your friends and enjoying your feeling of self-satisfaction, I have been preparing for this day. No matter what height you try to run to, I have ways of reaching you."

"I won't run," Tsuna groaned, finally regaining his feet. He looked around, trying to find Hibari, only to find that the man was no where in sight. "Hibari?"

"Do you know why I don't mind wearing this ring, Sawada?" Hibari asked from the shadows below the treeline.

"Why?" Tsuna replied, feeling as if the words were pulled from him.

"Clouds suit me, Sawada," Hibari called with a soft chuckle. Tsuna's eyes darted around, trying to find the source in the shadows and coming up empty. "Clouds can aggressively cross the Sky or they can slowly drift in place. Either way, they go at their own pace. But do you know what I like best about them?"

"No," Tsuna admitted honestly, still looking around him worriedly for the source of Hibari's voice. "What's the best thing about them?"

"They can appear out of nowhere," Hibari said into his ear. Tsuna yelped despite himself and his Flame surged in startlement. Once again he turned to counter the man behind him, but Hibari was already moving. Tsuna barely managed to use his boost in time to escape the blow mercilessly aimed for his head, although it still grazed above his temple. He felt blood slowly drip down the side of his head, but ignored it in favor of dodging another blow that Hibari aimed at him. 

"I've fallen into your pace," Tsuna grunted, dodging another. Hibari's eyes flashed and another pleased smile flickered at the corners of his lips. "In that case..." Tsuna abruptly sat down, a move that Hibari didn't expect. He hesitated for the single instant that Tsuna needed to kicked upwards into his gut and send him flying backward in surprise. Then, before he could completely recover his balance, Tsuna boosted himself into the air and began sending down pointed ice shards in an endless rain like they were daggers. While they were easily broken since Tsuna didn't have time to compress the energy that formed them, the pointed tips made Hibari pause in consideration. He darted for cover rather than test Tsuna's newest trick. 

Tsuna smiled softly, having already foreseen the outcome of either choice Hibari could have made. Had he stayed under the shower and attempted to destroy them, Tsuna would have paused long enough to compress the following attack and break through his defenses. Instead of chancing that, though, Hibari had chosen the other option that had already been proved affective once. 

This time, Tsuna darted inside after him. He felt a single moment of remorse before he began his planned attack. His Flames flared out in response to his call, catching the trees around him on fire in a blazing inferno. Hoping that he could finish the fight soon and bring the blaze under control, Tsuna tried not to think of all the scared animals fleeing the area. His tactic did what he'd hoped, however. Hibari jumped into the sky from his hiding spot and headed for a nearby rock clearing that overlooked the now burning forest. 

Taking the opportunity while Hibari was mid-jump, Tsuna pelted forward with every ounce of speed he could muster and rammed bodily into him. Even off-guard, Hibari still managed to counter the blow with a tonfa to Tsuna's chest. The impact did what was needed, however. Hibari lost control of his jump and went plummeting to the ground with all the force Tsuna had hit him with, crashing into trees and knocking burning bushes into the air from his fall. Going for the kill like he promised, Tsuna darted down after him once he regained his balance from the counter-blow.

Landing on in the clearing that Hibari's crash had created, Tsuna walked toward the direction that Hibari had impacted in. Then the dust and smoke cleared a bit and Tsuna began to boost forward at the sight of Hibari's tonfa. He paused with a fist a mere inch away from Hibari's face, however, and fell to his knees in shock.

"H-Hibari...?" Tsuna asked, looking back and forth between the man's closed eyes and the sharp, broken branch protruding from his chest. "No..." Tsuna moaned, reaching up for Hibari's face despite the thin trail of blood that began leaking out of the corner of his mouth. "No, come on, Hibari," Tsuna begged with tears in his eyes. "This can't be happening. You can't lose like this. It was just a fall. The crash wasn't that bad. You need to wake up and keep fighting. You hear me, Hibari! Wake up!" 

"_He's dead, child_," the voice in his head murmured.

"He's not dead," Tsuna cried stubbornly, pulling his friend from the broken remains of the tree he'd hit. Tsuna sobbed at the squelching sound of the branch being pulled out of his chest at the movement. "He just landed badly. I need to get him to a hospital. I can't let him die. I promised myself I--"

"_He's dead, little one_," the voice repeated. 

"Shut up!" Tsuna screamed despite the blood pouring out of Hibari's now-gaping wound. "I won't let him die!" Needing some place he could put Hibari down so that he could stop the bleeding, Tsuna pulled Hibari to his chest and darted through the blazing forest fire for the very raised clearing that Hibari had initially been heading for. Once there, he laid his friend out and began attempting to seal off the hole. It was too large, however. Even Tsuna could see it, although he didn't want to acknowledge it. 

"Please, Hibari," Tsuna cried, pressing down on the wound first with flame and then attempting to seal it with ice. "Please, you can't die on me."

"_Even if you stop the external bleeding_," the voice commented sadly. "_Several of his organs have been pierced. He is already beyond your ability to save, child of Flame_."

"Help me," Tsuna begged while he began weeping into Hibari's blood-soaked chest. "Please, I'll do anything. Just help me save him."

"_Why do you wish for him to live so badly?"_

"He's Family," Tsuna cried. "Even if he's a black sheep, he's still Family! We got strong together and fought together! He's an important person that I can't lose!"

"_Then why did you kill him?" _The voice asked mercilessly.

"Please," he cried in return. "It was an accident. I didn't mean for this to happen. He's important to me and he needed me to fight him seriously. I never would have if I hadn't believed that we would both survive. I'll do anything, just please tell me how to save him! I know that you can! My intuition says so!"

"_Very well_," the voice replied gently. "_But the price is high. Are you sure--"_

"YES!" Tsuna screamed. "I'll pay any price! Just save Hibari!"

"_I hope you don't come to regret those words_," the voice murmured. Tsuna gasped and felt the Firebird's Flames begin to surge through him beside his own. "_Let us begin_," it ordered, taking partial control of his body. Tsuna nodded in acceptance and began the work under the Firebird's direction.

* * *

"What is it?" Gokudera asked to the little boy pulling on his pant leg. He froze when he saw fat tears welling up in Hotaru's eyes. "Oi," he asked softly, kneeling down to him. "What's wrong?"

"Grandpa Fire says he has to take Papa away," Hotaru cried before he buried himself into Gokudera's arms and began weeping. Gokudera froze in confusion at the words.

"What do you mean, Hotaru? Where is the Ninth going to take the Boss?" 

"Not Grandpa Tim," Hotaru sobbed into his shoulder. "Grandpa Fire is going to take Papa away! You have to go save Papa!" 

"I don't understand, Hotaru," Gokudera replied, urgently shaking the little boy loose from his shoulder. He grabbed Hotaru's arms while he continued to wail and gave a small shake to get the little boy to focus for a moment. "I thought the Ninth was the Grandpa Fire you told me about. Who is it if it's not the Ninth?"

"Grandpa Fire talks to Papa sometimes," Hotaru sniffed.

"Are you talking about that voice he's been hearing in his head?" Gokudera asked in instant understanding. He began to panic when Hotaru nodded in agreement. "And he's taking him away? Where to?" In answer, Hotaru began wailing again and once more latched onto Gokudera's shoulder. Gokudera snatched him up and began running for the Family Room, seeing that the little boy was beyond talking to. He paused in shock when he arrived. The Ninth was in the middle of nearly strangling Iemitsu in panic.

"Where's Tsunayoshi!" The old man yelled.

"I don't know," Iemitsu choked in the man's panicked grip. 

"He's at Death Mountain," Yamamoto supplied with wide eyes. The Ninth let go of Iemitsu, who fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes, and darted forward to the swordsman.

"We must go get him!" He shouted. 

"We have to go save Papa!" Hotaru wailed in agreement. The Ninth, Yamamoto, and the watching Ryohei all looked over at him in surprise. "Grandpa Fire is going to take Papa away!"

"Dear Lord," the Ninth moaned at his words. "Why of all times must today be the Day? He's not ready!" 

"What's going on, Ninth?" Gokudera asked in shock.

"I'll explain on the way," he said ushering them all toward the door. They paused, seeing a black-suited Family member rushing forward with a cell phone in his hands.

"Sir," he called, skidding to a stop in front of Gokudera. "I just got a report in from Reborn, sir!"

"Spit it out!"

"Death Mountain is on fire, sir! He's called Dino for rescue teams and asked us to wait at the hospital."

"W-Who's hurt?" Yamamoto asked worriedly.

"Hibari, sir," the man immediately responded. "Assumed dead, although Reborn reported that he's still attempting to get close enough to verify. The fire is spreading and he says it's difficult to get past."

"_PAPA_!" Hotaru screamed suddenly, making everyone jump. "Don't go, _PAPA_!"

"Let's go," Gokudera ordered softly, holding the boy tight to his chest. No one, not even the Ninth, objected.

* * *

Hibari slowly opened his eyes, feeling strangely like he'd been pulled back from the brink of an endless chasm. 

"Thank goodness," he heard someone cry nearby in relief. Sitting up in disorientation, he looked over to see Tsuna kneeling next to him. Hibari gasped when his opponent flung himself into his arms, hugging him in joy. 

"Do you want me to bite you to death?" Hibari growled, looking down at the man latched around his waist.

"Do whatever you want," Tsuna cried. "I'm just glad that you're alive."

"Alive?" Hibari repeated in confusion. In answer, Tsuna pulled back and he got a good look at the bloody hole in his shirt. "What happened?" He murmured. 

"You hit a couple of trees when you landed and a branch went through your chest," he answered, scrubbing away the tears in his eyes. "I managed to heal you with some help, but you still need to rest."

"Che," Hibari spat while he attempted to get to his feet. It took three tries and the aid of a nearby rock outcropping, but he managed. "So you defeated me."

"No," Tsuna said with a sad smile. "It was just bad luck that you landed badly. I wasn't aiming for such a thing, so it can't be counted."

"Very well," Hibari agreed, making Sawada chuckle in relief. He rose to his feet, as well, and gave Hibari a long look that made him faintly uncomfortable. "What?" He snarled.

"I'm really glad that you're okay," he replied with a mournful expression. "But I have to go now. Do you think you could do me a favor?"

"You did heal me," Hibari answered grudgingly, still not quite believing the claim despite the proof on his own shirt.

"Can you tell everyone that I said I'm sorry?" He whispered, making Hibari freeze.

"What are you talking about, Sawada?"

"Just, please, tell them for me," Tsuna begged. "I don't want to have any regrets."

"You sound like you're going to die or something," Hibari commented, not liking his opponent's attitude.

"I really wanted us to walk off the mountain together," Tsuna said softly in response. He gave Hibari another sad smile before turning to look up at the moon. "It's time," he mumbled to himself. "But, at least I'm not alone. I have you here with me, right?"

"Sawada--?" Hibari inquired when tears started falling down his face.

"I'm sorry," he sniffed with a small, faltering laugh. "I'm getting emotional again. It's just that I don't think that the scales are going to be in my favor. Even so, I'm glad that I could save you. You're Family and Family is worth any price that I'm asked. Even the price of lost time that I could have used to prepare."

"What are you--?"

"Goodbye, Hibari," Tsuna interrupted softly before he fell to his knees. Hibari darted forward automatically to steady him when he began to fall forward. "I don't think I'll be coming back, so...be sure...and...tell them...for me..."

"Oi," Hibari called while Tsuna's eyes began to flicker shut. "What the hell are you talking about?" He froze when Tsuna's eyes finally closed and he slipped limply out of his tenuous grasp to fall forward on the ground. Hibari knelt down next to him, unable to comprehend what had happened. With a jerk, he flipped Tsuna over to lay in his lap and continued to shake him. "This isn't amusing, Sawada," Hibari growled down at his unmoving body. "You can't go out like this. Get your ass back up and fight me you damned herbivore. It's not sunrise yet."

Hibari paused at the sight of the Dying Will Flame that burst free on Tsuna's head. Before he could decide on a response to it, it began to surge wildly around and Tsuna began to scream. It cut off abruptly when the Flame lunged forward with a nearly audible rip to reveal a head of Flame with Tsuna's face. It looked up at him and smiled at his blank expression before pulling more of itself free from Tsuna's body. The head of Flame grimaced from effort and Tsuna screamed again in pain when his shoulders and arms came loose like a ghost. The rest of the Flame quickly followed with one final scream from Tsuna which ended in a breathless gasp.

Looking back and forth between the Flame-Tsuna standing before him and the Flesh-Tsuna in his lap, Hibari tried to comprehend what had happened. 

"_The way is open_," he heard in his head. After a moment, Hibari realized the voice was coming from the Flame-Tsuna that was looking up into the sky like he was searching for something. "_Mukuro is waiting to guide me_."

"Are you dead?" Hibari asked, touching the face of the Tsuna in his lap. His skin was already growing cold and pale now that his Flame no longer surged through it.

"_My body is_," he confirmed. "_The voice said he would remain behind and be a surrogate Flame once I've crossed over_." The Flame-Tsuna smiled down at him, outlined from the forest fire still spreading behind him and the moon overhead. "_Don't look so downhearted, Hibari. Unless the Firebird forsakes me, I won't be truly dead. So take care of my body for me_."

"Where are you going?" Hibari asked, pulling the Flesh-Tsuna to him in order to try to warm it.

"_The way is open_," he repeated. "_My Day of Reckoning has come_."

"I don't understand, Sawada," Hibari admitted. "What--"

"_Goodbye, Hibari_," Tsuna mumbled sleepily into his head. Hibari stared at the Flame-Tsuna in curiosity. It began to whip around like there was a great wind ripping it to shreds despite it being a wind-less night. He smiled warmly down at him and gave a gentle wave of farewell before he was gone completely. 

In his arms, Tsuna gasped in sudden life before falling back to sleep with a sigh.

"What the hell?" Hibari murmured, still staring blankly at the place that Tsuna's Flame had disappeared.


	99. Chapter 99 Snow

Author's notes: 99 bottles of V Special on the wall, 99 bottles of V Special... J/K! I'm really on a roll for this arc, because it's one that I've been thinking about for a long time. I actually wanted to turn this one into Flames and Family III, but decided just to keep adding to this one so that we can break 100 Chapters.

Okay, the real reason for these notes, however, is a reminder that this is my own little fantasy. LOL Don't hate me if my fantasy turns out to be completely different from Amano's! (Which it undoubtedly will.) Read on and you'll come to understand the reason behind my warning.

* * *

Gokudera paced in front of the hospital while the Ninth rocked Hotaru inside. Two hours had passed since they'd received the call from Reborn who still hadn't returned. Everyone had given up on talking, already having long argued over everything they could. Even so, Yamamoto still had a look of shock on his face over what the Ninth had told them. 

"He tried to tell us," Yamamoto moaned yet again to himself. "He tried to tell us that he wasn't crazy and the voice was helping him, but we--"

"Will you just shut it, already?" Gokudera snapped irritably, pulling out another cigarette before bothering to toss his old one away. "For all we know, the Boss has already finished with that damn rite of passage that the Ninth told us about and he's flying here with Hibari's body while we speak."

"Little bro is probably going to be upset about that," Ryohei mumbled unhappily. "Every time he talked about the fight that he'd have with Hibari, he always intended for them both to live. I guess little bro underestimated himself."

"He likes to do that," Gokudera grudgingly agreed, staring hopefully at headlights coming down the road. He snarled in irritation and threw away his empty pack of cigarettes when he unintentionally snapped his last one in half at the sight of another normal car. "Where the hell are they!"

"There!" Yamamoto yelled. Gokudera instantly looked into the sky where the swordsman pointed and began running for the helicopter landing pad. His two friends weren't too far behind as the wind began to stir and the quiet thump of the rotating propellers reached their ears. They all three came to a sliding stop when the person they thought was dead jumped out carrying someone before the helicopter even finished landing. 

"Boss!" Gokudera shouted in recognition of Hibari's burden. He rushed forward to take him, but Hibari gave him a deadly glare before shrugging past. "What happened?" He asked instead, chasing behind him while Reborn jumped onto his shoulder for a ride.

"I died," Hibari growled. "Sawada resurrected me and then passed out. End of story."

"Don't give me that bullshit!" Gokudera yelled, following him inside the building. "Hotaru wouldn't--"

"Look, Hotaru," the Ninth interjected as Hibari laid Tsuna down on a gurney surrounded by nurses and doctors. "See, Tsunayoshi is alright. He's just resting."

"That's not Papa," Hotaru objected, burying his face into the Ninth's shoulder. "That's Grandpa Fire. Papa went away."

"Hotaru?" Gokudera asked, looking from the child back down to his Boss, then back up again. "What do you mean?"

"Papa went away," he repeated before beginning to cry again. Gokudera snarled in frustration and grabbed Hibari by his tattered and bloodstained shirt while the doctors began wheeling the gurney way.

"What the hell happened?" Gokudera asked through clenched teeth.

"Take your hands off me unless you wish to be--"

"Bitten to death," Gokudera spat in irritation. "Don't give me that shit right now. What the hell happened to the Tenth?"

"Let him go, Gokudera," Yamamoto ordered gently with hands of restraint on his wrists. "He looks like he's already been through enough. Why don't you try asking with a little civility?" Gokudera clenched his jaw in anger, but released Hibari with a small shove. Everyone paused at the strange spread of emotions that passed over Hibari's face for a moment before he once again returned to his normal, calm expression.

"He said that he wanted you all to know that he was sorry," Hibari said, looking at each of them in turn. "Then he collapsed and his Flame came out of his body. He said that he didn't think he was coming back, but he asked me to watch over his body in case he did. After that, he disappeared." Without waiting for a reaction, he began walking in the direction that the gurney had went.

"Where are you going?" Ryohei asked curiously.

"To fulfill his request," Hibari snapped. "I've told you all I can. If you want to know more, go track down Mukuro. Sawada mentioned that he was going to meet him or guide him or something. A person can't be expected to remember every detail of what happens upon their resurrection."

"Hibari..." Yamamoto mumbled in shock. The man's words were actually a double-shock. First, a claim to willingly follow one of Tsuna's requests. Second, a claim that they should go to _Mukuro _for help. 

"What the hell really happened...?" Gokudera muttered, watching Hibari turn the corner down the hall.

"Standing around here isn't going to tell us anything," Ryohei said, once again surging back to energetic life. "Gokudera can stay here to watch little bro in case he wakes up. Yamamoto can call the rest of the Fa--"

"I don't think that's such a good idea," the Ninth interjected, setting Hotaru down in one of the many chairs gathered around the reception desk. "It might be a while before Tsunayoshi returns to us. I would prefer if we kept his condition to ourselves."

"What do you mean, Ninth?" Gokudera asked while all the blood rushed out of his face. "It's just a rite of passage, right? He'll be up and around by morning."

"Not quite," the Ninth replied sadly. "The last record that I could track down about the Day of Reckoning was a case that took two years before he returned from his trial. That Boss in particular had many crimes to atone for. I fear Tsunayoshi's list of crimes will keep him away for some time."

"You knew about this," Yamamoto snapped, finally at the end of his limits. "You knew this would happen when you sent Tsuna that invitation! You knew that the things you made him do would end up hurting him! Why the hell--"

"I had to give him the choice," the Ninth interrupted. The mournful look in his eyes made the swordsman pause and lower the accusing finger he'd absently raised. "There's always a choice to be made, even if the choice is to do nothing. It was my job to open the path and allow him to choose whether to go down it or not. One day he will have to do the same for his heir, no matter how difficult it might be. A Boss must have resolution and determination and I deemed that the time had come for him to gain that."

"What gave you the right to tell him that he had be a Boss at all?" Ryohei asked dangerously. Everyone's heads snapped in his direction and gaped at the dark look on the man's face. "Little bro isn't some damn puppet that you can pull the strings on. He might have the Vongola bloodline, but that shouldn't have given you the right to go into his life and begin rearranging it."

"Ryohei..." Gokudera breathed in shock. 

"I stayed quiet because little bro made the choice to go on his own," Ryohei growled. "That doesn't mean I ever liked it. Even now, he hates his life because the Mafia. But you know what? It's not because of the pain it causes him, but because the pain he thinks it causes us. Do you know that he told me to start boxing again? He even ushered me down to get my pro boxing license and signed me up for the spring tournament when I couldn't find any willing opponents without gym backing. Do you know why I let him?"

"Why?" Yamamoto asked like Ryohei obviously wanted.

"The smile on his damn face," Ryohei answered. "The smile that the Mafia took from him. The smile that he only gets when he's around his Family." Ryohei turned and glared deeply into the Ninth's face. "Not your damn Family," he snarled. "_Tsuna's_ Family."

"I see," the Ninth replied calmly despite the fury in Ryohei's eyes.

"So, now that you know," Ryohei said with an eye twitching in suppressed rage, "I'm going to go get Tsuna's Family since _Tsuna's Family _will be pretty fucking upset when they hear that you and _your damn Family _put him in the hospital again!"

"Very well," the Ninth agreed softly.

"What are you talking about, lawn-head?" Gokudera interjected. "Vongola is--"

"Shut up, you fucking nitwit," Ryohei snapped. "Are you Tsuna's Family or are you this old man's? When you can answer that, then you can fucking talk to me!" Gokudera snapped his mouth shut from the force of Ryohei's anger. The boxer turned back to look at the Ninth with flaming eyes full of warning. "If my little bro doesn't recover, I will personally ensure that the Family that instigated his condition is properly punished."

Three jaws dropped at the warning which had all the force of hitman experience behind it. They watched him stomp out the door, nearly busting the doors off their hingesin his anger, before turning to look at each other in surprise.

"Ninth," Gokudera mumbled, "I'm s--"

"Don't apologize for him," the Ninth interrupted in deep sadness. "His anger is justified. If it wasn't for my own past mistakes, Tsunayoshi's life might never of crossed paths with mine except in passing. Because of that, I am to partly to blame for his current condition."

"Still," Yamamoto replied, "You're part of Tsuna's Family, too."

"I don't think that his Sun Guardian sees it that way at the moment," the Ninth commented. 

"I'm take Hotaru and go find Haru," Yamamoto offered. "It probably wouldn't be pretty if Ryohei told her about this." The Ninth nodded in agreement then fell into a whispered discussion with Gokudera. "Oi," he called worriedly from across the entrance area. The two men turned to see the swordsman looking under chairs for the little boy and coming up empty. "Where's Hotaru?"

* * *

"Kufufufu," Mukuro chuckled, circling around Tsuna's body of Flame in admiration. "How does it feel to be pure Flame, my little Mafia Boss?" Tsuna smiled crookedly with a shrug and opened his mouth to respond. He gave Mukuro a look of confusion when no voice came out, sending his guide into a fit of laughter. "Lost your tongue, have you?"

Irritated by Mukuro's amusement, Tsuna tried to remember how he'd spoken to Hibari.

"Stop fighting your Flame," Mukuro advised. "Even now, when your Flame is all you have, you still try to fight it. Give in to it or you will never be able to speak in your own defense." Deciding that he didn't have anything to lose, Tsuna tried to relax and let his Flame's intuition do its work. He gasped silentlyin surprise when his hand moved on its own to reach out and touch Mukuro.

"_What the hell_," Tsuna mumbled, looking at the hand on Mukuro's shoulder. He jumped at the sound of his own voice.

"Kufufufu," Mukuro chuckled. "My mind is well prepared against outside intrusion, Sawada Tsunayoshi. Even with physical contact, I would never hear your voice unless I chose to. Or do you still not understand?"

"_Not really_," Tsuna admitted.

"You are speaking to me through our Flames, dense boy," Mukuro explained while he looked over the frozen landscape around them. "Although you had a much simpler time touching Hibari's. It's enough to make me jealous."

"_Jealous!" _Tsuna goggled, pulling back his hand like it had been burned. 

"Don't mind me," Mukuro replied playfully, twirling his trident as he walked out on top of the frozen lake. "I'm feeling a bit nostalgic. It's been so long since this world iced over like this."

"_What happened?" _Tsuna asked, hoping that Mukuro would still hear his voice despite the lack of contact. He tried not to groan at the playful look on the man's face or the knowing grin while he cupped his ear to say that he couldn't hear him. Gritting his teeth, Tsuna darted forward to make the necessary contact required to let Mukuro hear him, only to growl when Mukuro playfully darted outside of his range. 

"_Stop playing games! This isn't freeze tag!" _Tsuna yelled, only to have Mukuro chuckle at him again. Tsuna tapped his foot impatiently on the snowy bank, now knowing from the man's timely responses that he could, indeed, hear him. "_What happened here?_" Tsuna asked again, gesturing to the frozen landscape.

"So serious," Mukuro admonished. He began skating across the ice like it was a winter wonderland instead of a startling abnormality. Deciding that he wasn't going to get any answers, Tsuna sat down on the ground and tried not to get upset when the snow underneath him hissed and steamed away. Looking around the place he'd visited several times before, Tsuna knew from experience where he was. The place of Limbo had radically changed, however. Unlike the perpetual springtime that the lake had always previously held, everything was covered in ice and snow.

"_I'm scared, Mukuro_," Tsuna admitted softly, bringing the ice-skating man to a stop. "_Everyone else is gone and you're the only one still here, but you don't seem to care. You always used to care when I visited you here_." Despite himself, Tsuna began crying at the sudden loneliness that overwhelmed him. He paused for a moment, catching one of his tears in his hands, only to cry harder at the sight of sparks where water should have been.

"Forgive me," Mukuro replied gently, walking forward across the ice and snow to him. "I was being insensitive. I forget that you have no memories outside your current Path. While I am overjoyed at the thought of you being forced free of the Path of Humans, you still hold it in high esteem."

"_Everyone I know and care about is Human_," Tsuna cried. "_Of course I don't want to be forced off of that Path_."

"Even your little firefly?" Mukuro asked gently. 

"_He's Human_," Tsuna snapped immediately. "_He's just... special!"_

"As are you, my dear friend," Mukuro soothed with a small chuckle. Tsuna froze and looked into Mukuro's eyes which were full of sympathy and caring. He laid his trident aside and knelt down next to him. Reaching out, Mukuro caught one of the sparks glittering down his orange cheek and sighed. "Humans have such short memories. They don't even remember the gift that gave them warmth and passion."

"_What do you mean?" _Tsuna asked curiously, caught up in Mukuro's aura of sad remembrance.

"Do you know the story of Prometheus?" Mukuro asked before shaking his head with a small chuckle. "No matter," he amended. "The truth is so tragically different than the reality. The story you need to know goes: Once upon a time, there were seven Paths carved into creation. Beings who had crossed all seven Paths began to congregate on either side of this very lake like they were Gods and traversed the Paths freely. 

One such being was recorded in Human myths as Prometheus: he who gave fire to mankind by stealing it away from the greatest God of all, Zeus. The truth, however, is that Prometheus destroyed the Path of Essence and harnessed it on the other side of this very lake. He tied the Essence of Flame to his favorite Path, the Path of Humans, giving Humans both warmth and power. The Chains that bound it there were turned into rings that were spread out across the Path of Humans in hiding. 

Much time passed and those who treaded the Path of Humans forgot about the gift that they'd been given by Prometheus. Then the Mafia appeared and gained control of those Chains, without ever knowing the power that they held in their hands. The fools only thought of them as rich tokens of ancient civilizations and altered them to use as tokens of their own superiority!"

"_So the Vongola Rings...?" _Tsuna murmured, completely enveloped in Mukuro's unbelievable story.

"Oh, that's a story to itself, my friend," Mukuro chuckled. "But I'm sure He will want to tell you about that on His own."

"_He?" _Tsuna repeated.

"Come, dear Sawada Tsunayoshi," Mukuro replied, offering a hand to help him stand. "It is time for you to go meet the Council." Tsuna took the proffered hand hesitantly, pushing away all the questions he wanted to ask. He stood beside Mukuro and gripped his hand in sudden unease.

"_I'm scared, Mukuro_," Tsuna repeated softly as the man led him forward to the edge of the lake. "_What's going to happen to me?"_

"You will come to understand the truth behind the power you hold," Mukuro soothed. "But only if you are deemed suitable as a Boss. I won't lie and tell you that it will be painless, my friend. I will tell you that the pain will end eventually. Either with your return to the Path to Humans or into a new oblivion."

"_I want to see my Family again_," he replied. Mukuro nodded in understanding and pulled him out onto the icy lake. Tsuna gasped as the ice below him began to melt. "_What--!"_

"Don't worry," Mukuro soothed, brushing his hair away while he began to sink down into the cold waters below. "This world has been frozen so that you may pass through with your memories intact. I will be waiting here to guide you home upon your return."

_"You're not coming with me?" _Tsuna gasped, trying to find his footing in what should have been shallow water. It seemed bottomless below him and he began sinking faster into the depths. He attempted to grab the ice around him in panic, wanting to pull himself out before it was too late, but the ice just melted under his Flaming hand. He could hear Mukuro chuckling at his feeble attempts to save himself a moment before he felt the man's trident tap him on his head. Tsuna grabbed it, wanting to latch onto anything that might save him, only to feel Mukuro push him down below the cold waters mercilessly. The bottom of the trident melted in his hands and Tsuna felt himself sinking into the depths despite his frantic efforts to swim upward.

Above him, beyond the clear ice that quickly covered the hole he'd went through, Tsuna stared up at the slowly receding form of Mukuro and tried not to cry.

Mukuro was waving goodbye and smiling.


	100. Chapter 100 Two Halves

"Hotaru," Haru asked gently. "Come out of there."

"Don't wanna!" He cried from under the bed. 

"Why don't we go find Tsu-kun and ask him why you can't go into your ring," Haru offered, kneeling down on the floor next to it. "He knows more--"

"Papa went away," Hotaru sniffed from his hiding spot. "Papa went away and Grandpa Fire is too busy with Papa's heavy part to talk to Hotaru."

"You're not making any sense," Haru said in exasperation. She peeked under the bed and stared at Hotaru's wide eyes. It was a measure of how upset he was that his eyes glowed softly in flames instead of the facade he normally created. He had even stopped crying watery tears and was quietly leaking heat-less sparks all over the floor. 

"Hotaru," Haru called softly. "Come on out and talk to me, Hotaru. Even if Tsu-kun had to go somewhere for work, your Mommy is still here." Ever so slowly, the little boy responded and began to crawl out from under the bed toward the hand that she held out for him. With a sigh, Haru let him crawl up into her lap where he continued to shake in silent tears.

"Now, do you want to tell me what happened?" She asked softly. In effort to soothe him enough to talk, she slowly rocked him against her chest and brushed his hair with her hand. The tension in him began to ease and he looked up at her with a scared expression.

"Papa went away," he said with another sniff. "Papa went to the other place and Hotaru can't go there right now."

"He'll be back soon, where ever he went," Haru soothed with a gentle smile, assuming that he had went to the club or to the school. Both places were areas that Hotaru wasn't allowed to go normally. "Tsu-kun always comes back."

"Promise?" Hotaru asked with wide eyes. Haru nodded to reinforce her words and Hotaru gave the first smile she'd seen on him all day. 

"So until then," she continued. "You go play and be happy. That's way Tsu-kun can see you having fun when--"

"HARU!"

Haru jumped in place from the loud yell that echoed through the house. She stood up with Hotaru in her arms while she looked out her open bedroom door. Yamamoto was rushing down the hall toward her with an open expression of relief when he saw the little boy in her arms.

"Thank goodness," he panted, coming to a stop at the door. "We were so worried when Hotaru disappeared."

"Hotaru wanted to go see Papa," he replied, looking down and playing with his fingers to signal that he thought he was in trouble. "Hotaru tried to go to see Papa through the bubble in Hotaru's room, but Hotaru can't go into his room right now."

"He can't go into his room?" Yamamoto asked, looking up at Haru. She shrugged in response, not knowing the reason either.

"He came running in here and nearly burned my hand off in his attempts to go in, but he couldn't. I was hoping that when Tsu-kun came back, he could figure it out."

"Well, about that..."

* * *

"Tsu-kun..." Haru mumbled, looking at the peacefully sleeping face on the hospital bed. She gasped, as did everyone else in the room, when he opened his eyes and turned his head to look at her. "Tsu-kun!" She cried, rushing forward to fling herself around his neck. 

"Wait," the Ninth warned, pulling her away from him. She let go at his urgent tugs, only to realize that something was seriously wrong. Tsuna hadn't hugged her back.

"Tsu-kun...?" She asked, looking into his face. He slowly blinked, then smiled brightly at her without otherwise moving.

"Tsunayoshi isn't himself at the moment," the Ninth whispered to her, pulling her back across the room. Once she was out of his immediate area, Tsuna began to look around curiously, like a child waking up in a new place. "The essence of what he is has left him for now. What's left is just a shadow that's being kept alive with help."

"What do you mean, Ninth?" Gokudera asked from the other side of the bed.

"His body is still here and functioning, but everything that makes him _who he is _has gone to be judged," the Ninth replied. "All that's left are the imprints in his heart and soul."

"I don't get what you--" Yamamoto replied, walking up to the bed. He paused at Tsuna's responding movement and blinked at the arms held out in demand of a hug. "W-What...?"

"See," the Ninth replied, pointing to Tsuna's reaction to seeing Yamamoto. "It's deeply ingrained into him that you comfort him. So much so that it's his automatic reaction to expect a hug from you."

"Should I...?" He asked, staring at the arms still held out to him. The Ninth nodded gently and the swordsman awkwardly sat down on the bedside to give the hug that Tsuna wanted. Tsuna latched onto him like he had so many times before in private and stayed that way despite how Yamamoto blushed over it. "What am I supposed to do now?"

"That's up to you," the Ninth replied with a wide smile. Tsuna shifted in his embrace to looked at the Ninth and began shaking. Hard. 

"Oi," Yamamoto called worriedly. "Tsuna, what's wrong?" The swordsman looked up in surprise when Tsuna jerked in his arms from a movement by the Ninth and stared at the man like he was the source of all evil. 

"I guess it is to be expected," the Ninth sighed, backing away. "He always hid it so well, though. I never knew I made him react in such a way."

"How long is he going to be like this?" Gokudera asked worriedly.

"I don't know," the Ninth replied, looking at the still-trembling Tsuna. "But I better go before he hurts himself."

"I'll walk you out," Gokudera offered. He paused at the tug he felt on his sleeve and looked down to find that Tsuna had grabbed it. The silver-haired man looked up into his Boss' eyes in surprise, only to find an expression pleading him not to go.

"I'll see myself out," the Ninth said softly, gesturing for Gokudera to stay where he was. Gokudera nodded to the gesture without looking up and sat down on the bedside from another tug on his sleeve.

"Don't worry, Boss," Gokudera soothed softly. "I won't go anywhere." As if the words were a trigger, Tsuna smiled and went back to hugging Yamamoto.

"Oh?" Hibari murmured, slipping into the room as the Ninth slipped out. "I leave for a few moments to change and the herbivore has already recovered?"

"Not quite, Hibari," Harureplied, staring at Tsuna's open reactions to his two closest friends. Hibari walked closer in curiosity and paused when Tsuna turned to look at him. _Yamamoto _gasped when Tsuna scrambled out of his arms. _Gokudera _gasped when he scrambled off the bed altogether. And _Haru _gasped when he jumped up to hug Hibari tightly around the neck.

"What is this herbivore doing?" Hibari growled. He froze, however, at the sound of repetitive whispers coming out of Tsuna's lips. 

"_You're not alone. You're not alone. You're not alone. You're not alone..."_

"Is he trying to comfort--"

"Another word and I will bite you to death," Hibari warned. Yamamoto snapped his mouth shut, although he couldn't help but stare at Hibari's reaction to Tsuna's reaction. Hibari carefully knelt down and picked Tsuna up against his chest before carrying him over to lay him back in the hospital bed. It took forceful and silent help from Gokudera to pry his arms loose from Hibari's neck, after which Tsuna fell silent and stared up at them with a warm smile.

"What now?" Gokudera asked into the silent room.

* * *

Tsuna continued to sink down into the endless depths of the lake. At first, he had panicked, thinking he would drown. After dozens of minutes passed without him even having to breathe, however, Tsuna instead shivered in fear. It was so cold and so dark, but he had no clue where to go or what to do. Mukuro had said that he had to go meet the Council, but he had no clue how to get to them. Was he doomed to continue sinking down into oblivion? Had he already been judged and this was his punishment?

He looked at his hands above him, oddly soothed by the light being emitted from them. Even alone and surrounded by darkness, his Flame hadn't forsaken him. It was truly all he had left except his mind. If it had decided to leave him, he would have truly faded into nothingness. Yet it hadn't. It had wrapped around him and had given him both form and substance, albeit a tenuous one.

"_Thank you_," he whispered into the cold, watery darkness. "_I ignored you so much and betrayed you so many times, but you are still there for me. Even though you are a part of me, you are something more, too. Maybe if I had learned to listen to you better, neither of us would have cried so much. But that doesn't help us now. We're trapped in this lake and I can't see the way to freedom. All I have left is to trust you."_

In utter surrender, Tsuna closed his eyes and let his Flame take over. All of his attempts to use it to find freedom had failed, but perhaps his Flame alone could find the way if he just stayed out of the way and trusted it. He lurched in the water and gasped in surprise when he began sinking faster. Opening his eyes, he saw his hands flaring out formlessly, boosting him head-first, deeper into the depths of the lake. Tsuna started to forcefully take over his Flame body again, instead of allowing his intuition to do all the work, but decided to give in. All attempts to return to the surface had failed. Perhaps the hyper-intuition of his Flame could find the way to freedom.

A sudden impact to his head made him look up...or was it down? In his disorientation, he couldn't tell, but everything turned right-side up when his head broke free of the water. Hands grabbed him before he could even manage to look around, pulling him free of the lake before tossing him onto a large block of stone. He lay there for a moment, gasping in disorientation, before attempting to sit up and look around. When he finally did, he was left gaping at his surroundings.

He was in the center of the ruins he'd previously seen in his dream. He could see the pillars that he'd fallen through previously in the far distance, although now he noticed hundreds of them dotting the horizon. They spread out at their base, but came together like corners of a pyramid before disappearing into the bright sky. Forests and rivers and lakes and mountains and all the things of nature that he'd ever considered beautiful spread out below them.

Closer around him, ivy draped across stone statues in which he recognized only a few of the depictions. Things from dreams and nightmares were carved everywhere and broken mosaics showed scenes that he could never have imagined in his wildest dreams. Curiously, he looked over at the place he'd emerged from, only to find that it wasn't a lake like he'd thought. It was a small, bottomless reflecting pool inset into the stone floor, overflowing in waters which poured over the side of the ruins and down a large cliff like a waterfall. Beside it, a man stood cloaked in dark black and stared out at the horizon calmly.

"I've been waiting for you," he said softly into the silence. "Although this was not the way I hoped for us to meet."

"_Who are you?" _Tsuna asked in hopes the man would hear him.

"Has so much time passed that there is no memory of me?" The man replied. He smiled and turned to look at Tsuna with sad and mournful eyes. He walked closer to Tsuna and with every step, he felt an increasing surge of recognition. Tsuna looked into his face with wide eyes, not comprehending the family resemblance that the other had with him. Then the man lifted a gloved hand and gently laid it on Tsuna's cheek. The single glimpse of it was all he needed.

"_F-First...?" _Tsuna mumbled in awe.

"So I have not yet been forgotten," The First replied warmly.

"_H-How..."_

"Had you gotten here sooner, perhaps we would have had a moment to talk," the First said mournfully. "But, the Council is waiting."

"_W-What--"_

"Come, chosen heir," the First replied. "It is time for the Reckoning to begin." Tsuna nodded and slid off of the block of stone that he'd been tossed on. Silently, he fell in behind the First. He tried not to stare at the man too much, nor to let his fascination with his surrounding overwhelm him too much. Both were awe-inspiring, though. Everything moving was made of Flames. From the Indigo and Red birds that flapped playfully with each other over his head to the Blue salamander that crawled across the crumbling remains of an edifice. Everywhere he looked was life lit in Flames, which seemed a strange counterpart to the normal looking man leading him deeper into the lost city.

Already knowing the cause, Tsuna tried to get his Flame to stop trembling in warning. It was useless, though, since Tsuna himself felt the urge to shudder when they began walking up a steep set of stairs at the center of the ruins. Higher and higher they climbed until finally they came to a flat landing. Seven doors hovered weightlessly in the sky around it, although one was fragmented rubble drifting around in effort to rebuild itself. Remembering Mukuro's tale, Tsuna guessed it to be the original gateway to the Path of Essence. He watched curiously while two large chunks of it reformed, only to be destroyed by a sudden burst of sourceless Flame.

Then Tsuna turned his eyes down to the landing itself. Inset into the ground was small rivulets of Flame, outlining the Vongola crest in six different colors. The First quietly directed him to stand in the center while he watched with a disquieting, remorseful expression on his face. The moment that Tsuna was in place, he understood why. The diagram of Flame below him twisted and stretched around him. Reforming at a speed only Flame could travel, they melted together to become chains. A chain of Red Storm Flame was the first to dart forward, wrapping Tsuna's arms to his chest. Then the Lightening struck, binding his left leg to the ground. The Mist followed, pulling him to his knees when one end wrapped around his waist. The Sun, Rain, and Cloud Flames weren't far behind. They wrapped around him and bound him tightly until he could no longer move from where he was pinned on his knees to the ground.

Silently, the Council began to appear. In a flash of Flames, seven bodies flared up and reformed in the very way that he'd seen Hotaru so many times before. They surrounded him and stared at him, all with identical expressions. 

Remorse.

The First stepped forward while Tsuna looked at the congregation in awe and growing fear. He recognized many of them from the weapons they held and the Dying Will Flames on their heads. Eight generations of dead Vongola Bosses had congregated, Nine if Tsuna himself were to be counted. Before Tsuna could worry about the absence of the Ninth, however, the First Boss came to a stop in front of him. 

The First held out a gloved hand and pressed it to Tsuna's unprotected head, sending a spasm of agony through his body. Despite himself, he cried out when it continued for several long minutes. When the First finally pulled away and the pain stopped, Tsuna bowed his head in relief and panted. It had felt as if something had been forcefully ripped from him, although he couldn't have said what. What he did understand, however, was that his body had been altered into that of a true one in the process. He could tell from how the chains of Flame around him began to tingle and burn his skin.

"The Summoning has begun," one of the Bosses intoned while the First took his place in the circle of Bosses around Tsuna. "The Reckoning will commence."

"Where am I?" A voice said. Tsuna looked up with wide eyes at the source. Once he realized that his immediate recognition hadn't been false, he bowed his head and resisting the urge to weep. The owner of the voice gasped in his own sudden recognition and Tsuna knew the very reason why. "You! You killed me!" 

The chains kept him from evading when the ghostly figure rushed up to take it's anger and pain out on him. Tsuna didn't even flinch at the blows, which pounded into him with all the force of real fists. The Eight Vongola Bosses watched silently while the ghost vented its need for revenge. After a while, the ghost finally stumbled backward, having run out of anger and pain. Tsuna looked up at him with tears in his eyes before bowing his head again in shame.

"Forgive me," Tsuna begged softly. "Please, forgive me, Jack."

"Why should I?" The ghost replied with a sharp gesture to the bloody stab wound in the base of his throat. "You did this to me. You took away my life without ever once attempting to save me. You only cared about saving your own life. You never stopped for a moment to wonder why someone was trying to kill you. You never stopped to wonder _who _was trying to. I trusted you, Tsuna. I trusted that you were strong enough and caring enough to see past my mask and stop me. You failed me, though. You took away my life instead of saving me. I will never forgive you. I regret having ever met you!"

"I'm sorry, Jack," Tsuna whispered, clenching his eyes shut against the pain that the words caused.

"Sorry doesn't give me my life back," he mumbled before fading away. Tsuna stared at the place he'd disappeared for a long moment before he became acutely aware of how the chains around him began squeezing him. He cried out when they wrenched tight around him and burned into his skin like hot irons before once again loosening back to the previous level of restraint. Tsuna hung limply in their embrace, panting from the physical, mental, and spiritual stress that he'd been forced through.

"Oh, I'm going to enjoy this," a voice said. Tsuna looked up in horror at the next ghost that had appeared to settle the score with him.

"Mochida..."

* * *

"Get that out of here you damn woman!" Gokudera yelled while Tsuna fearfully hid behind him. 

"It's just a puppy!" Haru replied, picking up the chihuahua. "Everyone says that animals help people feel better when they're in the hospital! It's been a week and I want to help, too! Let him pet it!"

"Do you think he wants to pet it?" Gokudera growled. Tsuna whimpered and stared in fear at the small dog that Haru held out. When the little animal gave a sharp, playful bark while it wagged it's tail, Tsuna trembled and began softly crying. "Now look what you've done!" He shouted when the dog started barking more in response to Tsuna's crying and Tsuna cried even harder.

"What's going on here?" Someone else shouted from the door, bringing instant silence. Gokudera, Haru, Tsuna and even the dog looked over to see Ryohei standing in the door with an extreme amount of 'Get-Well' Balloons. 

"Thank Goodness," Gokudera moaned, taking any back-up he could get. "You tell her to get out of here with the dog. Boss is scared of it, but she thinks it'll help him anyway."

"Aren't dogs supposed to help people in the hospital feel better?" Ryohei asked curiously, releasing the balloons into the room. Haru nodded in agreement and held up the small puppy for Ryohei's inspection. He took it from her with one hand and looked it over. "Doesn't seem to dangerous," Ryohei commented. "But Little Bro is scared of it?"

"He's always been scared of dogs," Gokudera agreed. "But he can't hide that fact right now like he normally does."

"He doesn't seem scared to me," Ryohei replied. Gokudera looked down at where Tsuna was peeking out from behind him and looking at Ryohei in curiosity. This time when the dog was held out for him, Tsuna hesitantly reached out to pet it at Ryohei's example. He still jumped when the dog barked in greeting, but his trust in Ryohei allowed him to overcome it. "How's he been doing?" Ryohei asked after getting Tsuna to sit down with the dog in his lap.

"Not bad considering that he's not all there," Gokudera grunted. He slid a window open and sat on the sill to smoke while looking around to spot the teams that he had assigned to protect the hospital both near and far. "Other than the reactions he keeps having with Hibari, he's reacted to everyone in understandable ways."

"Like how?" Ryohei asked, having been taking night watch while Tsuna and nearly everyone else slept.

"He reacts to me like I'm a protector and every time Yamamoto comes in, he wants a hug," Gokudera replied with an expressionless face. "He nailed his father in the face, which we thought was a bit strange, but Iemitsu said that he'd expected it. They might have gotten closer in the past few years, but Boss is apparently still angry over all the years that he was gone. When my Sis came in, he covered his mouth and refused to let go until she left. The best reaction, though, has to have been when the stupid-cow came in."

"How did Tsuna react to him?"

"He laughed," Gokudera answered with a small smile. "He hugged him until the cow did something stupid and then he started laughing until Lambo left."

"Is he eating okay?" Ryohei asked worriedly.

"Ah," Gokudera confirmed. "That's his reaction to seeing his mother. He's pretty messy, but he eats everything that she brings him. He uses the bathroom on his own, too, as long as someone remembers to walk him in there."

"Did Kyoko come by?" 

"I'm going to go home and tuck Hotaru in," Haru interjected, jumping to her feet. Before Ryohei or anyone could react, she disappeared out of the room.

"Did I ask the wrong thing?" Ryohei inquired, looking over at Gokudera.

"I wouldn't bring up your sister around Haru for a while," Gokudera replied carefully. "Compared to the smile he gives Haru, his reaction to seeing Kyoko was a lot more interesting."

"He didn't..."

"He did," Gokudera confirmed. "He picked her up like she was a long-lost lover and started swinging her around while he kissed her."

"Poor Haru," Ryohei mumbled. 

"Poor Boss," Gokudera corrected around his cigarette. "We both know how much he cared about Kyoko and was rejected. He was chasing her for years and that kind of devotion leaves a mark. I'm not saying that he doesn't love Haru, mind you, but it's still a pretty new love compared to how deeply he loved your sister. I have a feeling Boss doesn't even realize how much he still cares about her."

"That's something to worry about when he's in one piece again," Ryohei commented sadly. 

"Hey, lawn-head," Gokudera said after a long drag on his cigarette. "About what you said before. You wanted to know what Family I was part of--"

"Don't worry about that. I'm talking to you, aren't I?" Ryohei replied sheepishly. "I don't know what came over me. Between hearing that Little Bro was in the hospital and the Ninth talking like Tsuna was a thing--"

"I'm the Boss' man," he interrupted, turning to look at Ryohei with hard and determined eyes. "If the choice came down to Vongola or Boss, I'd side with Boss. Thanks to you, I kind of know why he wanted me to call him Boss instead of the Tenth. Also thanks to you, I realized the importance of that difference."

"Extreme!"

"Yeah, well," Gokudera mumbled with a small blush. "So now you have your answer."

"Thanks," Ryohei replied warmly. "I was starting to wonder if I was the only one that really put little bro first."

"You're not," he soothed before flicking his cigarette out the window.

"Well, go ahead and get some sleep. I'll keep watch for the night like always," Ryohei said. Gokudera nodded in agreement and slipped over to the bed that had been set up on the other side of the room for him. Ryohei picked the puppy out of Tsuna's lap and shut it in the bathroom for safe-keeping until Haru returned to get it. Then he went over and guided Tsuna down into a sleeping position. With unquestioning trust in Ryohei, Tsuna fearlessly fell to sleep before the blankets were even pulled up over him.


	101. Chapter 101 Reaction

One thing that Tsuna quickly learned was that his body was still made of Flames despite what the First had done to it. No matter how much the spirits hurt him in revenge, his body reconstructed itself when the chains around him tightened between visitors. But that didn't lessen his pain any. Nor did it give him any hope that he was going to live.

Although he was starting to wonder if he even wanted to.

The ghosts that had come to return the pain he caused weren't all spirits of the dead. The living had come to him, too. People who he had punished and warned. Those who lived in fear because of him. Those who lived in agony because of him. The first few had taken him by surprise and he merely assumed that they were dead without him knowing. Then people he _knew _were alive began to appear. Each of them had taken to their own appearance as if they thought they were dreaming. Each of them had begun venting their pain as if something within them drove it into the open.

Humans were monstrous beasts inside.

The fact was driven into his mind through countless hours of retribution. People that had always been smiling revealed their claws. People that had always frowned revealed their teeth. All of them had one thing in common, though. Tsuna had ruined them. To protect one thing, he had willingly destroyed another. Be it hearts, bodies, or spirits. He had crushed them all.

"Forgive me," Tsuna asked softly from where he lay limply held in his prison of chains. He tried to ignore his still-beating heart which his current visitor held in his hands. He tried to ignore the pain in his chest from where it had been ripped free. He tried to ignore the feeling of approaching death that sank into him likeso many times before. He ignored the blood and the weakness. He ignored his own pride. "Please, forgive me."

"This isn't right," Cress replied, dropping his heart to the ground in shock. "Why did I do that? I know that you had to kill me. I already accepted that before you ever shot me." 

"But I should have saved you," Tsuna replied as he coughed up more blood. He shook his head in effort to clear away that feeling that he was about to die and pleaded again. "Forgive me."

"Lord Tsuna, I--" Cress looked at him and Tsuna bowed his head from the pain in the man's eyes. 

"It's fine," Tsuna whispered as cold death began to spread through him. "You're not the first to be unable to." Closing his eyes, he gave into the sensation of death once again while his visitor disappeared from view. The moment Cress was gone, the chains of Flame spasmed and clenched tightly around him while they infused his body with Flames. The heart on the ground in front of him combusted and the resulting Flames darted back to him, impacting the chest that it had been pulled from. He cried out and was blinded in agony when his body once again was forced to accept the Flames surrounding him. The Flames coursed through his body, giving him new life and reconstructing all that had been damaged.

He gasped and fell limply into the embrace of his bindings once it was over. Having long lost track of how many ghosts had visited him, he waited for the next one to appear and wondered why he didn't just beg for death. He knew why though. Like he had told Mukuro, he wanted to see his Family again. He wanted to go back to them and protect them. He wanted to love them and be loved by them again. For that, he was willing to do anything. Even cling onto a invisible thread of hope that he couldn't see.

"You're that damn brat that took my arm and leg off!"

In resignation, Tsuna looked up to face another of his many crimes.

* * *

Tsuna smiled widely when Hibird once again began singing the Nami-chuu Anthem at the tip of Hibari's hand. Gokudera tried not to grumble. It was the sixth time in a row that Tsuna had chased the bird around the room before settling in front of Hibari to watch the bird sing. Hibari was taking to the attention with surprising calm, perhaps because Gokudera was the only other sane one in the room and Hibari had already given his 'bite to death' threat.

"You know, you don't have to stay here," Gokudera grumbled. "I can watch over him by myself. Don't you have Disciplinary duties or something?"

"That's what I have the prefects for," Hibari replied before flicking Hibird back into the air for Tsuna to chase. The little bird chortled and began flapping around the room playfully outside of Tsuna's reach. 

"You still don't have to stick around," he repeated.

"Are you so threatened by my presence?" Hibari asked softly while he looked out the room's windows. 

"Like hell!" Gokudera snapped. "I just don't get you. You and Boss are usually at each other's throats, but you've been strange ever since you came back down from Death Mountain with him."

"It's in my own interests," Hibari replied. "I can't let my toy break, now can I?"

"He's not your toy!" The silver-haired man growled while Hibird started yet another round of the Anthem. 

"Perhaps," Hibari whispered before bouncing his finger and sending Hibird back up into the air mid-song. "Perhaps you're correct. He's upgraded from toy to pet."

"He's not a pet either!" Gokudera yelled.

"Why not?" He replied. "Pets require more responsibility than toys. They also have their own minds, albeit simple ones. They also have the potential to be useful and provide amusement. I believe Sawada fits that description." Gokudera goggled in silent awe of Hibari's cold appraisal.

"What does it take for you to admit that he's a friend?"

"I believe Sawada has had enough exercise for today," Hibari interjected, standing up. Feeling strangely angry over Hibari's sudden decision to leave, Gokudera reached out and shoved the man back down into his seat. 

"Before you threaten to bite me to death," Gokudera said in response to Hibari's resulting glare, "Answer my question. What would it take for you to consider Boss a friend? We both know that he's considered you one for a long time. Ever since the Ring Battles, in matter of fact. But you...you never once returned that thought. Why?"

"He's still a herbivore," Hibari said through clenched teeth while he stood despite the hand on his shoulder. 

"Is that some kind of code you like to use for 'He actually cares about people and I'm too scared to--'" Gokudera paused and looked down at his Boss who had stopped chasing Hibird out of the sudden desire to quietly stand between Gokudera and Hibari. 

"This response is new," Hibari commented with a raised eyebrow. 

"He's keeping Family from fighting," Gokudera whispered in sad understanding. "Can't you see that?" As if to reinforce Gokudera's words, Tsuna reached up around Hibari's neck again and began whispering the only words he ever said.

"I believe he's had enough exercise today," Hibari repeated with a deadpan expression. Gokudera tried to hide a smile and failed when Hibari was once again forced to pick Tsuna up and carry him to bed before he would let go. He started to leave once Tsuna was safely napping in bed, but Gokudera made him pause at the door.

"You're Family, Hibari," he said softly. "Whether you openly accept it or not, Boss considers you as Family."

"Your point?"

"Come back and check on him all you want," Gokudera permitted quietly. 

"I was going to do--" Hibari cut off whatever else he'd been about to say and stared over Gokudera's shoulder with narrowed eyes. Curious, Gokudera turned to see what he was so intent on. He froze at the sight of Tsuna standing and staring out an open window without anyone having stimulated him to go there. 

"Boss?" Gokudera called worriedly.

"_My intuition has triggered a response in him_," a voice mournfully said into his mind. Gokudera jerked at the sudden intrusion and felt Hibari jerk slightly next to him. "_I can control it no longer. The response... is too strong_. _I have never felt such--"_

"Are you hearing what I'm hearing?" Gokudera whispered back to Hibari. 

"Ah," Hibari confirmed simply.

"_Must... hurry... Stop this body..."_

"What do you--" Gokudera cut off and instinctively ran forward toward his Boss, seeing him raise his fist with the intent to strike the wall. Dust and smoke filled the room when the wall in front of Tsuna shattered and exploded outward at the impact. Wind quickly blew it out of their vision and both Gokudera and Hibari slowly walked forward toward where Tsuna stood at the edge of a three story drop-off. "Boss...?"

"Forgive me," Tsuna whispered slowly with tears welling up in his eyes. "Forgive me. Forgive me--"

"Forgive you for what, Sawada?" Hibari snapped. Tsuna didn't reply, but continued to repeat the same two words while tears fell unheeded down his face. His eyelids flickered for a few moments before he suddenly let out a gut-wrenching scream. The reason for it quickly became clear. His shirt burst into flame and became ash by the sudden presence of a growing rainbow of Flame coming out of his back without the aid of a protective outlet such as Tsuna's gloves. 

"_St...op...!" _A voice cried in their heads. "_My...Fl...! He...ould...not be...ble--"_

"Forgive me," Tsuna panted, picking back up his litany. The Flames on his back began to harden and coalesce. The two men standing witness watched in awe as the Flames began to take on a wing-like quality and Tsuna's eyes continued to flicker in pain.

"What's going on?" Gokudera whispered. Hibari merely shook his head rather than admit out loud that he didn't know. The situation abruptly changed, however. The wings began to stir and flare. Rather than flap like the two half-way expected, Tsuna flew forward from a sudden surge at their edges. They flared outward, propelling Tsuna out into the air before either Hibari or Gokudera had any warning. And they didn't stop flaring. The rainbow of Flame continued to surge and boost Tsuna across the landscape before either of the sentinels behind him even thought to move. By the time they did run forward in hopes to catch him, he was already gone.

That didn't stop Hibari, however. He jumped effortlessly out the gaping hole in the building and landed in a nearby tree. Another jump placed him on the ground where he began running with all the speed that he'd gained in his desire to defeat Tsuna. He, too, was gone within moments. 

Gokudera almost gave chase, as well, out of the overwhelming desire to protect his Boss, but reality made him pause. He had been training and increasing his speed, but he had never been a match for them two to begin with. Knowing that there was only one thing that he could do, he instead reached for his cell phone and began sending out orders to his teams.

* * *

"Fly away, Hotaru," Haru repeated with her hands trembling around the small gun she held. 

"But Papa told Hotaru--"

"Fly back home as fast as you can!" She yelled while she tried to keep her group of assailants at bay. 

"Don't let either of them get away," the tallest of the mob ordered, completely ignoring the shaking gun in Haru's hands while he advanced down the dead-end alley that they'd been forced into. "Boss wants both of them."

"Go, Hotaru," Haru repeated despite her fear. "If you don't go right now, I'll tell Tsu-kun that you were bad." 

"But Mommy--"

"I'll be right behind you," she promised, pushing him backward behind her while she retreated closer to the wall at their backs. "Just fly home and don't look back! Go, Hotaru!" Hotaru began to move at her order and Haru instinctively fired at the man that lunged forward to grab him. The attacker grunted in surprise and fell forward on his face while Hotaru found freedom in the skies. Scared by the sound of gunfire, he darted tearfully in the direction of their house without looking back like Haru had told him. 

"You're going to pay for that, little missy," one of her attackers threatened as he advanced. 

"Stay back or I'll shoot!" She warned in panic as she pointed the gun from person to person in fear. The threat did nothing to scare the mob of men. Instead, they each reached into their jackets and pulled out their own weapons. Haru began to cry when a dozen firearms were pointed in her direction. 

"We were told to bring you back alive," the leader said softly. "But we'll be forgiven for a few mistakes."

"W-What do you w-want with m-me?" Haru replied with a tremble. The leader cocked his large weapon in answer and Haru's small gun fell limply out of her hands from fear. The man smiled in satisfaction and began to fearlessly approach to grab her. He paused in the act of reaching out for her and looked at his suddenly missing forearm in confusion.

Then he screamed in a delayed reaction to the pain and fell to his knees.

"What did you do, bitch?" One of the others shouted, raising his weapon to fire at her. Haru ducked and covered her head at the sound of gunfire with her eyes clenched shut in fear. 

They snapped back open at the sound of screaming. A wall of multi-colored flame obscured her vision, however. The screams continued to sound from behind it and Haru stared at it in wide-eyed shock.

* * *

"Forgive me," Tsuna whispered to the victim he held up by the neck. The man began to gurgle in his own blood when his throat was crushed in Tsuna's hand. Tsuna tossed him to the side while the wings on his back continued to flare out to catch any stray bullets that might have went either toward Haru or out the entrance of the alley. Twitching one slightly, Tsuna batted a man trying to find a way past it toward him and grabbed him by the throat, as well.

"Forgive me," Tsuna whispered.

* * *

Ryohei and Yamamoto rushed forward toward the alley that Hotaru had mentioned, cursing over the fact that Haru had slipped outside the estate without an escort. They had all known she was worried about Hotaru's inability to return to his ring to rest, but hadn't expected her to go out alone to see Patchwork about it. Finally reaching their destination, they both froze after turning the corner to see Hibari standing in front of a wall of Flame.

"What's that?" Ryohei blurted in surprise.

"More importantly, where's Haru?" Yamamoto asked, lowering the Shigure Kintoki that he'd brought along.

"I'm here!" She called from the other side of the wall. "I can't get out!"

"What happened?" Ryohei shouted in return while he looked around for some way to get up over the wall barring their way.

"Some bad men chased me in here and were trying to kidnap me!" She shouted back. "I thought I was about to die, but this wall appeared between me and them."

"It's not a wall," Hibari corrected softly with his hands hovering over the rainbow of Flame. "They're wings and Sawada is in the center."

"Tsuna's in there?" Yamamoto gaped.

"We'll get you in a minute, Haru," Ryohei called. "We just have to find a way over this. It has to be a couple of stories tall."

"Hurry," she replied. "I'm scared. There was a lot of screaming a while ago and now it's so quiet."

"You'll need a boost to get you over," Hibari said. "The walls here are too smooth to attempt to climb, but you should be able to make it over with help."

"Me?" Yamamoto asked, seeing Hibari's eyes narrowed in his direction.

"Sawada is going to need a trigger to break him out of this reaction," Hibari explained. "Of all of us here, the one he has for you is most predictable."

"Alright," Yamamoto agreed with a nod, seeing the sense of Hibari's words. "But after this is over, I want an explanation." Hibari nodded and lowered his hands for Yamamoto to step into. Ryohei mirrored the motion and took his other foot into his hands. Then, at some silent cue that the swordsman didn't see, the two threw him into the air in unison. He gasped when he suddenly cleared the wall of fire and barely managed to stab his sword into the side of a building before he plummeted downward uncontrollably. Using his momentum, he swung up onto where his sword was embedded and trusted its strength to hold his weight. Once balanced in place on top of it, he looked down to assess the situation below.

"Tsuna..." Yamamoto whispered when he saw how his friend was continuing to tear body parts into pieces. The mess at his feet wasn't even recognizable as having formerly held humans. His hair and body was matted in blood, yet he didn't even notice in his single-minded determination to rip Haru's attackers into literal shreds. The area around him had long been splattered in blood and the stench of it burning when it hit Tsuna's wings made Yamamoto fight back the urge to retch. 

"Haru," Yamamoto yelled in warning. "Close your eyes and cover your mouth and nose with something. Don't open them or take it off until I tell you to."

"Alright," she called back. Yamamoto nodded and gave her a few moments to find something to use. While he waited, he watched Tsuna pick up the remains of an arm and begin to tear off the fingers one at a time. Unable to stand the sight of his friend doing such a mindless thing anymore, Yamamoto grabbed the hilt of his sword and lowered himself so that he was hanging below it. With a kick to the wall to pull his sword free, he dropped down into the alley between Tsuna's wings.

"Forgive me," Tsuna whispered slowly while he ripped another finger off. "Forgive me. Forgive--" Tsuna paused at the sight of his friend and his wings began to lurch and tremble. With a smile of recognition, Tsuna dropped the body part in his hands and held out his arms for a hug. Clenching his eyes shut against the sight of his bloodstained friend, Yamamoto slowly walked forward through the blood and torn body parts in order to comply. The moment that Tsuna was in his arms, he collapsed with a sigh and the wings blocking both ends of the alley pulled back into his body in a rush of heat and wind.

"I forgive you, Tsuna," Yamamoto cried softly to the unconscious man. He pulled him tight to his chest and sank to the ground with Tsuna in his arms, completely ignoring the bloody carnage around them. "I forgive you."

* * *

"Why are you showing me this?" Tsuna cried, looking away from the window of Flame before him. He clenched his eyes shut and tried not to think of the lives that his body had just mercilessly ended in effort to protect Haru. "That's not even me! I'm here!"

"The will to murder is etched into your very being," the First replied softly. "Your sins have stained you deeply."

"That might be true," Tsuna yelled. "But I won't regret those stains! I won't regret my sins!"

"Why?" The Third asked simply.

"Because my Family is worth anything," he answered with a bowed head. "I will do anything to protect them. That is my resolution."

"Anything? Even harm innocents?" The Eight inquired.

"Innocents?" He repeated with a cold look to the woman. "That depends on your definition of the word. I will stop anything that tries to hurt my Family. By my definition, an innocent is one that doesn't try to hurt others. How many fit that description?"

"Your heart is jaded," the Second accused. "You are unfit to lead Vongola."

"Why?" Tsuna replied. "Because I'm not scared of taking one life in order to protect the lives of those I care about? Or is it because I don't let bloodshed stand between me and stopping scumbags? How many more would have died or been hurt if I didn't do what I do? How many more victims would there be if I didn't create ones first?" 

"The scales are unbalanced," the First interjected softly. "For each Reckoning, the scales have been weighing behind you. The virtues of your deeds compared to the sins. The scales are unbalanced." Fighting against his chains, Tsuna forced himself to turn enough to look behind him. He sagged back against them after only a glance. 

"That's not right," Tsuna said to himself. He sobbed at the undeniable proof that he'd seen, however. "That can't be right!"

"You have remorse for your actions," the Seventh replied calmly. "Do you now have regret?"

"No," he answered honestly, pushing away his tears. "I always did what I thought was right. I'm not going to regret that, no matter how bad my choices might have been."

"Then let the Reckoning continue," the Sixth intoned.

* * *

"What are you doing with Papa's heavy part?" Hotaru asked in open curiosity.

"We're cleaning him off and then we're going to put him to bed," Yamamoto answered patiently. "The hospital is broken right now, so we decided it would be best to bring him home."

"Grandpa Fire is tired," he commented. "Did Papa's heavy part play with him too much?"

"Um, yes, Hotaru," Gokudera answered, shifting the still-unconscious Tsuna in his lap. "So you go play with Lambo and I-Pin so that he can rest." The little boy agreed brightly and ran out of the bathroom to find his playmates. Once Hotaru was gone, Yamamoto went to shut the door so that the two could continue their conversation.

"So it was Calcassa that broke the cease-fire," he commented before reaching forward to continue scrubbing the blood out of Tsuna's hair. Gokudera nodded and returned to rinsing clean one of Tsuna's arms. 

"The cleaning crews found enough evidence to prove it," he replied. "I've already reported the kidnapping attempt to the Ninth and he's already making calls."

"I wonder if word got out about Tsuna being in the hospital," Yamamoto mused. "The only ones that know are those in the Family, though. Even the school just thinks that you and him are on a private field trip to see Professor Boreen."

"We'll find out soon enough," the dynamite specialist commented as he looked to ensure he'd gotten all the blood out from between Tsuna's fingers. "The spies should be reporting in by morning."

"Let's hope that this was just them testing our defenses," Yamamoto replied. "If so, they should stay away when none of their men return."

"Probably," Gokudera agreed with a small nod. "I have Omaggio upgrading our defenses, though. I don't want us to be caught off guard if someone attempts a raid."

"If someone does," Yamamoto warned darkly, "I'll show them the reason the underground started calling me the Blue Shinigami."

"Heh," Gokudera mumbled with a crooked smile. "Not unless I get to them first." They fell into a tense silence, which Gokudera finally broke. "How is Haru doing?" 

"She's fine, all things considered," Yamamoto replied with a sigh. "I never thought she was the type to carry a gun, though."

"I gave it to her," Gokudera admitted sheepishly. "She was pretty jittery after the last time she was attacked, so I gave it to her to protect herself if she was ever caught like that again. I never thought she'd use it, though. I don't even remember giving her bullets for it."

"I always wondered how she got over that so easily," he softly mumbled. "I thought it was just because she was distracted by everything that happened afterward."

"She was," Gokudera grumbled. "But she started getting shaky over it once things settled down for her at Mafia-Land, so I gave that to her to make her feel more secure. I didn't think it was a bad idea considering we didn't really know who to trust anymore."

"I'm not complaining," Yamamoto soothed. "It bought her enough time to get Hotaru out of there. I'm just surprised that she actually used it."

"Ah," he agreed. "Ryohei's down below training her with it right now so that she can aim better if she ever has to again."

"Are you sure that now is the time--"

"Ah," he interrupted. "Boss probably won't like it, but if she doesn't learn now while everything is still fresh in her mind, then she might be too scared to agree to training later."

"If you say so," Yamamoto muttered unhappily. 

"I do," Gokudera confirmed.


	102. Chapter 102 Late Return

"Enough," Tsuna said softly when the Flames were once again done regenerating him. The Bosses gathered around him tensed at his single word in surprise. Tsuna bowed his head and stopped trying to fight the tears he desperately wanted to shed. "Enough," he whispered in complete defeat.

"You wish the Reckoning to end?" The First asked calmly.

"It's enough," he repeated with a soft sob.

"Have you already determined the value of your life?" The Third inquired sadly. Tsuna nodded, unable to voice the words caught in his throat. His life had no value. He didn't need to see any more of the endless supply of spirits to figure it out. The scales behind him weighed too heavily with his sins.

"Do you regret?" The First asked quietly. Tsuna shook his head softly while he continued to weep. That alone he would never allow. He would forever stand by his actions, no matter the punishment. Even if it meant he would never again see his Family. Even if his choices had been poor ones, he had done what he believed was right. Nothing would take that away from him. Even if it meant his life was worthless.

"You have accepted the bloodstained history of Vongola," the Second intoned.

"You have added to the sins of our great Family," the Fifth accused.

"You regret nothing you have done," the Eighth commented.

"You have determined the value of your own life," the Third added. Tsuna shook his head wearily in agreement. He denied none of it.

"It's enough," the First said softly. He raised his gloved hands toward Tsuna and the rest of the Bosses followed suit with their own weapons. 

Eight Dying Will Flames sprouted to life and Tsuna cried out as the chains around him tightened in response. They clenched and wrapped tighter around him until he felt that he would be squeezed into a hundred pieces. They bit through his skin and sank into his flesh, burning him to his core while infusing him with their power. He could feel them solidifying parts of his Flame while they continued to tighten until they were a flaming lump of hardness centered around his heart. He clutched his chest after they passed below his skin and freed him even as they bound him tightly at his core. They began to spasm in time with his own heartbeat, sending Tsuna into a pain-filled scream with every throb.

"It is time for you to inherit the proof of Vongola," the First intoned mournfully, his voice somehow louder than Tsuna's cries of agony despite its softness. Tsuna stopped trying to understand. He stopped caring about anything other than the agony coursing through his body.

As abruptly as it began, it was over. Tsuna gasped, feeling cold water rushing around him and close over him without having felt himself move. Opening his eyes which had been clenched in pain, he wearily looked around into the dark depths of his surroundings. 

This must be my punishment, Tsuna thought to himself. He closed his eyes in acceptance and allowed himself to drift in the cold waters of his eternal prison. At least imprisoned, his worthless life would create no more sins. Soon after realizing that, his only wish became that of oblivion.

* * *

"Ninth...? Gokudera...?" Ryohei asked hesitantly. The men in question looked up from Tsuna's bedside with sad and mournful expressions. 

"Tsunayoshi's Reckoning has been completed," the Ninth commented.

"Isn't that a good thing?" Ryohei inquired in hope.

"_There is a problem,_" a voice said in his head.

"What the problem?" Gokudera mumbled, having already gotten used to the voice.

"Extreme mind trip," Ryohei grunted.

"Not quite," the Ninth replied with a soft smile. "That voice is the one currently inside Tsunayoshi, keeping him alive."

"Invisible to the limit," Ryohei mumbled while he looked at Tsuna in a new light. "What's the problem?"

"_The Child of Flame is drifting in theLake of Lost Dreams_," the voice replied. "_He is too deep for the Guardian of Mist to access and the seal on the lake is beginning to disappear_."

"Why doesn't he just swim?" Ryohei asked worriedly without really understanding the voice's words. 

"He doesn't realize that he passed," the Ninth replied. "His resolution was sufficient to overcome his sins, but he sees no value in his life anymore. He's stopped fighting."

_"I must go_," the voice interjected urgently.

"Very well," the Ninth agreed before ripping the covers off of Tsuna. "We'll try to keep his body going for as long as possible."

"Wait," Ryohei blurted with wide eyes. "What do you mean--" He froze at the sound of Tsuna's breathing beginning to hitch while he gasped for breathe with lungs that no longer wanted to work. Darting forward, Ryohei began to panic when he saw how his friend had frozen mid-gasp.

"We have to hurry," Gokudera warned, already understanding the situation. "Unless we force his body to continue working, Boss' Flame won't be able to return."

"Shit," Ryohei cursed. Understanding enough of the situation to know that Tsuna was dead if he didn't do something, Ryohei jumped on the bed to help Gokudera who was already beginning to give CPR. The Ninth nodded in satisfaction at their actions and rushed over to the room's control panel to hit the emergency button. Alarms began sounding throughout the house and people came running in droves. The Ninth took control as they arrived, sending people down for doctors and life support units. Those that were too panicked by the sight of Ryohei and Gokudera struggling to keep Tsuna's body going were sent to the side to wait silently. 

"Come on, Boss," Gokudera encouraged tearfully while he continued to breathe life into Tsuna's lifeless body at Ryohei's cues. "Come on, Boss! Come home! Everyone is waiting on you! What happened to there being no sacrifices? The fireworks are waiting, Boss!"

* * *

"Come...Bo...home! Every... wait... on y... what... pened...no sacrific... firewo...waiting..."

"_Who's there?" _Tsuna whispered into the dark, cold waters. 

"Yo... an't... die... "

_"Go away,"_ Tsuna begged. "_I'm tired_."

"Papa!"

"_Who's that?"_

"_Can't you hear them, child_," a voice whispered to him. "_Your Family cries out for your return_."

"_Why?" _Tsuna asked in disorientation. _"I'm worthless. I only hurt people._"

"_In order to protect your Family, little one_," the voice soothed. "_Are you going to throw away your reason for living_?"

"_I have no reason to live_," he replied softly. _"I just want it all to be over_."

"_So selfish_," the voice admonished. 

"_Who are you?" _Tsuna inquired with a tone that suggested that he believed it was their first meeting.

"_The seal on the lake is weakening, child_," the voice urged. "_You must swim to the surface_."

"_Where am I_?" He asked in growing oblivion. Looking around in curiosity, his eyes lit on the quickly descending form of a Flame heading toward him. "_Who are you?"_

"_I am Prometheus, child_," it answered before winding itself around him. "_You must not give in! You are our only hope_!"

"_Hope?" _Tsuna repeated, remembering nothing.

"_Come, little one_," Prometheus ordered as he pulled Tsuna toward the surface. 

"_I can see through my hand_," Tsuna mumbled, looking curiously at the fading appendage. 

"_We won't make it_," Prometheus cried. Despite his words, he continued to surge forward in the waters. Tsuna screamed when the rainbow of Flame rammed itself into his back and propelled him upwards at speeds greater than before. It ripped in two from the force of its thrust. One half fell back down into the depths and the other half continued pushing him upward. The force it used penetrated his very being until Tsuna could no longer tell where his own Flame began and that one ended. 

He broke free of the waters with a gasp and the power of the Flame attached to his shoulder sent him flying uncontrollably through the air. Blinded and dizzy from the sudden rush of returning memories, Tsuna barely noticed the net that caught him and began to quickly pull him toward the banks before he landed back into the water. 

"Kufufufu," a voice laughed over him once he was laying face-down on the bank. "I seem to have caught the legendary Tsuna-fish."

"Mukuro...?" Tsuna asked weakly, ignoring the quip.

"You must return to your body," Mukuro replied after he released the net of vines. Tsuna didn't move from where he lay, uncaring of what happened to himself.

"It hurts," he whispered. "I want to rest, Mukuro."

"My poor little Mafia Boss," he moaned sympathetically. Tsuna closed his eyes against Mukuro's hand on his face, pushing his hair back before pressing it against his cheek like a cold compress. "If you rest any more, you will no longer be able to return."

"That's fine," Tsuna said softly. "I've already done enough, haven't I?"

"Have you?" Mukuro asked while he gently caressed Tsuna's cheek. "Can't you hear them, my friend?"

"It's quiet," he replied with a small sigh of relief. "I like it like this. No one crying out in pain. No one crying out for me to be their savior. No one--ah!" Tsuna gasped and clutched his shoulder from a sudden spasm of pain that went through it. 

"It looks like someone is still crying out," Mukuro commented sadly. "Your new wing won't let you ignore it."

"Wing?" Tsuna repeated with a grimace. Rather than wait for an answer, he looked at his own shoulder and froze at what he saw. "What the hell is that?" He finally blurted.

"Kufufufu," Mukuro chuckled with an appreciative look at the rainbow of Flame attached to Tsuna's shoulder blade. "Just as Prometheus stole fire, so have you it seems. Such a natural thing for a Mafia Boss, I assume."

"Prometheus..." Tsuna repeated, looking at the lake before him. "The Firebird...oh god..." Jumping to his feet, Tsuna began to run for the lake, uncaring of the consequences. The only thought in his head was that he had to save the creature who had saved him. Mukuro had other plans, however. The man tackled him to the ground with a mere inch to go before Tsuna would have jumped into the lake.

"Foolish boy," Mukuro growled, pinning him to the ground. "Prometheus has merely returned to the other side in order to replenish his Essence."

"He's not dead?" Tsuna asked from underneath Mukuro. 

"Death is such a fragile word," Mukuro laughed softly into his ear. "His existence hasn't been erased, if that is what you wish to know."

"Thank goodness," Tsuna mumbled softly. 

"The time grows short, my naive friend," Mukuro warned, leaning down low over Tsuna's back. Tsuna gasped at the sensation of Mukuro touching his newly attached wing in the process. "Prometheus has gifted you with this so that you may hear that which you are deaf to. Heed the calls and return to your body." 

Tsuna gasped again as Mukuro reached up and ran a hand across the Flames of his wing.

_"Please...Tsu-kun! Don't die!"  
__"Come back, Boss! If you die, what are we fighting for?"  
__"Come on, Little Bro! You went too extreme again!"  
__"Tsuna, please! Don't give up! We need you here with us!"  
__"Are you still a herbivore, Sawada?"  
__"I'm so sorry, son! My poor, cute son...Your mother and I love you! Please, come back to us!"  
__"Forgive me, Tsunayoshi, but you must keep living!"  
__"Baka-Tsuna, you're so lost in the nightmare that you're forgetting to wake up."  
__"PAPA!"_

"Hotaru..." Tsuna sobbed, hearing the voices of his Family.

"Reach out for him," Mukuro whispered softly in his ear with a light kiss to his cheek. "Reach out for your Family, Sawada Tsunayoshi."

Tsuna reached.

* * *

"Time of death," Sakura asked.

"7:02 PM," a nurse replied as she put away the electric paddles they'd kept attempting to jump start Tsuna with. Sakura nodded with tears in his eyes and pulled the cover up over Tsuna's head. 

"I'll go tell the Family," he said, still staring at the outline of Tsuna's covered body. They'd done everything to buy as much time as possible. Yet they hadn't been able to get his heart to start back up. Without that, his blood had stopped flowing and his body had grown cold. The facilities in the estate weren't set up for surgeries and there hadn't been time to move him. Even so, an ambulance had been sent for.

It came too late.

Knowing the point of no return, Sakura had worked long past it in hopes that a miracle would occur. But he was only human. He couldn't bring back the dead nor force life into the unliving. The most he could do was to treat wounds and try to buy time. The paramedics that had arrived to move Tsuna had ended up pulling Sakura off in tears. Even they, who were used to bringing people back from the brink on a regular basis, had known that far too much time had passed. 

With a heavy heart, Sakura left Tsuna's bedroom and headed to the Family Room. Everyone smiled at his entrance, expecting only good news to come out of his mouth. They looked at him with hopeful eyes, believing that a miracle had occurred. They stared at him with patient smiles, waiting for Sakura to tell them that Tsuna had returned. Then, finally their hopes and smiles fell along with Sakura's tears. He collapsed to the floor, unable to speak the final words. Unable to admit his failure.

His weeping told them everything that he couldn't. Several ran past him toward Tsuna's room, unable to believe that he was dead. Sakura knew from the loud cries that sounded down the hall that they'd came to the same conclusion as he. The cold body and the lifeless eyes were undeniable proof that no one wanted to acknowledge. 

"Mommy," Hotaru asked quietly. "You said Papa would come back, so why is everyone crying?"

* * *

"With all due respect, Ninth," Iemitsu growled angrily. "I don't give a damn what you think right now. Tsuna is going to be buried in Japan."

"I understand your feelings," the Ninth replied calmly, "But Tsunayoshi had become the Tenth before he died. It's only fitting that he's transported to the Family crypt in Italy."

"Why are you so set on this?" Iemitsu snapped.

"It's Family business, Iemitsu," the Ninth warned coldly. "I can not allow him to be buried anywhere other than with the other Bosses."

"You can't do this," he mumbled in shock. "He's my son--"

"And he was a Boss of Vongola," the Ninth interrupted. "I'm sorry, Iemitsu. My decision stands."

"At least let the Family pay their respects here," Iemitsu begged. 

"I already planned to," he replied mournfully. "Funeral preparations are already underway."

* * *

"This is all so unreal," Ryohei mumbled drunkenly in the VIP Booth of Club 27.

"Ah," Dino confirmed, holding up his glass for Hana to fill. "He was up and moving just two days ago. And now..."

"Little bro went all the way," Ryohei supplied without any of his normal cheer. "I told the Ninth that I'd make him pay if Little Bro didn't recover, but he wouldn't want that. Would he?"

"No," Dino agreed gently. "How is Tsuna's son taking it?"

"Bad," he grunted. "Hotaru locked himself in his room now that he can go in again and won't answer us. Haru's not much better. She's staying with her parents until the funeral tomorrow."

"Has the Ninth named the new heir yet?"

"He said he was going to wait a while," Ryohei spat, taking another long pull on his beer. "I already warned him to keep his hands off of Hotaru, but I don't know if he's going to listen."

"Are you going to turn on Vongola, Ryohei?"

"It's not about Vongola," he replied. "I'm going to protect what Little Bro left behind and that's all there is to it."

* * *

"I won't let them cut him up," Gokudera snarled.

"They're not going to," Yamamoto soothed. "So there's no reason for you to stay here."

"I'm not leaving," he replied from his stubborn seat in front of the morgue freezers. "I'm staying with Boss."

"He's not coming back," the swordsman said with a gentle hand on Gokudera's shoulder. "There's no point in you staying here. No matter how much we want him to, he's gone. He's dead."

"Shut up!" Gokudera yelled, shoving his friend away. "He's not dead. He's just sleeping for a while. The rite of passage just--" Gokudera froze at the sting in his cheek from Yamamoto's frustrated slap.

"Listen to yourself!" Yamamoto shouted with tears in his eyes. "Tsuna. Is. Dead! You have to get that through your head! Or do you think that you are so damn special that a miracle will occur if you sit here with him?"

"Yamamoto, I--" 

"You're not the only one hurting, Gokudera," he interrupted softly. "I miss him, too." Gokudera stared at him for a long moment, his eyes mirroring the tear-filled ones that Yamamoto held. "I'm still here for you, but I'm not invincible."

"What's the point in going on if he's not here?" Gokudera sobbed. "I--"

"I'm here," Yamamoto said softly, reaching out for his friend while he, too, began weeping. "I'm here, Gokudera."

* * *

People poured into the church to say their final farewells. Vongola Headquarters had been emptied and transported en masse to Japan. Hundreds of Mafiosos, both Allied and Rival, came on behalf of their Bosses, although tensions were still high after the attempted kidnapping. The Bosses themselves had already paid their respects in private before slipping away.

It still didn't seem real for any of the Guardians preparing to carry the black casket into the main hall of the church. Neither the abundance of flowers covering every visible inch of it nor the knowledge of what lie inside. It was as if time was still stopped in the moments before he died. He was simply sleeping from his ordeal and a mere kiss was all it would take to wake him.

If only they were in a fairy tale.

"I'm here," Hibari said into the quiet room. 

"About time," Gokudera grumbled, lighting yet another cigarette with shaking hands. "Don't start anything today. Mukuro is coming to carry him, too."

"I've already spoken with Mukuro," he replied calmly.

"Really?" Yamamoto asked in amazement. "Is Chrome still alive?"

"We parted ways amicably," Hibari commented while Hibird shifted along his shoulder with a ruffle of its feathers.

"What did you talk about?" Ryohei inquired from beside the flower-drenched coffin.

"I was curious about what happened with Sawada," he replied. "I was informed that Mukuro was the one that was supposed to return him to his former self."

"So why didn't he?" Gokudera growled. "Did Mukuro fucking betray--"

"No, I did not," Mukuro interjected, entering the room. He paused and walked over to the casket with surprising sadness while completely ignoring how tense everyone became. "I honestly don't know what happened to our dear Mafia Boss," he whispered. "He pulled on his anchor like he was supposed to, but perhaps it was already too late. He neither returned to me, nor did he return to his body."

"Then what happened to him?" Gokudera shouted angrily. He paused, heaving in frustration, at Yamamoto's gentle hand on his shoulder in restraint. "What happened to him?" He repeated more calmly.

"Perhaps he's on the Path of Wandering Ghosts," Mukuro replied with a bowed head. "In case he had, I called for countless hours at the Hidden Gates, but he never answered."

"You tried to call Little Bro back?" Ryohei asked from beside him. Mukuro nodded slowly in reply without looking up.

"The Path he chooses is his alone to decide," Mukuro said quietly. "But I dislike being uninformed of his State of Being."

"It's time," Reborn interjected from the door while Iemitsu slipped in past him. The five Guardians looked up from their quiet discussion before bowing their heads. It hit each of them once again that their beloved Boss and brother was dead. Despite Reborn's warning, it took them several long minutes to gather themselves enough to take their position around the coffin. Yamamoto and Gokudera took the front on the left and right respectively. Behind them in the center was Ryohei and Hibari. Mukuro took up the rear with the last corner being taken by Tsuna's own father.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Iemitsu?" Gokudera asked from the front. "We can always ask Matsu or one of the others."

"I wasn't always there for him," Iemitsu replied with a small tremble. "But I can do this much for my son."

"Let's go, then," he cued. Slowly and carefully, the coffin was lifted off the table and onto their shoulders. Reborn walked ahead of them, opening the doors along the path into the main part of the church, where hundreds of people waited to pay their last respects. Haru and Hotaru stood behind a curtained-off area with the rest of Tsuna's closest Family, but the Guardians could hear them crying while they walked through the building full of tears. 

Despite their agreement not to cry, most of the six bearing Tsuna toward the front of the church had to blink away their own tears. The reality slowed them in unison but they continued to move forward while the coffin they carried seemed to weigh heavier with every step. When they finally lowered him on the altar, four of the six began to sob before heading to join the others behind the sheer curtains.

The service was a short one for the sake of the multitude of people lining the walls. Even so, no less than six different holy men gave their version of final rites, including both a Shinto priest and a man personally selected by the Roman Pope. Then the time came to open the casket and let people say their final farewells. Gokudera tearfully went forward with Iemitsu to clear the flowers from atop it and clenched their eyes tightly shut when they finally lifted up the lid. 

It was like a dream to see him again. Despite himself, Gokudera reached forward and touched his cold cheek, not wanting to believe the truth before his eyes. He nearly collapsed into tears again, but Iemitsu grabbed him when he began to waver. Leading him back to the private area for the Family, Gokudera's knees finally gave out in front of Yamamoto. 

He stayed there, sobbing quietly to himself and listened while Yamamoto whispered encouragements into his ear around his own tears. A few made it through to him and he pushed his pain away in effort to do his final duties. Shakily he stood and followed the others out to pay their respects. Seeing how Haru was shaking with Hotaru in her arms, Gokudera wrapped an arm around her in support and led her toward the very thing she didn't want to see.

"What are you doing with Papa's heavy part?" Hotaru asked worriedly, looking down at his seemingly sleeping father.

"We're going to lay him to rest, Hotaru," Haru replied with a small shudder.

"Won't he rest better in bed?" He inquired innocently.

"Not that kind of rest," Gokudera corrected when Haru began weeping again. "We have to bury him, Hotaru."

"You can't!" He cried with wide eyes. "If you bury him, Papa's Fire won't be able to come back!"

"He's not coming back, Hotaru," Gokudera whispered painfully.

"Papa!" He wailed in panic, reaching out for Tsuna. "Wake up, Papa! If you don't wake up, Goku-sensei is going to bury you! Wake up! PAPA!" Haru began to pull him away, but Hotaru combusted out of her arms and reformed on top of Tsuna's body. "Wake up, Papa! Wake up!" 

"Hotaru..."

"PAPA!"

"Come on, Hotaru," Haru whispered while she attempted to pull the boy away. "You have to say good-bye now."

"Papa..." Hotaru cried on his chest. "Wake up, Papa..." Gokudera reached forward to help Haru gather the boy up, but paused when his little head shot up into the air and he stopped crying. "Papa?"

"What is it, Hotaru?" Gokudera asked curiously.

"Papa's Fire is back," he said with a wide smile. He patted Tsuna's chest happily and looked up at Gokudera with joyful eyes. "Hotaru can feel Papa's Fire! Goku-sensei can't bury Papa now!"

"Hotaru--"

"Hotaru can feel Papa's Fire!" He yelled stubbornly, catching the attention of everyone around him. 

"Ha-hi!" Haru screamed. She wasn't the only one to react so forcefully when Tsuna's eyes slowly opened. Several people screamed 'zombie' and ran while others fainted in their tracks. Gokudera was the first to push his way forward and lean over Tsuna's head, unbelieving of the miracle. With hands moving of their own accord, he reached down and lifted up his boss' head.

"Get Sakura!" He screamed, seeing light sparkle for a moment beneath unblinking eyes glazed from death. "Come on, Boss," he encouraged, "Wake up, damnit!"

"Goku--"

"He's in there, Yamamoto," Gokudera replied, knowing that his friend thought he was crazy. "Hotaru's right. He's back." As if to reinforce his words, an orange Dying Will Flame burst free on Tsuna's head. Yamamoto gasped at the sight, as did everyone gathered around. Ignoring them, Gokudera turned back to his beloved boss and once again began giving tear-filled encouragements. "Come on, Boss! Keep fighting! I'll even call you by your name from now on! I'll do anything you want! Just keep fighting!"

"Wake up, Papa!" Hotaru added from where he hugged his father's chest tightly. As if their calls gave him strength, Tsuna's unmoving chest hitched with a gasp before falling still again. 

"Don't give up," Yamamoto said softly in shock. Then, suddenly realizing that Tsuna was on the true brink, Yamamoto reached forward to grab his cold hand and yelled at him. "Don't give up, Tsuna!" 

"Please, Tsu-kun," Haru cried. "Please come back, Tsu-kun!"

More and more calls began sounding through the church when word spread that a miracle was occurring. In response, the Flame brightly burning on Tsuna's head began to spasm and flare. Streaks of color began appearing through it and he once again gasped for breathe before falling silent. 

"That's it, my dear Sawada Tsunayoshi," Mukuro encouraged from beside Gokudera. "Use the gift you were given. Rebuild your decaying innards to their former state and return to the Family that cries out for you."

For a third time, Tsuna tried to breathe. This time, he gulped for air and arched his back like a being possessed. Hands reached forward to hold him steady while Gokudera continued to hold his head. A shudder ran through him and he clenched his eyes shut against whatever was coursing through his body. He gave a small cry that brought silence to the hall before he once again collapsed back down. This time, however, his chest continued to rise and fall while the Flame on his head began to flicker out with its power spent.

Everyone held their collective breaths when Tsuna's eyes flickered for a moment before slowly opening. He looked up at them with a saddened expression and gave a wearily half-hearted, faltering smile. 

"I'm back," he whispered tiredly with a voice dry and cracked.


	103. Chapter 103 End

"You've been quiet," Reborn grumbled. He jumped up on the balcony railing where Tsuna was looking out at the sand garden below his room. Reborn raised an eyebrow over the fact that it had been turned to mirror-smooth glass. "Did you do that?"

"Ah," Tsuna replied calmly, staring down at it. His reflection looked back up at him, coldly thinking about what it was seeing.

"Everyone was worried about you," Reborn commented in effort to break the silence.

"I saw," he mumbled softly. 

"Are you going to tell us what happened?"

"No," Tsuna answered.

"Can you at least tell me why?" Reborn asked grouchily.

"There's nothing to tell," Tsuna replied with a sigh. He leaned down over the railing, finally seeming to relax. "I stopped pulling on the anchor halfway back."

"Why would you do something like that, baka-Tsuna?" Reborn inquired, glad to have finally gotten Tsuna to start talking.

"I needed to think," he said with a sad smile. "I had to decide for myself if I would regret coming back. If I did, then there would have been no point in returning."

""But you came back," Reborn stated. Leon morphed in his hands and he absently pulled out a cloth to clean the pistol-shaped chameleon. Tsuna smiled softly at him for a moment, strangely soothed by such normality.

"I almost didn't," he finally admitted. "I saw how everyone was upset that I was gone, but they were all managing to find their feet again."

"Except for Hotaru," Reborn muttered in understanding. 

"No," Tsuna replied with another sad smile. "Hotaru would have been fine, too. There were only four people that were being hurt too badly by my absence, although none of them showed a single tear."

"Who?"

"Se-cr-et," he warned. "But even then, I might not have come back if there hadn't been two other things calling me."

"Am I going to have to prompt you for everything?" Reborn grumbled when Tsuna didn't immediately explain. Tsuna laughed good-naturedly and rubbed a hand through his hair. 

"A _feeling _from Prometheus' Flame and my own selfishness," he answered. "I can't really explain the feeling I got from his Flame, but it was as if I was needed. Truly, absolutely needed for something. As for my own selfishness, I realized that more than people needing me to return, I still wanted to be with everyone. Even if I'm worthless to them, they aren't to me.

"No one thinks you're worthless, Tsuna," Reborn corrected gently.

"I know the value of my existence," he replied quietly. He pressed a hand against his chest over his heart and lost even the trace of the sad smile he'd been wearing. "I'm chained to that now, Reborn. I learned so much by being faced with...with everything. I've also learned that I've been swearing by a false resolution this whole time."

"Eh?"

"I love my Family, Reborn," Tsuna continued painfully, "but my resolution was never to simply protect them. If it had been, I would never have accepted the desire to simply give up. The resolution to protect them was broken the moment that I asked to end the Reckoning, thinking that I was never coming back."

"Then what is your resolution?" Reborn asked curiously.

"Do you remember when I first got control of my Flame?" Tsuna asked in answer. Reborn nodded in sudden understanding.

"You made the resolution to not do things you'd regret," Reborn supplied.

"Exactly. I was blinded once because I believed I regretted my choices, but even then I hadn't truly broken that resolution. Right up until the end of the Reckoning, that oath was never destroyed. I had to be faced with my sins to understand that simple thing, because my sins are part of who I am and I had to truly know myself to be worthy to lead Vongola. A Boss can't understand and lead others if they don't first know themselves."

"So you had to face your sins?" Reborn asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Ah," Tsuna confirmed sadly. "That was another reason I almost didn't come back. I knew that if I came back, I would just end up adding more sins to the scales and I will one day have to pay for all of them in full. I'm pathetic, though. I'm willing to do that because I'm such a selfish person. I love my Family too much, Reborn. I wanted to be with them and laugh with them again, even knowing that I'm going to--"

"It must have been a tough choice," Reborn interrupted. Sensing that Tsuna was on the verge of tears, Reborn decided that a change of focus was in order. "So why did you turn the sand garden into glass?"

"I was testing out my new gloves," he replied. Reborn's eyebrows shot up and Tsuna held out his hand. While he watched, Tsuna's '27' gloves melted down his fingers and morphed into the X-Gloves, with one major alteration. A shadowed dome covered the back of it where Tsuna's seal had once been. It was as if the dome of the Vongola Ring had been enlarged and attached before being held in the smoke of a fire full of impurities. "My Flame has been cut in two, too. I still have the same strength as before, but I can feel that the valve around my inner Flame has been altered. It's like there's a compressor or something that's tapping half of it and making it hard. I was trying to learn to control it, since the pressure is a little unpredictable when I use it."

"How so?" Reborn asked worriedly.

"Hmm," Tsuna mumbled, trying to find a way to explain. Finally he groaned and rubbed his head, disliking the only image that appeared. "It's like when a Lambo used to try to pour himself a glass of juice. He could hold the jug steady and get a even flow for a little while, but then he'd suddenly get overwhelmed and it would spill all over the place. Half of my flame is acting like that now. I can control it for a little while and then it'll just explode. If I hadn't been outside, I probably would have went through a few walls instead of just turning the sand to glass and flying upwards a few stories."

"I hope you weren't doing this alone," Reborn warned.

"I had Chrome here with me," Tsuna smiled. "Although I think Mukuro just wanted to check up on me."

"Its nice to know that you aren't always reckless," Reborn grinned.

"That's not really true," Tsuna replied sheepishly. "I was planning on doing it alone. She just happened to come along and cover my accident at the right time so no one saw." Ducking a Leon-Hammer aimed for his head, Tsuna laughingly headed for the door. "I'll see you later, Reborn. They're throwing a Resurrection party for me down at the Club."

"I'll join you later," Reborn promised.

"Hey, Reborn," Tsuna mumbled, pausing at the door. "Promise me something."

"What's that?"

"The next time I die," he replied sadly, "Don't be one of the people that hides their pain. You might be a top-hitman, but you're human, too."

"Then don't die," Reborn answered simply, promising nothing. Tsuna shook his head to himself and quietly closed the door behind him, leaving Reborn to hide his sad smile from no one.

* * *

Author's notes: Yes, we're going to end the fun, fun, fun here! Flames and Family III is going to pick right back up after this, (literally, right after this...) so don't cry! For my own sanity (and because my husband has started gaping every time I tell him the chapter number) we're going to go on to yet another sequel!

If you're happy and you know it...give a review...  
If you're happy and you know it...give a review...

Seriously, people! I won't know what to focus on in the third part unless you tell me!

More fluffy, normal, day-to-day Family love?  
More bloody, gore-filled Mafia tasks?  
More supernatural fiestas?  
More Mafia meets Normality?  
More emotional trauma and recovery?  
More Tsuna in Italy?  
More Tsuna in Japan?  
More Tsuna doing gymnastics? (giggle)  
More Hotaru?  
More Toshi?

More what...?...!

Make it long and make it painfully detailed! LOL I know what I like, but I want to know what you want!

Also, thank you for everyone that reviewed! I'd list all your names, but that would probably fill up a chapter to itself. Rest assured I have read every single one, though, and I appreciate them to a HARROWING and EXTREME degree!


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